The Logical Victory of Brutus in Hist Speech

686 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Brutus and his conflict

It has been said fighting fire with fire only leaves both parties burned. Human emotions have the strength of fire; consequently, emotion can damage many souls if left to burn. At the funeral of Caesar, Brutus is aware the crowd is burning with passion and mistrust and strategically chooses to fight their raging emotions with soothing logic. This choice defines Brutus' speech. Even though he had the disadvantage of going first and the crowd ultimately sided against him, Brutus's speech managed to best Antony's in the areas of Ethos, Parallelism/repetition, and logos.
From the beginning of his speech, Brutus makes it clear that he is trustworthy and should be listened to. "...believe me for mine honor, and have respect to my honor..." he pleads to a confused and angry crowd (3.2.15-16). He continues by making appeals to those who love Caesar, saying that he and Caesar were good friends. He uses his own reputation to strengthen the bond of trust between himself and the crowd. Meanwhile, Antony only makes himself trustworthy by associating himself with Brutus and the conspirators. "Here under leave of Brutus and the rest..." he mentions in the opening of his speech, siphoning off of the trust recently created between Brutus and the crowd (3.2.80). After that line, he simply goes on to glorify his dead friend, turning the ethos created by Brutus onto himself and severing the connection the crowd had with the former. If the roles had been reversed and Antony had gone first, one would find no reason to trust Antony, making Brutus the uncontested best at employing ethos.
Being that Brutus bases his speech on logic and trust, it would make sense that he does a better job at parallelism and repetition, due to the fact that this techniqu...

... middle of paper ...

...t does appear it is not anything special. Brutus clearly has bested Antony at using logos.
Brutus has a clear and concise argument that depicts the logical tendency of his thinking. Antony's argument is the foil of Brutus's, kindling the crowd's anger by constantly letting his emotions push his speech forward. But just as fire can offer warmth during chilling times, it can also cause severe damage. Because of Antony's speech, an innocent poet was killed and Rome was almost destroyed. Brutus managed to take a group of passionate, outraged people and calm them enough to see the reasoning in Caesar's murder. He went to great lengths with the techniques of ethos, parallelism/repetition, and logos to help others look forward into a promising future without Caesar. And though the crowd chose differently, from these aspects one can conclude Brutus had the superior speech.

Show More
Related

  • Antony's Ethos For Brutus Caesar

    620 Words  | 2 Pages

    Logos: "And Brutus is an honorable man". Throughout his speech, Antony keeps on making comments just before he remarks Brutus , H e says something he had something wrong

    Read More

  • Brutus' Rhetorical Strategies: Ethos, Pathos and Logos

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his speech, Brutus appeals to the loyalism of his audience by making intertwining arguments of ethos, pathos, and logos. He begins by establishing his ethos by asserting his status as an honorable fellow Roman worthy of their respect. He expands on this ethos by dividing it into three parts: his love of Caesar, his loyalty to Rome, and his relationship to his audience. Brutus tells his audience that he was a “dear friend” to the man he murdered, invoking a pathetic sense of sympathy from his audience. However, as he says himself, it was “not that [he] loved Caesar less, but that [he] loved Rome more,” strengthening his ethos as a loyal countryman with the interests of his audience at heart. After establishing an emotional connection to his audience and earning their trust, Brutus explains his logic

    Read More

  • 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

  • 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

  • Examples Of Trust In The Tragedy Of Brutus

    1287 Words  | 3 Pages

    Brutus put his trust in Antony to not turn on him at the funeral. He was lead to believe that Antony would only speak good of the conspirators and defend them for the actions they have made. He trusted Antony when he told him he would not express such hate and talk of the bad they did and then later turned against them for the vengeance of Caesar. Brutus told Antony, “You shall not in your funeral speech blame us, But speak all good you can devise of Caesar” (III.i.245-246). He told him that the only way he is going to be able to speak at Caesar’s funeral is if he speaks good of the conspirators. After Antony said his speech, the whole crowd immediately switched and sided with him against them. They wanted nothing more than for Brutus, Cassius and the other contributors to be dead. This reveals that Brutus is shameful for putting his trust in someone who was so close to Caesar. Brutus trusted that Antony wouldn't do anything and just imagined he would be to scared to step up and speak out. This leads to Brutus losing the trust he had for Antony and starting a war between the people and the conspirators. As the war was about to proceed, they all prepped for what was about to happen. Antony and his army completely dominated Brutus’ and lead to many of them fleeing for their lives. Many people died by genocide while other committed suicide. Brutus was among the ones of suicide. He no longer wanted to be alive and felt that he had lived and fulfill what he had wanted. People were dead and he knew he was going to be one of them. Brutus’ last words were, “Caesar, now be still; I killed not thee with half so good a will” (V.v.50-51). He wanted Caesar to know that he can now be at rest because the vengeance he was looking for has been given. Because of all the trust he put in the people that were taking advantage of him, he ended up finishing his life. This reveals that Brutus really did

    Read More

  • Brutus: A Tragic Hero in Shakespeare´s Julius Caesar

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a “speculative man of high motives and refined sensibility”(Catherine C. Dominic) Brutus does have his confusion of motives. Act I, scene ii, is the first we see his weakness, “his concern with reputation and appearance, his subtle vanity and pride”(Gayle Green). Yet the main bases of Brutus’s bewilderment of motives takes place in Act II, scene I, with his famous soliloquy beginning with “It must be by his death”. This speech may be the turning point in which Brutus feels better about the assassination of his once called friend.

