Julius Caesar Pathos

Have you ever had to stand up for a friend that everybody hates? Antony and Brutus both gave speeches at Caesar’s funeral. But, no one truly knows who was lying or telling the truth. Antony was a friend of Julius Caesar. He worshiped him and supported every decision he made. Brutus was a friend of Caesar as well. Brutus turned on his so-called friend and killed him for, what he thought, the safety of Rome. The crowd was on Brutus’s side but after hearing Antony’s speech, they didn’t know if Caesar’s death was necessary. Antony’s speech was the most effective because ethos, pathos, and logos were used to support his claims. First, Antony used ethos to effectively share his speech. Antony stated, “Gentlemen all-alas, what shall I say? My credit

Antony stated, “Therefore I took your hands; but was indeed swayed front the point by looking down on Caesar. Friends am I with you all, and love you all, upon this hope, that you shall give me reasons why and wherein Caesar was dangerous” (3.1.218-222). Antony was trying to prove Caesar meant no harm to the citizens of Rome. This made the crowd stop and wonder if killing Caesar was the right thing to do. The crowd didn’t know if Caesar was just misunderstood his whole life or if he was a bad person. Antony also claimed, “Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it. It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you” (3.2.137-138). Antony wanted the crowd to understand that everyone hated Caesar, but Caesar never hated them. Julius Caesar cared for the poor and the rich, and Antony was one of the few men who knew that. Antony couldn’t make up a quote like that because he was best friends with Caesar. So, he used his personal connection with Caesar to share his emotions with the crowd. By using pathos, Antony was able to connect to the crowd emotionally by seeing what they would’ve done in Caesar or Brutus’s

Antony explained, “O masters! If I were disposed to stir your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, 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, to wrong myself and you, than I will wrong such honorable men” (3.2.118-124). Antony was told he was allowed to give a speech if he didn’t talk bad about the people who killed Julius Caesar. Antony knew facts that the crowd didn’t know. He could’ve easily called out Brutus or Cassius, but decided to be the bigger man. Antony didn’t want to start another war, so he decided to keep the knowledge he had to himself and tell the crowd he knows things they don’t. Antony also expressed, “You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; and sure he is an honorable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, but here I am to speak what I do know” (3.2.92-98). Antony presented the crown of Rome to Julius Caesar three times, but Caesar refused it all three times. Antony strongly believed Caesar would have been a good ruler and truly deserved the crown. Brutus seemed to always believe Julius Caesar wanted the crown to feel successful in life. In reality, Caesar never needed the satisfaction of being the King of Rome. Brutus never shared this with the crowd during his funeral speech,