Mark Antony´s Speech in William Shakespeare´s Julius Caesar

905 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Speech by antony in julius caesar

Caesar Funeral Speech
In Act III, Scene ii of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony approached in front of the busy, crowded, open area of the Forum, he stood resolutely as he prepared to deliver his speech. Anthony needed to shift the mass’s favor towards Caesar while preventing any form of misgivings towards the proposal he was able to make - that the conspirators should compensate for the murder of Caesar with their lives. Through the use of his language and devices such as verbal irony, and rhetorical questions, Anthony devised a speech aimed to justify his goals, make the conspirators guilty of their crime, and raise up a mutiny to avenge Caesar’s wrongful death.
For the first step in his speech, Anthony needed to establish a sense of mistrust in the crowd without breaking his promise that he would not blame the conspirators for their crime. As he begins to address the people, he assured them that he had not come to praise Caesar, but insisted that “Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man.” The purpose of the this repetition is that every time he mentions this phrase, it allows him to gradually gather a sarcastic tone until its meaning had completely changed. Immediately after he says this, he presents Caesar’s “ambition” by reminding the crowd of the wealth that Caesar brought to Rome, his compassion to the poor, and his refusal to the crown when offered it. The effect of this verbal irony allows Anthony to contrast Brutus’s reasoning with evidence, while simultaneously eliminating the force and credibility of his claim. Though not openly, Anthony is not only able to praise Caesar by emphasizing his great works, he is able to recast Caesar as innocent and prove the murder as no longer legitimate...

... middle of paper ...

...ne appropriate answer from the crowd, Anthony uses a rhetorical question to further confirm the people’s sense of injustice from being stripped of such a benevolent ruler. As a result, the plebeians exit wildly as they seek vengeance for their grievances and loss of Caesar, leaving Antony in awe as he marvels at the mob that he had caused.
In overview, Mark Antony manages to clearly defend his argument that the death of Caesar must be avenged and successfully persuades the Romans into accepting his side, while joining them into mutiny. He uses verbal irony, repetition, and tone to assist him in reverting popular opinion in favor of the dead Caesar and against Brutus. Anthony’s speech is persuasive through a combination of language, rhetorical devices, and compelling delivery, which allows him to largely win the support of the citizens of Rome and fulfill his goal.

Show More
Related

  • Julius Caesar Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    535 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antony asks rhetorical questions and lets the audience answer for themselves. Brutus uses ethos by stating that he a noble man and that is why the people should believe him but infact Antony questions his nobility by saying what Brutus said,” Brutus is an honourable man”(III.ii.79). In a way, Antony states what Brutus states to convince the audience by using examples that Brutus is wrong. Antony himself knows what kind of man Brutus is but lets the people figure it out on their own. In addition, Brutus uses logos by expressing that fact that Caesar died because of his ambition. This argument is severely under supported because his reasons are invalid and simply observations. Antony uses “did this in Caesar seem ambitious” to question Brutus’ argument (III.ii.82). Antony gives examples backing his argument like when Caesar refused the crown thrice to prove his humbleness. The way Antony convinces the people to rebel is by using pathos. He brings the audience in by stepping down to their level and showing them the body of Caesar. While Antony talks at Caesar's funeral, he pauses because” heart us in the coffin there with Caesar “(III.ii.98). When Antony becomes emotional, he reminds the audience about what injust event happened to the much loved

    Read More

  • Antony's Speech In Julius Caesar Act 2 Essay

    587 Words  | 2 Pages

    The people are essential to Antony's plan. He didn't just go and give a speech about how he felt, he knew what would come from his actions. “ I thrice presented him the crown, which he did thrice refuse” Antony is trying not to show Caesar faults, but shows how Brutus lied about Caesar being honorable, later stating honor should be made of stronger stuff . Antony is showing that when Brutus says Caesar was ambitious, he was showing that Caesar wasn't ambitious and that Brutus lied. Antony knows that if he can make Brutus seem not honorable, he can get the people to turn on the perfect

    Read More

  • Comparing the Speeches of Mark Antony and Robert F. Kennedy

    1252 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mark Antony’s speech, whose aim is to counter Brutus’ speech, enlightens the crowd on the unjust murder of Caesar. Though he never directly communicates to the crowd of his feeling towards the conspirators, Antony was able to effectively convey to the crowd, through the use of verbal irony and other stylistic devices/techniques in his speech, his true views of the assassination. Moreover, Antony was able to shrewdly emphasize his belief of the undeserved assassination of Caesar through the wide use of epiphoral and anaphoral structure in his speech. Antony emphasizes the wrongdoings of Brutus and Cassius through the ingenious use of the epistrophe along with verbal irony as he notes that “I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong” (III, ii, 125). Moreover, he stresses the importance of punishi...

