Will of Man: To Bend or To Break
Shakespeare's classical Julius Caesar centers around two key themes that fuel the story, the characters, and their actions: betrayal and manipulation. The two occur several times throughout the play as a result of the main character's ability to wheedle the common people and other government members into their own plans. One such example of powerful persuasion lies in the way the funeral speeches of Brutus and Mark Antony drive the Plebeians to their own motives. While their speeches reflect one another, one comes out victorious over the other. Mark Antony's manipulative style of public speaking ultimately overpowers Brutus' call to reason and honor.
Constantly portrayed as a noble and loyal man, Brutus pleads with the
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But why does Mark Antony's prove more successful? The two speeches are similar in their play on emotions and feeling to draw in the Plebeians. Both even start with the same call to the people as "Romans, countrymen, and lovers!". Moreso than a political, official-sounding opening, the way they each open their statements is meant to embrace the people and to make them feel as though the speaker has a genuine affection for them. Additionally, both have resources and information at their disposal to back up their views. Supporting their ideas with facts provides a strong backbone for which the speakers both build around. However, while Brutus uses theoretical possibilities of what may have happened, Mark Antony is able to provide concrete evidence. The will of Caesar may have given him the necessary edge he needed to win over the general population of Rome and seize the power that later brings about the downfall of several majors characters. While the viewpoints of both of the funeral orators bear similar structure, one triumphs over the other due to it's ability to defend itself better than the