Examples Of Ethos In Julius Caesar

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Simon C Downey
Mrs. Hansen
January 3, 2023
Honors English II
Caesar Argument Essay
In the play, The Tragedy of Julius Cesar by William Shaksphere, Caesar was murdered by Brutus and other conspirators. They were then confronted by Mark Antony who promises not to say anything bad about the conspirators at Caesar's funeral. Brutus does not see Antony as a threat but Cassius, Brutus’s friend and fellow conspirator does. Antony does deceive the conspirators and ends up bringing Rome into chaos in his oration. Antony’s speech was more effective in persuading the Romans against Brutus because he uses pathos and ethos to reach his goal of stirring up the plebeians and bringing Rome into chaos. Throughout the speech, Antony uses pathos to make the plebeians feel guilt, sympathy, and anger for Caesar's death and Antony’s relations with Caesar. In Antony’s speech he said to the plebeians “He was my friend, faithful and just to me” (III;ii;84) when speaking about how great Caesar was. This …show more content…

When Antony starts the speech he starts by saying, “Friends, Romans, countrymen”(III;ii;82). This shows the people that Mark Antony is one of them. It brings Antony down to them and helps the plebeians listen in and accept what he is saying. Additionally, Antony explains how Caesar's death affected him and says “He was my friend, faithful and just to me” (III;ii;94). Since the Plebeians think of Antony as a respected leader, they respect and often follow his opinion. When he said Caesar was his friend they also saw him as a friend. Finally, he repeats many times that Brutus was an “honorable man”(III;ii;96) sarcastically, while also disproving his honor. When doing this throughout the speech, proving himself honorable and Brutus dishonorable, making the Palibians trust what Antony is saying. Gaining the Romans’ respect helps Mark Antony bring Rome into