“But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” (George Orwell, 1984). William Shakespeare intensified his quality of work by insinuating manipulative and persuasive language within his writing. Cassius, a loyal server to Brutus, was easy to coax Brutus into rebelling against Julius Caesar, gaining an additional member to his group of conspirators. Cassius altered Brutus’ thoughts of Caesar’s ruling, within the use of multiple effective rhetorical techniques. Shakespeare enforced persuasive behavior by implying techniques of anthesis, juxtaposition and rhetorical questions in order to maneuver Brutus’ impressions toward the new ruling of Caesar. When Caesar was wanted as ruler of the Republic of Rome, Cassius attempts to convince Brutus of rebelling against Caesar, as they are equal in the ability to rule over Rome. Shakespeare entails the use of an antithesis to empower Cassius persuasive behavior. “We both have fed as well, and we can both endure the winter’s cold as well as he.” (I.ii.9-10). Cassius is employing both Brutus and Caesar are equally capable of representing the Roman Republic. Shakespeare insinuated the use of anthesis within his writing as a method to establish a stable base to the process of luring Brutus into the world of betrayal and power. …show more content…
Shakespeare compromises the use of rhetorical questions into Cassius’ words to further sway his audience. “Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed that he is grown so great?”(I.ii.58-59). Cassius signals that Caesar and Brutus have grown up to be valuable and honorable men, equally gifted to rule a republic. Shakespeare incorporated the use of a rhetorical question, as it empowered the belief of equality between Brutus and Caesar. Both sharing the same knowledge and capability but obtaining different
Who is here so vile that will not/ love his country? If any, speak, for him have I offended(lll.ii.25-29). At the start of each question he uses anaphora, which means to, “Repeat the same words at the beginning of a series of sentences or clauses”(Romm, 42). And at the end of each phrase he uses Epistrophe, which is “when many clauses have the same ending”. Both of these Devices allowed Brutus to connect to Pathos.
By using rhetoric and specific rhetorical devices, Brutus is able to convince the already easily influenced
One of the most well-known instances of rhetorical persuasion in literature is Mark Antony’s speech in “Julius Caesar”. Antony is able to turn the Roman populace against the assassins of Caesar and rouse them to violence through the use of persuasive words. His speech is a brilliant illustration of the ability of language to influence people’s opinions and serves as a reminder of the value of clear communication in both politics and daily life. With a disarming tone, Antony informs the audience that his purpose in giving the speech is to bury Caesar rather than to honor him. Due to this opening, Antony is able to win over the Roman populace’s initial skepticism over his intentions.
Persuading an audience is difficult, but rhetorical devices can change arguments to appeal to the assortment of people listening. After killing Julius Caesar, Brutus presents a speech to the plebeians of Rome explaining why the assassination was necessary. As Brutus attempts to gain support from his fellow countrymen he utilizes ethos by proclaiming, ”believe me / for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour” (III.ii.1547-1548). The citizens hold Brutus in high regard and so he makes them all remember the positive way they think of him and uses that feeling so they all believe him. Antony has more tack as he foresees the fickle nature of the plebeians and uses pathos more often.
In the play, Julius Caesar, Shakespeare used Cassius as the ring leader to kill Caesar. The conspirators use persuasion in many different ways throughout the play. One of the many ways Cassius used persuasion is that he had to convince the others that killing Caesar is the right thing to do for Rome and its people. Shakespeare wanted to bring political drama in focus with the plot of Julius Caesar as well and, uses Cassius’ character for it. Cassius plays mind games on the others when trying to convince them.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar- Rhetorical Analysis In the novel, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, after Brutus brutally executes Caesar in Act 3 Scene 2, Antony is allowed to give a speech to the people of Rome whom have seen witnessed this fatal tragedy in Scene 3. Antony uses anaphora, connotative diction and details throughout his speech to persuade the Romans to change their perspective of Caesar and Brutus. The way Antony speaks about both Caesar & Brutus are a dispute of what he is actually trying to announce to the Romans. At the end of his speech, Antony hopes to reach the Romans emotionally (pathos) by enraging them against Brutus’s false statements against Caesar.
A quality all humans possess is questioning leadership. The reasons why we challenge or rebel against our leaders describe what kind of individual we are. Cassius and Brutus have different reasons for questioning Caesars power. Both characters have a common goal but exceedingly different values, thought process, and motives for killing Caesar. Cassius and Brutus are characters who have opposite values.
