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How Does Shakespeare Use Rhetorical Devices In Julius Caesar

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Trying to convince someone into believing someone's side is hard to do especially when they have no idea how to give a persuasive speech correctly. In Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, the characters are put into a situation where they much persuade their ¨audience¨ into believing/siding with them. A good example of this is Portia, who is trying to convince her husband, Brutus, into revealing his troubles to her. On the other hand, Anthony has Rome as a whole for an audience, he was trying to change the mind of the people to target the conspirators as the villians for killing Caesar. Both use rhetorical devices to their advantage to try and gain their ¨audiences¨ trust, and in the end both are successful in a way. Portia is the first of the two to speak to her ¨audience¨, using rhetorical question and metonymy throughout her …show more content…

Brutus commands Portia to not kneel for him and she is quick to explain she wouldn't have to if he would just tell her what was bothering him. She then brings up their marriage testing the strength of it, ¨Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus/ is it expected I should know no secrets/ that appertain to you?¨ (II.i.280-282). This rhetorical question is to make Brutus feel guilty for making Portia believe that Brutus sees no respect in their relationship. That he should not be keeping things from her since she is his other half. Even with the rhetorical question taking a blow to him he refuses to tell me, instead he tries to mend her sadness with words of love and appreciation for being his honorable wife. This however, does not stop her from continuing on with her attempt to coax his secrets out of him. She proceeds to use her status to show she is worthy of hearing his worries. Even as a female, as she puts it, does not

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Shakespeare enforced persuasive behavior by implying techniques of anthesis, juxtaposition and rhetorical questions in order to maneuver Brutus’ impressions toward the new ruling of Caesar. When Caesar was wanted as ruler of the Republic of Rome, Cassius attempts to convince Brutus of rebelling against Caesar, as they are equal in the ability to rule over Rome. Shakespeare entails the use of an antithesis to empower Cassius persuasive behavior. “We both have fed as well, and we can both endure the winter’s cold as well as he.” (I.ii.9-10).

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No matter what the circumstances, people always look for someone to blame. When Caesar was murdered the Plebeians needed someone to blame for what happened. Despite Brutus’s honor and respect among the Romans, Antony gave the more convincing speech at Caesar’s funeral by having an emotional impact on the Romans, therefore convincing them that an injustice had been done. Brutus first spoke at Caesar’s funeral with the goal of justifying his actions to the plebeians. Out of the three rhetorical appeals Brutus used Logos the least.

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Julius Caesar Lit Essay In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, a play by Shakspeare, there is a king who is ruled as a tyrant who does not care about his people, he is subjected to be killed, his death is not justified in the end. Specifically in Act lll, scene 2, Brutus is trying to convince the people of Rome that he is justified for killing Caesar, Mark Antony is there to change the people’s opinion and turn them against Brutus. Mark Antony attempts to convince his audience to go against Brutus by using apostrophe, antithesis, and rhetorical questions. One rhetorical device Mark Antony uses is antithesis to break down Brutus’ argument on why he killed Caesar.

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Persuading an audience is difficult, but rhetorical devices can change arguments to appeal to the assortment of people listening. After killing Julius Caesar, Brutus presents a speech to the plebeians of Rome explaining why the assassination was necessary. As Brutus attempts to gain support from his fellow countrymen he utilizes ethos by proclaiming, ”believe me / for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour” (III.ii.1547-1548). The citizens hold Brutus in high regard and so he makes them all remember the positive way they think of him and uses that feeling so they all believe him. Antony has more tack as he foresees the fickle nature of the plebeians and uses pathos more often.

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Brutus begins his speech in Act III, scene ii, at Caesar's funeral, with an upset crowd questioning his motives for killing Caesar. The crowd’s initial reaction to Brutus is that he is honorable and venerated, but still needs to explain why Caesar was assassinated. Brutus tells the crowd that he did not kill Caesar because he didn’t care for him, but he killed Caesar because he loved Rome more. In addition, that if Caesar were still alive and king, all of the people would die slaves, and claims that he killed Caesar for the good of Rome. Brutus is able to persuade the crowd that he had honorable intentions for killing Caesar through the use of rhetoric-ethos, logos, and pathos.

