Both Brutus and Antony's speeches are used to try and convert the Roman public to their side. After Brutus and his fellow conspirators kill Caesar outside the senate, Antony meets with Brutus and manages to persuade him that he agrees with the reasons why they killed the dictator, so that he is allowed to talk at Caesar's funeral. However, his real intentions are revealed in an emotional soliloquy that reveals that he is desperate to avenge his close friend Caesar. Brutus sets one condition on Antony's speech- that he must not say anything against the murderers. Brutus uses his speech to convince that he has acted for the common good of Rome, whereas Antony tries to make the people avenge the death of his beloved Caesar.
The first speech is that of Brutus. The most striking factor is the shortness of the speech, but it is effective. It would be far less effective though, if the crowd didn't have such a high opinion of him. This is demonstrated with the quote
"Believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour"
The speech uses informal prose, which allows the audience to relate to him. He flatters the audience watching the speech- describing them as having great wisdom. This flattery results in the audience having confidence in him that helps him greatly later on in the speech. Also, he anticipates questions and provides answers to them. Brutus is very democratic in his explanation of why they killed Caesar- he says he loved Caesar, but loved Rome more. He claims that Caesar's downfall was due to his high ambition, but isn't entirely effective. Again, he uses the crowd's high opinion of him to pull himself through this section of the speech. Towards the end of the speech he asks the crowd for a reply- this is a major gamble as it would be unlikely that he would be able to provide a satisfactory answer. Brutus's final comment is:
"As I slew my best lover for the/ good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself/ when it shall please my country to need my death"
He obviously doesn't mean it, but it is a fine example of dramatic irony, as later on in the play Brutus kills himself with the same dagger after his army are defeated at Philippi. In a manner similar to the opening scene- where the fickle crowd changes from Pompey to Caesar- the public proclaim Brutus as their ruler.
On the other hand, Antony's speech is far more clever and manipulative. From the offset Antony claims that Brutus is a superior speaker, and this is portrayed well when he says
"I am no orator, as Brutus is"
He is far from being a poor orator- he speaks articulately and uses elegant blank verse. At the beginning he appears to uphold what the conspirators have done but then he picks out the flaws in Brutus's argument. He counteracts what Brutus says about Caesar's ambition by reminding the crowd of how the dictator: rejected the crown 3 times, brought money into the Roman coffers, was a faithful friend and was kind to the poor. Antony uses irony extensively as he refers to the assassins as 'honourable men'. The crowd is won over thanks to the suggestions that Antony, which are used in place of open judgements. Personal support is enlisted from he crowd, emphasized with the cry from a member of the audience:
"Poor soul! His eyes are red as fire with weeping"
The idea of mutiny and rage is planted into the minds of the crowd by Antony, even though he claims he is doing the opposite. The crowd is tantalized by Antony as he lets them know about Caesar's will but says he refuses to read it out- even although his intention is to tell them. Antony sends the crowd into an even deeper frenzy when he gives an imaginative account of what happened during the murder, even though he wasn't present when it happened. He claims to know which wound was made by each of the conspirators, emphasizing the cut supposedly made by Brutus as:
"The unkindest cut of all"
Finally Antony's objective is complete when he reads out the will, which causes rioting from his Audience. Yet again the public have switched allegiances from different sides. Antony knows Caesar's revenge will be attained when he states:
" Now let it work mischief, thou art afoot/ Take thou what causes thou wilt"
Despite the fact that both speeches have very different reasons, they share quite a few similarities. Both speakers were very close friends of Caesar, which allows both to speak of what Caesar was really like accurately. The two speeches are used to win over the crowd to their point of view, despite the very different manifestoes. The opening of both speeches is similar- an appeal for attention from the confused crowd. The differences are far more striking: democratic Brutus believes he has acted for the common good whereas Antony wishes to avenge his beloved Dictator and increase his political career.
