Rhetorical Analysis Of Mark Antony's Oration From Julius Caesar

Mark Antony’s Oration from Julius Caesar is an exceptional example of a rhetorical speech because of its use of three distinct literary devices: rhetorical questions, sarcasm, and repetition. Upon analyzing the diction, the word choice, and the syntax, the arrangement of the words, one can promptly notice that the author, William Shakespeare, composed this speech to allow his character, Mark Antony, to inconspicuously blame Brutus and the Roman officials for the murder of his beloved friend, Julius Caesar. In the beginning of his speech Mark Antony addresses a few of the reputable things Caesar has done, and then he throws out a rhetorical question that asked “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” (Line 18). This is said to instigate the thoughts

of the audience and to set the tone for the message Shakespeare was trying to impart. Further into addressing the crowd, Antony adds“I thrice presented him… he is an honorable man.” (Lines 24-27). That final line was the fifth time Antony referred to Brutus as an honorable man, which is repetition. Also, many of those five statements were preceded by a statement or example of what an upstanding citizen Caesar had been. An example of this is “When that the poor… Brutus is an honorable man.” (Lines 19-22). When one combines the repetition with these praising statements, the audience can quickly notice the sarcastic tone with which Shakespeare writes and Antony says “And Brutus was an honorable man.” (Line 22). By using only a slight number of literary devices Antony is able to make a valid claim, and possibly sway the audience into agreeing, that Brutus is to blame for the death of Julius Caesar, and he is most certainly not an honorable man.