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Throughout Brutus’ speech, he uses both scesis onomaton and rhetorical questions to help resonate his actions to the Roman citizens. In the beginning of his speech, Brutus says, “Romans, countrymen, and lovers” to appeal to everyone (III, ii, 14). He wants all the citizens to be involved and although scesis onomaton is repetition of two or more words that have the same meaning and are repeated in the same sentence, he wants the citizens to believe that he is talking to different people. When in reality, countrymen and lovers are both referring to Romans, because throughout his speech, Brutus tries to explain that he loves Rome and that he killed Caesar for Rome because it was the right thing to do. He also asks them to, “Censure [him] in [their] wisdom . . .

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William Shakespeare, in his tragedy Julius Caesar, uses the rhetorical devices of a rhetorical question, repetition of the word “ambitious,” and a direct reference in Antony 's speech to persuade the plebeians to rebel against the conspirators. Antony appeals to the pathos, ethos, and logos of the audience to get them to exile the conspirators. Shakespeare uses a rhetorical question in Antony’s speech to get the plebeians to notice the wrongdoings of the conspirators and excite them to revolt. Antony discusses the economic dominance and vigor that Caesar brought to Rome, and with sarcasm he states, “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” (3.2.99).

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Brutus appeals to the audience's ethics and judgement of character. " ... any dear friend of/ Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less than his" (Brutus 7-9 IIIii). By explaining that he had a friendship with Caesar, Brutus portrays that he had to have had a just reason for killing Caesar since he would not want to kill a friend otherwise. "You all did love him once, not without cause" (Antony 33 IIIii).

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William Shakespeare, in his tragedy Julius Caesar, uses the rhetorical devices of a rhetorical question, repetition of the word ambitious, and direct reference in Antony 's speech to instigate the plebeians and persuade them to rebel against the conspirators. Antony pulls on the pathos, ethos, and logos of the audience to get them to exile the conspirators. Shakespeare uses a rhetorical question in Antony’s speech to get the plebeians to notice the wrongdoings of the conspirators and excite them to rebel. Antony discusses the money that Caesar left to the countrymen, and with sarcasm he states, “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” (3.2.99).

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Portia was a loyal wife, and very patience and trustworthy. She had been ‘asleep,’ throughout most the play, although she had known there was something going on that Brutus is not telling her. Portia begged Brutus to tell her his intentions, and upon refusing, she reveals a stab, in which she had done herself, to prove her patience, a keeper of secrets, and to convince Brutus. She is well-aware of how to prove her honor, which was to inflict harm on herself. Portia exclaims, “Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife,” (2.1.310) this is her saying that if she, Portia, can not learn of her husband’s aim, she is not a wife, but another prostitute.

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The Tragedy of Julius Caesar- Rhetorical Analysis In the novel, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, after Brutus brutally executes Caesar in Act 3 Scene 2, Antony is allowed to give a speech to the people of Rome whom have seen witnessed this fatal tragedy in Scene 3. Antony uses anaphora, connotative diction and details throughout his speech to persuade the Romans to change their perspective of Caesar and Brutus. The way Antony speaks about both Caesar & Brutus are a dispute of what he is actually trying to announce to the Romans. At the end of his speech, Antony hopes to reach the Romans emotionally (pathos) by enraging them against Brutus’s false statements against Caesar.

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Antony’s Speech Using Rhetorical Appeals In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, after Caesar’s death, the Romans are conflicted about what should be done. After Brutus’ speech the Romans are ready to crown Brutus king and be on the conspirators’ side. Though Brutus then leaves the crowd while Antony delivers his speech, the crowd realizes what should be done of Caesar’s murder and Antony prevents the conspirators from getting away with the murder of Caesar.

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In act 2, scene one, Portia’s deepest frustration is revealed in her inability to choose her suitor due to her father 's previously established test. This means that she sees that she have the potential to choose her own husband. She wants freedom and control over her own destiny. This tells us how she isn’t a very docile type who easily follows rules and readily accepts control.

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Portia wants Brutus to not be afraid to tell her his secrets, as she promises to retain them. She knows a marriage is a distinctive connection, and that they are one entity. "...and that great vow which did incorporate and make us one." (Act 2, Sc 1 line 272-273) On the other side, Brutus, contrasting Caesar, is presented to ultimately have a profound, devoted respect for his wife. He knows she is "true and honorable."

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She cared about her husband. Portia wants Brutus’ health to be good and she doesn 't think it is very good. Portia says “ which sometime hath his hour with every man. It will not let you eat, not talk, nor sleep, and , could it work so much upon your shape as it hath much prevailed on your condition, i should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord, make me acquainted with your cause of grief.

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