The speeches of Brutus and Antony are key moments in Roman history and their quality is apparent for such an important occasion. Antony claims he is a poor orator, but gives an excellent talk which dismisses everything Brutus said. Due to this he secures revenge for Caesar and seals the fate of Rome.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
In Brutus and Antony’s speeches both men share the strategy of swaying the crowd. In the middle of his speech, Brutus tries to quell the crowd’s anger because “as [Caesar] was valiant [he] honour him”, and because Caesar was “ambitious”, Brutus “slew” him. While speaking to the Roman citizens, Brutus places equal grammatical constructions near each other, and logically appeals to the crowd by showing a cause and effect for the killing of Julius Caesar. Although his efforts are seemingly effective, it is does not have the lasting impact of Antony’s appeals due to the fact that the roman people are not rational, because their emotions are running high. Antony states that Caesar “hath brought many captives” to Rome, “wept” when the poor cried, and “thrice presented him” a crown which he refused. Antony’s explicit details provide examples of Caesar’s good deeds, which logically appeals to the crowd, and renders Anthony’s sympathy toward Caesar justified. Although Antony also applies logical rhetoric to his oration, his strategy is more effective than Brutus’s because Brutus provided hypothetical details of Caesar’s misdoings, while Antony shares his specific memories of Caesar’s kindness and humility. Therefore, Antony’s strategy suggested Brutus and his fellow conspirators committed an unjust crime toward Caesar, and established a stronger impact on the crowd’s attitude.…
- 642 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Marc Antony’s funeral speech captured the audience’s attention even after Marcus Brutus had given his argument. His words were precise and well thought out. He not only appealed logically to the citizens of Rome, but emotionally as well. Furthermore, his use of sarcasm was highly effective and persuaded the audience to riot against Brutus even though he appeared like he supported the conspirators side. Brutus’ speech was persuasive of his cause, he even questioned the audience as to taking his own life if what they thought he had done was unjust. The citizens of Rome were ready to accept their new leaders from the argument Brutus had given, but Antony rose to the occasion and made the confused people of Rome realize that what Brutus and the conspirators had done was wrong. Antony did a superior job against Brutus of persuading the citizens that Brutus was guilty of wrongful murder and that Caesar loved them.…
- 584 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Brutus and Antony both use different rhetorical techniques to persuade the crowd at Julius Caesar's funeral. However, the arguments can be very different and one speech can be more persuasive than the other. Brutus's and Antony's speech have a different base on the same topic and both have a valid point in each. Brutus lectures about how Caesar is a courageous person. Antony, however, discourses about how Caesar is determined and how Brutus transferred captives home to Rome. Antony also speaks about how Caesar was a faithful man to Rome and to what degree he paid for his fault. Brutus talks about Caesar's honor and if Caesar was dead, then Rome would be complimentary.…
- 508 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The leader of Rome is dead, and two men have completely different opinions as to what has happened to him. Brutus, his right hand man, says that he had to be killed due to his excessive ambition. While Antony states that he was brutally murdered by the people who called themselves his friends. But only one of the two stood out, they were so believable and convincing that it was hard to believe anyone other than him. And this speech was given by Antony. He gave an incredibly convincing speech, making the people of Rome completely look past the words of Brutus by sparking different emotions in them. But at the same time he was very careful and precise with his words which helped to protect him from the conspirators who murdered Caesar.…
- 582 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
“Et tu Brute?” words came out Caesar’s mouth like a slap to the face. Brutus knew in his heart right then and there that things were going to go down hill. As soon as Antony heard what had happened at the capital, he knew that what he said in his speech would be to his advantage. The play written by early english playwright, William Shakespeare, is about the tragic death of Julius Caesar. It takes place in Rome, and tells the historical story of how Caesar was brutally murdered, and the terrible fate of the conspirators who killed him. At Caesar’s funeral, Antony presents a speech to the crowd, as well did Brutus. Antony, though, had the most effective speech, by using important literary techniques, such as pathos, ethos, and strategic word choice, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.”…
- 565 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar is famous for its speeches. One of which is the speech I am going to analyze. It is the one told by Mark Antony after Caesar’s death. This play was written by Shakespeare to warn the people of what could happen if the monarch is killed. Mark Antony’s is one of the most important, If not the most important, parts of the play. It is the turning point of the play, because it changes the outcome of the assassination. The reader thinks that the conspirators will get their way, but Antony’s skill in oration changes that. In this essay, I will show how Mark Antony uses rhetorical devices to persuade the people of Rome.…
- 4275 Words
- 18 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Brutus’s genuine heart causes him to make the decisions he does throughout the play. Brutus was not originally for killing Caesar, as Caesar was a dear friend and close ally to him. After some distressed letters from the “people of Rome” arrive at Brutus’ study, he decides that he has “no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general.” (II.i.11-12) He decides that because the people of Rome feared Caesar’s rise to power, he must do something to stop it from occurring. His distinction and genuine intentions cause him to look out for the people's’ best interest. Later on, when Brutus is conversing with the fellow conspirators, Cassius suggests the murder of Mark Antony as well. Brutus rejects this idea, saying “Antony is but a limb of Caesar” and “Let’s be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius.”(II.i.178-179) Brutus explains that Antony will be nothing without Caesar to ease Cassius’s perspective, but also killing Antony will turn their noble cause into a murder spree. Brutus, unlike Cassius and the others, sincerely believes that he is helping with Caesar’s murder for the people’s good. Therefore, Brutus was a true and honorable roman up until his death, as Antony states in his…
