Examples Of Ethos In Julius Caesar

The crowd of grieving citizens demands answers after Caesar’s brutal murder. Brutus and the conspirators commit this killing, and it is up to Marc Antony to convince the crowd of their guilt. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Antony addresses this crowd of grieving citizens with a specific goal in mind. In this compelling speech to the Roman citizens, Antony argues Brutus’ innocence by utilizing ethos, logos, and pathos, ultimately convincing the crowd to turn against the conspirators. To begin, Antony strengthens his credibility by incorporating ethos in his speech. Antony establishes himself as a reliable source by saying he is only speaking what he knows to be true. He also acknowledges that he is a friend of Brutus,

In the beginning of his speech, Antony evokes a sense of remorse from the crowd by reminding them how hurt he is by Caesar’s death. “Bear with me; my heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, and I must pause till it come back to me” (3.2.102-4). By emphasizing how upset he is over the death of his friend, he gains sympathy from the crowd. Once he achieves this goal, the crowd is more inclined to side with him. He describes the details of Caesar’s brutal murder to elicit an emotional response from the citizens. “Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through. See what a rent the envious Casca made. Through this, the well-belovèd Brutus stabbed; And as he plucked his cursèd steel away, Mark how the blood of Caesar followed it…” (3.2.171-5). By specifically calling out the name of each man that stabbed Caesar, Antony attempts to incite a sense of animosity against the conspirators. Subsequently, by revealing Caesar’s butchered body, Caesar hopes to evoke a sense of shock from the crowd of mourners. “Kind souls, what weep you when you but behold our Caesar's vesture wounded? Look you here!” (3.2.192-4). He attempts to rouse the crowd to become vengeful when they see what was done to Caesar. His plan is to make the crowd emotional enough so that they will feel the same pain and grief as he does. Once he achieves this, the crowd will be easily manipulated. Antony achieves this crucial