Julius Caesar Rhetorical Analysis

In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Antony’s speech is more effective than Brutus’s, because Antony knew how to get to the Roman people better than Brutus. He knew how to manipulate the Roman people by using logos and pathos. Whereas Brutus was trying to convince the Roman people that Caesar's death was justified using ethos saying he was ambitious and the conspirators did it for the good of the Roman people. Mark Antony's speech starts with him using sarcasm and repetition, saying the conspirators are noble men, so he doesn't come off too strong right after Brutus’s speech by calling himself a plain man, nothing like the noble Brutus. He then uses logos by removing the cloak off Caesar, pointing out each stab mark on Caesar's lifeless body and

He says, “Which he did thrice, refuse. Was this an ambition?”. Antony is trying to remind the Roman people that Caesar denied the crown 3 times in the capital, so why would he deny it if he was a power hungry leader like Brutus claims? Antony brings up Caesar's will in his speech, saying they are the heirs of Caesar. Antony told the people they would gain money and land from Caesar’s death, which appealed to them emotionally. Antony's speech got the people so worked up they ended up starting riots, burning houses and killing people. In Brutus’s speech he uses logos and ethos, He starts by saying Caesar was too ambitious to be the leader of Rome. He talks about how he loved Caesar a lot, but he loved Rome more. If he really loved Caesar, why would he join the conspirators? Brutus uses a rhetorical question, saying, “Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men?”(III,ii,23-24). Brutus is stating the conspirators had to kill Caesar or Rome would have gone to hell. Brutus says many times in his monologue that he killed Julius Caesar for the good of the people because his ambition was just too much for