    Read More

  • A Tragic Hero

    916 Words  | 2 Pages

    Brutus has several tragic flaws. One of these tragic flaws is how he trusts people a lot. Brutus says that he “know[s] that we shall have [Antony] well to a friend” (1140). He trusts Antony will be a friend of the conspirators, yet he seems to not realize that Antony is obliviously against them, because they killed his friend. Brutus trusts Antony so much, that he lets Antony speak to the public alone. Antony turns the people against Brutus and the conspirators, leading to the wars where Brutus takes his own life. Brutus also receives letters, supposedly from the people of Rome. As he reads the letter out loud, Brutus remarks “‘Speak, strike, redress!’ Am I entreated to speak and strike? O Rome, I make thee promise, if thy redress will follow, thy receivest thy full petition at the hand of Brutus” (1118).

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

    950 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a final point, Antony and Brutus both spoke at Caesar’s funeral to prove their reasoning’s to the people. Antony’s speech turned out to be the more effective one because he manipulates the words ambitious and honorable to contradict Brutus, he uses props to provide substantial evidence to the people, and his speech was more effective because it essentially persuaded the people to be on his side whereas Brutus did not convince the people of anything.

    Read More

  • In the Name of Caesar

    530 Words  | 2 Pages

    Brutus was to trying to convince the Romans that Caesar's assassination was justified. He claimed that he and the conspirators did what they did for the love of Rome. Brutus declared, "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more."(Act 3, scene 2, lines 20-21). He truly believed what he did was the right thing, and that if he didn't do it, Rome would have fallen. I found, and possibly others, found mistakes in Brutus' speech. First, he disperses half of the audience: "Those that will hear me spea...

    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

  • asdf

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...o go second so you can counter the other person’s argument. Brutus, even when his mind has good intention it is also littered with ignorance. Brutus had good intentions but his ignorance made him make not the best decisions. He had made many ignorant decisions because he did not want to listen to Cassius. The first time Brutus showed this trait was when Cassius warned Brutus many times about the danger of Mark Antony. Brutus simply thinks the good of people, not ever wondering if he does one action, if the other person might retaliate. He let himself get fooled by Mark Antony’s manipulation of words which made Brutus to trust Mark Antony even more. Because of this, he trusted him enough to let him speak in front of the Roman Citizens. This is never a good idea when a person is debating; it is more opportune to go second so you can counter the other person’s argument

    Read More

  • Comparison of the Two Speeches in Julius Caesar

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    Brutus made his speech effective in persuading the people by using tone and rhetorical devices. Brutus was compassionate when referring to how he loved Caesar as much as Caesar`s friends of his speech. Brutus was showing compassion on lines18 - 20 when he said, "If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to him I say that Brutus's love to Caesar was no less than his." Brutus said this to help the people understand the sorrow he felt for the loss of Caesar, but he felt he killed Caesar for the good of Rome. Brutus anticipated an objection by the people when he said he loved Caesar , so he went on to say on lines 20 - 23, "If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I love Caesar less, but Rome more."Brutus manipulated the people with rhetorical questions. He asks them on lines 29 - 33, " who is so base, that they would be a bondman, who is so rude, that they would not be a Roman, and who is so vile, that will not love his country," the people do not want to be against their country nor do they want to be so base to be a slave....

    Read More

  • The Downfall of Brutus

    961 Words  | 2 Pages

    Brutus commits three costly mistakes during the play. The first mistake that he makes is that he participates in the assassination of Julius Caesar. “People, and senators, be not affrighted. /Fly not; stand still; ambition’s debt is paid”(938). In doing this, Brutus does just the opposite of what he set out to do which is to protect Rome from the ambition of humans. This action also perpetually gives him the name of a traitor. The second and most important mistake that Brutus makes is that he allows Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral. “And you shall speak in the same pulpit whereto I am going /After my speech is ended”(945). Not only does Brutus allow Mark Antony to speak after Cassius tells him not to let him have such a right, but he gives him the better time to do it as well. Speaking second is more strategic than first because of the fact that the man or woman that speaks second is delivering the speech that the audience will remember. The citizens most likely will not remember Brutus’s meager speech that is soon disregarded after Antony begins to speak. This act of arrogance is actually the backbone to the downfall of Brutus. The third mistake that Brutus makes is tha...

    Read More

  • The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

    955 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of these important virtues necessary for rule is the ability to move a large crowd with impressive orating skills. This ability is seen particularly by Brutus in his first speech, as he manages to move the Roman crowd from fear at the assassination to disdain of the now late Julius Caesar. As Brutus spoke to the masses, he made sure to cleverly weigh his loyalty to Caesar to his loyalty to Rome, as he claims, “not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (III, ii, 23-24). He even more cleverly sets the crowd with himself and against Caesar as he dares those loyal to Rome to challenge his judgement: “Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak, for him have I offended. I pause for a reply” (III, ii, 33-36). Thus, while playing on the crowd’s loyalties and using his love for Rome and...

    Read More

More about The Logical Victory of Brutus in Hist Speech

Open Document