- 521 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Everything that was said by Brutus was completely blown away by what Antony says even though he never said anything bad about Brutus. Brutus and Antony are both very good at ethos, pathos and logos, but with the length and persistence of Antony, he won the crowd. By the end of the speech the people of Rome wanted to kill everyone that was in the conspiracy including…
- 575 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Brutus stressed the oppressing future and eventual demise of the roman empire as long as Caesar had remained in power, hence his reasoning behind his actions. As Brutus using pathos to persuade the audience as he says “who here is so vile that will not love his country” Brutus expresses his feelings for the empire and how he cares trying to make the audience feel the dreadful for thinking that his killing of Caesar was a betrayal to the empire. The Biggest flaw was that his speech was too short he never really explained the crimes or tyranny that Caesar had committed and that would eventually be his…
- 530 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Before his speech begins, the whole crowd is going wild with overwhelming support for Brutus. Knowing this, Antony is quickly able to capture the attention of the people by saying, “For Brutus’ sake, I am beholding to you” (64). By starting off with saying that Brutus endorses whatever Antony is able to say, they are suddenly more curious to hear what he say and what exactly their beloved Brutus approves of. By saying this, Antony is able to borrow Brutus’ honest reputation and use it as his own. Towards the end of his speech, Antony borrows Caesar’s renewed ethos, once again merging voices and giving Antony even more credibility. He asks the audience, “Wherein hath Caesar thus deserved your love?” (234). Antony successfully borrows Caesar’s great reputation and increases his credibility for the people to trust him.…
- 684 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In the funeral orations, Antony’s perspective of Caesar and his death are seated in direct conflict with Brutus’, as each tries to convince the mob that their own perspective is right. Although, unlike Brutus, Antony believes the murder to be cruel and unjust, he appeals to the crowd out of self-interest as he wishes to avenge Caesar’s death by inciting a civil war. In order to do so he…
- 1008 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Julius Caesar is murdered, and the public wants justification. Act III Scene ii of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar begins with Brutus' speech that attempts to validate his murderous act. He claims that Caesar was a tyrant and his place in power was only hurting Rome. However, his speech has several flaws: it is delivered in prose and filled with irony. After Brutus finishes, Antony harangues the crowd with his famous funeral oration. This oration is said to be some of Shakespeare's finest writing. The meticulous lucubration that encompasses Rogerian structure and clever word association allows Antony to manipulate the plebeians in opposition of Brutus.…
- 713 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
It's just that Antony was better at manipulating the crowd to think the way he did. Brutus gave his speech well. He told them that the reason he killed Caesar was for Rome. For an example in Act III, Sc. 2 Brutus says “ If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” (ln. 18-20) This means that killing Caesar was greater than their friendship and saving the people was more important. Another point Brutus got across was that the people of Rome can still respect Caesar even after Brutus had killed him. This made him sound more like a respectful leader and less of an evil murderer. Like in Act III, Sc. II Brutus says “Do grace to Caesar’s corpse, grace his speech tending to Caesar’s glories which Mark Antony, by our permission, is allowed to make.” (ln. 52-54) This is Brutus telling the crowd that they can respect Caesar and still look up to him. Another thing that made Brutus's speech well put together is that he gave the crowd a chance to speak up about the situation. For an example in Act III, Sc.II Brutus says “ If any, speak, for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.” (ln. 29-30) This shows that Brutus isn't afraid to talk to anyone who doesn't agree or have any question to why he killed…
- 746 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
When Brutus comes out to confront the crowd, he addresses his speech to everyone, " Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear."(298) When he starts his speech, and is presenting it to the people of Rome, he sounds believable, and trustworthy. He tells of that, " Not that I lov'd Caesar less, but that I lov'd Rome more."(298) He wants the People of Rome to know that, if this were not to happen to Caesar, "then you all will live like slaves."(298) Caesar was ambitious and that is why he must be killed. Since he is dead you all can be freemen, Free to live your lives without Caesar, but under the control of a new leader.…
- 474 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
He allows himself to be convinced into killing his best friend. He allowed his weakness to be used against him by Cassius and other conspirators, for they knew he is willing to do anything for the state. This is seen when Cassius tries to first tell him about their conspiracy, to which Brutus said he would only give it a thought, “If it be aught toward the general good” (Act I, scene II). An article by Kim Ballard, “Rhetoric, Power and Persuasion in Julius Caesar”, she points to the fact that Cassius uses series of persuasive speeches and metaphors to convince Brutus to be part of the conspiracy (Ballard, “Rhetoric and Conspiracy”). For example, Cassius compare the name of Brutus to that of Caesar, highlighting that there is no difference between him and Caesar and also reminding him that Rome is being dominated by one man (Act I, scene II). The persuasion was so overpowering that Brutus asked Cassius to give him time to think and consider what he had just told him. One could also say about Brutus that he had it in mind to do whatever it takes to stop Caesar from ruling Rome. Allowing the desire to grow in him is what makes persuasion work in this story. Only when one has a desire to do something does he allow to the influence or persuasion to affect…
- 1109 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays