The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar Essay
In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar William Shakespeare transcribes the assassination of Julius Caesar in ancient Rome and the following power struggle. Brutus, one of the heads of the conspiracy made the decision to classify Mark Antony, Caesar's most trusted friend, as a non-threat and not necessary to be killed. After the assassination, Brutus permits the infuriated Mark Antony to speak to the masses of Rome along his side before Julius’s funeral. Brutus believed Antony’s speech would calm the people and help back the conspirators cause to bring about a new Rome However, Anthony uses his intelligence over Brutus’s blind loyalty to steer the people in the opposite direction. Brutus is incredibly honorable
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After Brutus’s speech Antony was left with one task, to manipulate the stupidity of the Romans and mold their interpretation of guilt by ambition to make Brutus seem wrong. Antony from the beginning began to make a connection with the Romans instead of just talking to them, Antony also used simple topics like his close friendship with Caesar as to not over complicate and confuse the Romans. Antony remains passive by inserting acts of Julius’s humbleness, stating “I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?” By saying this Antony is not only providing evidence to the crowd of Julius’s humble allegiance to Rome But directly challenging Brutus’s view and forcing the crowd to think. Finally Antony finishes the speech by crying and exclaiming “My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, and I must pause until it returns to me.” When Antony said this he single handedly turned the crowd onto brutus and the other conspirators without providing one bit of solid evidence that put the conspirators in wrong. By using pathos Antony overcame the disadvantages placed on him by speaking after Brutus and the crowd already being against
The book Julius Caesar is full of happiness, conspiracy, power, and betrayal. The people of Rome deeply loved julius Caesar and wished to make him their king. A group of senators however were not so fond of this idea and formed a conspiracy. The leader of this group was a man by the name of Cassius. In order to make sure that his scheme of killing Caesar would work and would look honorable he had to convince a senator by the name of Brutus to help. After being convinced that they had to kill Caesar to protect Rome from a tyrant Brutus joined the conspiracy and soon became the principal conspirator.On the day in which Caesar was to be crowned king he was on the way to the senate when he was stabbed by all the conspirators panic ensued and to convince Rome of their honorable intentions Brutus gave a funeral speech. Mark Antony, a very close friend of Caesar, gave his speech after Brutus had given his. Mark Antony’s speech is more persuasive to the Roman people because of his outstanding use of pathos, sarcasm, and logos.
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
In act III, scene ii, Antony proves to himself and the conspiracy, that he has the power to turn Rome against Brutus. He deceived the conspirators with his speech during Caesar’s funeral. In this speech, Antony pulls at the heartstrings of the countryman by showing emotions and turning them against their beloved leader, Brutus. The scene takes place the day of Caesar's death. Leading up to this point the people loved Brutus because, reasonably he explains of them about Caesar's death and told them it was necessary. In Antony's speech he showed signs of hatred towards Brutus and the conspirators. He thinks for himself and deceives the people, when he explains how Brutus lied to the people . The plot depends on Antony’s speech.
Each ruler of Rome seemed to have made poor decisions, and this is exactly what occurred with Brutus. Brutus became very naïve. All of the conspirators confronted Brutus with the idea of killing Mark Antony. They believed he would continue Caesar’s legacy but Brutus thought differently. Brutus added, “And for Mark Antony, think not of him, for he can do no more than Caesar’s arm” (Shakespeare, 24). He proposed that Antony was too weak for them to worry about while this was actually what brought about his fall. When the murder of Caesar had concluded, Antony wished to speak in honor of Caesar. Brutus agreed with the idea but Cassius was hesitant. Cassius insulted, “You know not what you do. Do not consent that Antony speak in his funeral. Know you how much the people may be moved by that which he will utter” (Shakespeare, 44). Cassius feared that Antony’s persuasive speech would turn the citizens against the conspirators. Brutus continued to ignore Cassius’s warning, but was proven wrong immediately. The locals were influenced by Antony and led an angered march to end the conspirators. Brutus caused their arrangement to fail by lack of
Julius Caesar was one of the most important political and military leaders in the history of Rome, with many major achievements. Caesar is known to have never lost a single war. His most honorable conquests include the capture of Gaul that extended the Rome boundaries to the Atlantic Ocean; and the Roman invasion of Britain. Julius was also a historian and an incredible orator. He authored many comprehensive journals, named Commentaries that provided the details of his military campaign. Caesar is also said to have produced Acta Diurna, which is the first newspaper that let the public know about the actions of the Assembly and the Senate. He was a successful statesman and changed several laws for the wellbeing if the public. He was the one who fixed the calendar because the days weren’t in pace with the seasons and suggested the science behind it. He was clearly one of the most important political and military leaders in the history of Rome
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.