    Read More

  • Brutus vs Antony

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    The most predominate and important aspect In the play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare are the speeches given to the Roman citizens by Brutus and Antony, the two main charaters, following the death of Caesar. Brutus and Antony both spoke to the crowd,using the same rhetorical devices to express their thoughts. Both speakers used the three classical appeals employed in the speeches: ethos, which is an appeal to credibility; pathos, which is an appeal to the emotion of the audience; and logos, which is an appeal to the content and arrangement of the argument itself. Even though both speeches have the same structure Antony’s speech is significantly more effective than Brutus’s.

    Read More

  • Mark Antony’s Remarkable Rhetoric

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    Through the whole of his spectacular speech, Mark Antony influences the crowd using his distinct diction. He is able to inculcate a fired up anti-Caesar mass of people, and he makes the populace believe that Julius Caesar’s death was a true tragedy. Antony gracefully applies his proficiency with ‘logos’ and ‘pathos’ to his speech and is able to adroitly gain followers. His strong reasoning and explanations allow the Romans to buy what he has to say. Antony’s ability to speak in a roundabout way is a key constituent of his speech. Withal, he is extremely humble and the way he plays down his prowess is impressive. Mark Antony puts all the parts of his remarkable rhetoric together, and the result is a speech for the ages.

    Read More

  • The Diction Of Mark Antony In William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Mark Antony—a loyal friend to Julius Caesar, the former emperor of Rome—gives a speech to the Roman commoners in order to persuade them to turn against Brutus, for Brutus and the conspirators had slain Caesar. Antony’s uses rough and sharp diction, a scornful tone, and honest anecdotes in order to achieve his purpose of manipulating the common people to take his side.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Essay: Brutus's and Antony's Speeches

    1039 Words  | 3 Pages

    & respects the intelligence of the common people to understand a speech given in verse.  Brutus's authoritative air is once again illustrated at the very opening line of his oration when he demands the attention of the people, "Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my / cause, and be silent, that you may hear.  Believe me / for mine honor and have respect to mine honor, that / you may believe"(Act III, scene ii, lines 13-16).  this one line, Antony uses Brutus's words to his advantage by changing them to make himself sound friendlier.  By the very first word of Antony's speech, one can infer that he is about to give a humbling oration; he uses the ethical appeal to convince the people to believe in his cause rather than Brutus's.  Finally, while the crowd is in awe of Brutus's raw power and booming authority, Antony uses sarcasm He is "an honorable man" (Act III, scene II, line 84) in a tone of biting mockery, therefore questioning Brutus's credibility. & nbsp;                  It is true that the Roman people have emotions that sway with the winds, but this is partly due to the great speaking skills of both Brutus and Mark Antony.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Rhetorical Analysis

    984 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antony reminds the plebeians about the time when he, himself “presented [Caesar] a kingly crown, / Which [Caeasar] did thrice refuse” (III. ii. 97-98). Using logic and reasoning, Mark Antony explains to his crowd that the fallen Caesar couldn’t possibly have been ambitious if he had refused the ticket to become King multiple times. Immediately afterward, Antony made sure to remind the plebeians that Brutus is an honorable man. This use of logos with verbal irony proves to be extremely effective. Since Antony presented the crowd with a compelling fact supporting that Caesar was not ambitious, the phrase “Brutus is an honorable man,” would be even more effective in allowing his audience to realize that Brutus and the conspirators may not be honorable (III. ii. 83). According to Brutus, the conspirator's sole reason to kill Caesar was because they believed he was ambitious, Antony’s statement would then be incredibly useful to turn the crowd against Brutus and his people. The plebeians would start to realize that noble Brutus and his conspirators might not be honorable and could potentially have their own, personal reasons to assassinate Julius Caesar. Once the crowd realizes that Brutus and the conspirators could have murdered their leader for no valid reason, they would begin to feel anger which are the building steps to starting a rebellion just like how Antony

