In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Marc Antony’s funeral speech for Caesar’s death is more successful than Brutus’ funeral speech because Antony uses verbal irony and pathos instead of gravitas or logos. In his speech, Brutus uses gravitas or honor while Marc Antony knows the general will of the Plebeians. Antony uses verbal irony in his speech, whereas Brutus uses a straightforward, 1-dimensional rhetoric. Lastly, Brutus uses logos in his speech, while Antony uses pathos to win over the Plebeians. In the end, Antony’s use of verbal irony and pathos in his speech is more effective in winning over the Plebeians to avenge Caesar’s death than that of Brutus.’ Brutus’ funeral speech is less effective than that of Marc Antony’s because Brutus uses …show more content…
In his speech, Antony uses emotion (pathos) to appeal to the Plebeians and make them see his point.*Antony starts off his speech by saying “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” (JC III, ii, 82). He refers to the Plebeians as his friends even though they are completely different. Antony does this because he knows he will have an easier time winning over the Plebeians if they know that they are friends and equal to Antony. On the other hand, Brutus’ speech is much less successful in winning over the Plebeians because he uses logos. Brutus believes that the Plebeians will side with him through logic. Brutus asks the Plebeians if they rather “Caesar were living, and die all slaves . . .Caesar were dead, to live all freemen?” (JC III, ii, 24-26) Brutus tries to justify his reason for killing Caesar through logos. His reasoning is valid but not as successful as Antony’s use of pathos by calling the Plebeians “friends.” The Plebeians can connect and have emotion towards Antony’s speech, but they cannot relate as much towards that of Brutus. Brutus’ speech is much less successful than that of Antony’s because Brutus uses logos while Antony uses pathos, which the Plebeians can relate