Greed, ambition, and the possibility of self-gain are always constant in their efforts to influence people’s actions. In Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus, a venerable politician, becomes a victim of the perpetual conflict between power-hungry politicians and ignorant commoners. He is a man of honor and good intentions who sacrifices his own happiness for the benefit of others. Unfortunately, his honor is strung into a fine balance between oblivion and belief and it is ultimately the cause of his downfall. His apparent obliviousness leads him to his grave as his merciful sparing of Mark Antony’s life, much like Julius Caesar’s ghost, comes back to haunt him. Overall, Brutus is an honest, sincere man who holds the lives of others in high regard while he himself acts as a servant to Rome.
This characteristic is shown in Brutus when he is talking to Cassius. He says, “I would not, Cassius, yet I love him well./But wherefore do you hold me here so long?/What is it that you would impart to me?/If it be aught toward the general good,/Set honor in one eye and death i’ the other,/And I will look on both indifferently;/For let the gods so speed me as I love/The name of honor more than I fear death/”(I.ii.82-89). This conversation shows that Brutus wants to be honorable more than he fears death. He also is shown to be noble (honorable) when Antony is speaking at the very end of the play. He said “This was the noblest Roman of them all./All the conspirators save only he/Did that they did in envy of great Caesar;/He, only in a general honest thought/And common good to all, made one of them./His life was gentle, and the elements/So mixed in him that Nature might stand up/And say to all the world, ‘This was a man!”(VI.vi.68-75). Brutus, being a man of principle, is highly respected for his
In the play Julius Caesar, written and preformed by William Shakespeare, there are many characters, but two, Brutus and Cassius, stood out. The play begins in Rome where a celebration of Julius Caesar's victory over the former ruler of Rome, Pompeii. The victory leads to Caesar's betrayal by his jealous companions. Senators and other high status figures are jealous of Caesar's new and growing power, while others, like Brutus, fear the tyrannical rule Caesar could enforce. The conspirators, Brutus and Cassius being the most important, assassinate Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius, better known as Antony, and Octavius Caesar, Caesar's heir to the thrown, revenge Caesar's death. Antony convinces the Roman populous to destroy the conspirators and eventually begins a war with Cassius and Brutus' armies. Both Cassius and Brutus commit suicide to save their honor and Antony and Octavius win the war. The characterizations of Brutus and Cassius show a distinct contrast in their character traits and motives for the assassination of Julius Caesar.
The crowd responds to show what is going on. Antony then responds by reading off of the will of Caesar to gain the attention of the crowd. He is delivering the speech only because he wants to address his feelings and thoughts on Caesar’s death and how he feels about the conspirators. Antony is trying to persuade the crowd to see what he sees and feel how he feels about the whole ordeal. The crowd, of course, is easily moved and persuaded by Antony’s
Dear Fellow Senators, I am present today to share with you that I believe Julius Caesar should live. I support this opinion because Julius was one of the greatest generals and leaders in ancient history. Also, he made many improvements in society. Finally, Julius was considered a military genius. I assure you that after I am finished with this speech, you will support my position that Julius should live.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is an intimate portrayal of the famed assassination of Julius Caesar and the complex inner workings of the men who committed the crime. In one particularly revealing scene, two of the men closest to Caesar, one a conspirator in his murder and one his second-in command, give orations for the deceased. Despite being simple in appearance, these two speeches do much of the work in developing and exposing the two characters in question. Though both have a love for Caesar, Mark Antony's is mixed with a selfish desire for power, while Brutus' is pure in nature, brought to a screeching halt by his overpowering stoicism. These starkly-contrasted personalities influence the whole of the play, leading to its tragic-but-inevitable end.
To control the angry crowd, Brutus addressed the crowd and gave reasons why Caesar was a tyrant. After Brutus delivered his speech, he foolishly left and he did not hear what Antony wanted to say. Anthony’s speech was filled with irony and sarcasm. Antony knows that
Julius CaesarJulius Caesar has excessive pride, has a fate greater then he deserves, is physically or spiritually wounded by his experiences often resulting in death, noble but still has flaws, and he discovers his fate by his own actions not by what happening. Julius Caesar. (June 02,2018). Ancient History Encyclopedia. https://www.ancient.eu/Julius_Caesar/This article tells the story of Julius Caesar and in the text in gives examples of how extremely prideful he was.
Three different reviewers watched, analyzed, and created their own interpretation of the play Britannicus that was directed by Woodruff. These reviewers, Louise Kennedy, Frank Rizzo, and Thomas Garvey all put forth their opinion on how Woodruff decided to have the play acted out. Each one of them had their own bias assessment of the performance. What differentiated their reviews from one another was their viewpoint on the performance of the script. Their critiques on the performance varied from praise to disapprovals.