    Read More

  • Comparison of the Two Speeches in Julius Caesar

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    In William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, two speeches are given to the people of Rome about Caesar's death. In Act 3, Scene 2 of this play Brutus and Antony both try to sway the minds of the Romans toward their views. Brutus tried to make the people believe he killed Caesar for a noble cause. Antony tried to persuade the people that the conspirators committed an act of brutality toward Caesar and were traitors. The effectiveness and ineffectiveness of both Antony's and Brutus's speech to the people are conveyed through tone and rhetorical devices.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis of Mark Antony in Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

    816 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antony’s goal was to persuade the crowd of plebeians that the conspirators acted impetuously and Caesar did not need to be killed. He uses many rhetorical devices to strengthen his speech and gain the support of the crowd. From rhetorical questions to the use of pathos, Antony masters the art of persuasion. His speech moves the crowd from believing Brutus’ reasoning for killing Caesar, to understanding that Caesar did not have to die.

    Read More

  • Mark Antony's Use Of Ethos In Julius Caesar

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antony tells the people of Rome that they should not turn a blind eye to the actions of Brutus and his accomplices, he tells them that they should remember Caesar for the great leader and war hero that he was. In Antony’s speech he uses Repetition, Pathos, and Ethos to turn the crowd on Brutus and his accomplices without them even

    Read More

  • Mark Antony's Speech Analysis

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    In William Shakespeare play Julius Caesar, Caesar is assassinated, and the city of Rome becomes enraged, demanding the death of the conspirators that murdered him. Brutus, one of the main assassins, talks to the mob and persuades them to understand that they are at an advantage without Caesar, the tyrant, as the dictator of Rome. He then leaves Mark Antony, who has meticulous orders to not try to pin the murder on the conspirators’ selfishness, but can speak numerous praises about his superior. Mark Antony then speaks to the persuaded crowd about Caesar’s endeavors and the benefits that Caesar gave to the kingdom, giving everything that was necessary and more. Mark Antony’s speech riles the citizens of Rome to mutiny without actually revealing his personal intentions of wishing to do so. In William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, Mark Antony’s speech is more persuasive that Brutus’ speech

    Read More

  • Act 3 Scene 2 of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

    580 Words  | 2 Pages

    But speak all good you can devise of Caesar. " Anthony is allowed to say pretty much what he wants except he must not blame Brutus and the other conspirators for the death of Caesar. In Act 3 Scene 3 (the scene following on from the one in question) the Roman citizens have been stirred up to anger, they are very much. against the conspirators so much so that they kill an innocent man. simply because he happens to have the same name as one of the conspirators.

    Read More

  • Mark Antony's Speech from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

    2765 Words  | 6 Pages

    Their infants quartered with the hands of war’. This shows the extent of the anarchy he will unleash on Rome. Furthermore Antony’s funeral oration is important as it follows Brutus’s speech in the play, where he has turned public opinion around to favour him, as he has been able to persuade and convince the crowds, through his rhetoric and oratory that Caesar ... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • Supernatural Events In Macbeth Analysis

    1594 Words  | 4 Pages

    Antony also uses the power of his speech, similar to Cassius, to influence the plebeians of Rome by carefully structuring his words together and using various tones to appeal to the audience. Antony uses repetition, such as this quote, “I thrice presented him a kingly crown,/ Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?/Yet Brutus says he was ambitious,/And sure he is an honourable man.”(III.ii.94-97) Antony uses this repetition of giving evidence to the people of what Caesar’s characteristics were really like, showing them that Caesar was not as ambitious as Brutus said, and calling Brutus an honourable man. The repetition allows for the plebeians to realize the truth because of Antony’s multiple exposures of verification that Caesar was not ambitious and how Brutus and the other conspirators are at fault. It also influences the plebeians to believe that Brutus is not noble at all because of how deceitful he acts when justifying his causes to murder Caesar. Antony then says, “[...]Bear with me./My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,/and I must pause till it come back to me.”(III.ii.103-105). Antony indicates how close his relationship to Caesar and that he feels so heartbroken that he chokes up from all the overwhelming emotions he feels. The tone of his speech elicits sympathy from the plebeians due to the

    Read More

More about Mark Antony´s Speech in William Shakespeare´s Julius Caesar

Open Document