In Cassius’s eloquent speech against Caesar, he primarily utilizes persuasion through tools such as pathos, rhetorical questions, and compare and contrast. Cassius uses pathos to begin his monologue when he claims, “I know that virtue be in you, Brutus, / As well as I do know your outward favor” (Shakespeare 1.2.95-96). By expressing that Brutus has “virtue” and “outward favor”, Cassius appeals to Brutus’s emotions, but not to an exaggerated extent. This emotional appeal is a persuasion technique because it is used in moderation and in pertinent locations. The context is appropriate since rather than using it as a tool to feed on Brutus’s emotions, Cassius only uses it to get Brutus’s attention as an appropriate hook.
In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, he uses rhetoric writing techniques and appeals, such as ethos, logos and pathos, to enhance the persuasive element of the monologues. Cassius persuades Brutus to overthrow Caesar while using logos throughout his monologue. Cassius proves Caesar competes with him by explaining to Brutus, with facts, that Caesar questioned him to, “Leap in with me into this angry flood and swim to yonder point” and prove how Caesar makes everything a competition with Cassius (Shakespeare 14-15). Cassius also wants to show Brutus that Caesar believes that he is a triumphant leader and can accomplish many battles from the past like, “Aeneas, our great ancestor, did the flames of Troy upon his shoulder the old Anchises bear,
In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar one of the main characters Caesar is killed in Scene 3 act 2.Then Brutus and Antony both give speeches about how bad they feel. Brutus gives a good speech by using all three of the rhetorical appeals to persuade the crowd to want to listen to what he say by using logos,ethos,pathos to his advantage. Brutus gives a better speech that draws the audience attention,Antony not as much. Therefor here are some very valid points on why Brutus’s speech used the Rhetorical Appeals better.
Sydney Stone Mrs. Paul English 10A 16 October 2017 Rhetorical Analysis Essay William Shakespeare, a very famous writer, tells the story of Julius Caesar. In his play, Marc Antony delivers a powerful speech that uses many different rhetorical devices, appeals, and different styles of writing. Some of these include repetition, rhetorical questions, pathos, logos, ethos, and diction. These help enhance Marc Antony’s speech by persuading the audience towards considering that Caesar was a good man.
In Act I, Scene II, Cassius successfully influences Brutus to oppose Caesar's rule through the use of different word devices such as figurative language, imagery, and repetition. Cassius’s ability to manipulate words through figurative language is what played the largest role in radicalizing Brutus’s views on Caesar becoming king. As soon as cassius begins to speak, he uses figurative language to stroke Brutus’s ego. By using figurative language, it seems that Caesar’s rise in power means Brutus and Cassius will become “petty men”: “Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world/Like a Colossus, and we petty men/Walk under his huge legs” (135-137). This shows that in the sense of the Colossus, Brutus and Cassius will be stuck riding between the legs of the might
Another example is how Caesar acted powerlessly when he became ill, and cried for help “As a sick girl“ (1,2,128). Cassius first points out how Caesar doesn’t have any special traits over Brutus and himself, and then points out his faults in order to portray Caesar as less qualified than them, and in turn help convince Brutus Caesar is not qualified to lead Rome. By providing examples that back up his claims, Cassius uses logic to persuade Brutus that Caesar does not possess the qualities that are needed to be the leader of Rome, which provides Brutus with another consideration as to why he should conspire against Caesar and they should go against him. In the passage, the ways in which Cassius attempts to persuade Brutus to betray Caesar make themselves abundantly clear.
William Shakespeare, in his tragedy Julius Caesar, uses the rhetorical devices of a rhetorical question, repetition of the word ambitious, and direct reference in Antony 's speech to instigate the plebeians and persuade them to rebel against the conspirators. Antony pulls on the pathos, ethos, and logos of the audience to get them to exile the conspirators. Shakespeare uses a rhetorical question in Antony’s speech to get the plebeians to notice the wrongdoings of the conspirators and excite them to rebel. Antony discusses the money that Caesar left to the countrymen, and with sarcasm he states, “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” (3.2.99).
Brutus finds Cassius speech to be convincing with pathos, allusion, and irony. Cassius is trying to convince Brutus that Caesar is not fit to rule Rome as a king. Cassius specifies that their fathers would say, "There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd Th' eternal devil to keep his state in Rome As easily as a king" (Shakespeare). This use of an allusion helps infer to Brutus that his ancestors would have tolerated a devil while they were ruling Rome, before letting a king rule. Cassius use of irony when speaking to Brutus is to convince Brutus that he is saying Caesar should not be king for the right purposes.