How Does Mark Antony Use Ethos In Julius Caesar

955 Words4 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, the tragedy of Julius Caesar’s death occurs. Mark Antony and Marcus Brutus each gave a funeral speech. While both the speeches were well spoken, Mark Antony’s ended up being the better speech. Antony’s better use and variety of ethos, pathos, and logos, his use of figurative language, and the comparison between Antony’s and Brutus’s speeches proves that Antony’s speech is in the end better than Brutus’s speech. Antony’s speech uses ethos to show everyone around him that he is their friend, and he understands what they are going through; also Antony uses ethos to get the citizens to listen to him, because while Brutus says he is honorable, Antony says that he is with them and where they stand in …show more content…

“Bear with me, my heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, and I must pause till it come back to me. III.ii.105–6.” Antony uses this line in his speech to show his love for his friend Caesar, that because of his friends death, he’s feeling such deep sorrow, and he misses his friend. He does this to strike compassion in the hearts of the citizens. He wants them to feel saddened by Caesar’s death to get them against the conspirators and on his side; also Antony uses pathos when he says, “when the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept. III.ii.88” by saying this Antony is building up the image of Caesar and showing all the citizens Caesar’s compassion for them, and how he sees himself as no better than when the people in his city are sad, everything affects him too. That is what helps open others eyes to what Antony sees and that is how Antony tries to get them on his …show more content…

He uses this to show them for a fact that Caesar’s death was a major mistake. “But here’s a parchment with the seal of Caesar; I found it in his closet, ‘tis his will: Let but the commons hear this testament-- Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read-- III.ii.125–28” Here Antony is trying to tease people with the fact that he has Caesar’s will. By teasing them that he won’t read the will, Antony is trying to make them desire the will more causing them to appreciate Caesar and his morals more. Antony talks Caesar up with the facts by using these words as well, “ I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus was an honorable man. III.ii.93–96” Here is where Antony contradicts Brutus’s previous points about Caesar, and takes Brutus’s credibility away by showing them that even an honorable man like Brutus will stab you in the back. The figure of speech that keeps showing up with all these elements and ties them all together to make this funeral speech complete and convincing enough against the conspirators is repetition. Repetition shows up a lot in the speech and helps get into people’s minds that Caesar was a good guy and didn’t deserve to die. Calling Brutus an honorable man repeatedly is hurting his image, because Antony is putting the words honorable man with negative thoughts putting negativity towards Brutus. This negativity will

More about How Does Mark Antony Use Ethos In Julius Caesar