Examples Of Ethos In Julius Caesar

Words can be heavy and have a long lasting effect on many people. Ralph “Waldo” Emerson once said, “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” In William Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus and a group of conspirators assassinate Caesar. Mark Antony disagrees with this rebellion and gives a long speech at Caesar’s funeral. In Antony’s judgemental filled speech to the confused and grieving crowd, Antony utilizes ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade the crowd that he is on their side and should be trusted. This forces the crowd to listen and want to betray the conspirators.

To begin, Mark Antony uses ethos to establish his credibility and to gain the trust of the audience. First, he conveys the message

While Antony is in his beginning parts of addressing the crowd he declares, “I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong, Who, you all know, are honorable men: I will not do them wrong; I rather choose To wrong the dead…” (3.1.120-124). Here Antony is saying that he is not going to be malicious and get revenge for Caesar. Antony is going to be the bigger person and has no intent of harming the conspirators. He only wants the best for Rome and its people. He believes that what Brutus and the conspirators did was wrong and unnecessary, but he is choosing to move past it. Antony wants to remain on the good side of the people of Rome. This immediately asserts a sense of camaraderie between himself and the crowd, making them want to listen to what he has to say. To continue, Antony reiterates to the crowd that he is a loyal friend of Caesar and that he would never lie to them. Antony explains multiple times that, “I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts. I am no orator, as Brutus is, But (as you know me all) a plain blunt man That love my friend; and that they

For example, he points out that Caesar was not ambitious, but rather had the best interests of Rome at heart. At the beginning of his speech Antony announces, “The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answered it… For Brutus is an honourable man;” (3.2.74-79). Antony yearns for the crowd to recognize the good that Caesar did. He wants the audience to see that what the conspirators did was wrong and unjust. He says Brutus is honorable in a way that suggests the opposite. This creates a sense of dramatic irony and builds tension, which helps to keep the crowd engaged and receptive to his message. Brutus saw Caesar as a competitor and a threat. Furthermore, Antony tells the crowd that they would have benefited from Caesar’s rule. In the closing words of his speech he delivers, “he hath left them you, And to your heirs for ever—common pleasures, To walk abroad and recreate yourselves. Here was a Caesar! When comes such another?” (3.2.245-48). The people of Rome would have had freedom under Caesar’s rule. They would have been happy. Antony stimulates anger by explaining how Rome would have been a better place with Caesar in control. Here, Caesar has left everything behind for the people. Antony asks the rhetorical question of: when will there be another ruler as