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Julius Caesar Rhetorical Analysis Essay

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Bennett Julius Caesar Essay In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Marc Antony appeals to Desseus Brutus’ honor, the betrayal of Rome and Caesars prestige in regard to the plebians' tyranny. Noble Brutis speaks of Caesar’s betrail and ambition, however preceding his oration on Caesar's death is contradicted by Antony the reversal elucidated by his discrete rhetoric, further emphasized by the repute of Caesar in the public eye. Antony, compelling the plebeians, influenced them to “rise and mutiny(3.2.143)” by contrasting Brutus’ “ambition(3.2.101)” with the benevolence of Caesar. Marc Antony appeals to Bruits' disloyalty and ambition, in his speech to the plebeians preceding the death and funeral of Caesar. Antony hints at irony to sway the masses, …show more content…

Let not a traitor live! (3.2.217)” in reference to Bruits an Honorable man” exemplifies the function of his irony as for brutis as a traitor which has a dishonest connotation and is not honest. Repetition of “ambition” contradicts Brutis’ notion of Caesar's ambition and implies that Brutis strives for what Caesar stood against, ambition, referenced by recollection of offering him the crown “which he did thrice refuse (3.2.106)”. Questioning the instated lack of Caesar's ambition, Antony references “Yet Brutis says he was ambitious (3.2.102)” later followed by the irony of “For Brutis is an Honorable man” flipping the narrative and …show more content…

The connotation of brutish beasts, as disloyal and lawless, which employs alliteration to form a direct connection to Brutis, and the statement of “The evil that men do lives after them (3.2.84)” implying that in the death of Caesar, Brutis must pay for his mutiny. In his attempts incitement of mutiny and rage and betrayal, he references reward, in the form on Caesar's will, along with the physical body of Caesar. Antony uses Caesar’s will to add physical loss to the acceptance of Brutis and the conspirators. Referencing the death of Pompey “Knew you not Pompey(1.1.42)” he appeals to their “senseless(1.1.39)” state to sway the people from loyalty. He uses repetition from Brutis’ speech in “Friends, Romans, countrymen(3.2.82)” contrasting “Romans, countrymen, and lovers(3.2.14)” adding friends in reference to his friendship with Caesar, implying that he values friendship and loyalty to his friend. Additional contrasts are also apparent as brutus betrayed Caesar, whom he called a friend. Repetition, wrong and the wronging of conspirators “Brutus wrong(3.2.135)” “Cassius wrong(3.2.135)” starkly contrasted by “I will not do them wrong(3.2.137)” as killing somebody due to their actions and “ambition(3.2.143)” and the unlawful and treasonous murder of Julius Caesar have no similarity.

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Brutus has a hero complex; this is his Achilles heel. The way he justifies his actions makes it sound like he is taking credit for the great deed of murder. Antony uncovers this and uses it to expose Brutus’s hypocrisy. Ethos, logos, and pathos add substantial potency to Antony’s persuasiveness. No matter the motive, the crowd was bound to see the flaws of Brutus’s defense.

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“Good friends, sweet friends,let me not stir you up/ to such a sudden flood of mutiny./ They have done this deed are honorable./ What private griefs they have , alas, I know not,/ That made them do it. They are wise and honorable,” (III. ii. 206-210) the repetitiveness of Antony calling the conspirators honorable and that they had killed Julius Caesar for good reason, not for their own benefit. The onlookers were very upset and threatened to burn down Brutus’s home.

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Antony, through the use rhetorical devices of diction and verbal irony, develops an argumentation in order to turn the Plebeians against the conspirators and persuade them to avenge Caesar. Specifically, Antony declares, “Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it; / It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you. / You are not wood, you are not stone, but men; / And, being men, bearing the will of Caesar, / It will inflame you, it will make you mad: / ‘Tis good you know not that you are his heirs; / For, if you should, O, what would come of it!”

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(III.ii.26­-28) In this sense, it shows that Brutus cares about Caesar, but when it seems to be affecting the country he loves, he will take any measures to stop it. As one standing in the midst of the crowd, it would appear through logic that Brutus did not kill Caesar out of anything personal, but rather he was slain to prevent a dominating ruler from forming. On the other hand, Antony takes the very words that defended Brutus, and makes them his downfall. Antony brings the plebeians back to the time where," I thrice presented him a kingly crown,/which he did thrice refuse.

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In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar, Mark Antony uses rhetorical devices such as paralipsis, rhetorical questions, and verbal irony in his speech to the plebeians in order to plot them against the conspirators. During his speech to the plebians, Antony uses paralipsis in order to kindle curiosity and interest in the audience. Antony mentions to the plebians that he had Caesar’s will with him but tells them, “Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it; It is not meet you know how much Caesar loved you” (3.2.152-153). By drawing attention to Caesar’s will, something Antony desperately wants to show the plebeians, but then dismissing the idea of reading it, Antony uses a type of verbal irony called paralipsis. Antony is aware that the contents

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However, later on, Antony intentionally tells the mob that “hearing the will of Caesar...will inflame you/…” and that it is good that “you know not that you are his heirs/…” (III, ii, 145-148). By purposely saying the context of the will, Antony is able to manipulate the crowd to riot against the conspirators and seek revenge for Caesar by appealing to the emotional feeling of anger. By appealing to feelings such as guilt, sympathy, and anger, Antony uses pathos to manipulate the crowd to his

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Luke Hankins Mr. Forrester English CP 11 9 Thursday 2023 Brutus Sways the People Following the death of beloved Julius Caesar, act three scene two begins with Brutus giving a speech to the people in order to explain the reasoning behind his vile actions. Brutus is sorrowful and expresses to the people of Rome that his love for Caesar was great, but his love for Rome was even greater. Brutus uses Anaphora and Pathos to pull on the heartstrings of the Roman citizens in an attempt to keep the peace.

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Throughout Antony’s speech he stressed

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He establishes his authority by referring to his personal relations with Caesar and also his position within the group of conspirators. He begins his speech by saying “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.” This shows that Antony didn’t feel the need to place him on a pedestal, as many Roman’s often did, but that he wasn’t trying to reiterate false doctrine. Antony’s strategic words allowed him to undermine the credibility of his opponents by consistently repeating the phrase “Brutus is an honorable man” which appealed to the audience’s emotions. Overall, this thoughtful use of ethos is an important factor in Antony’ success in persuading the citizens to his side and against the

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In Brutus’s speech he used ethos and logos to try and control the people of Rome. He was stoic and blinded of what Antony was capable of. He wanted to change their minds about the conspiracy and the murder of Caesar. Brutus says “Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men” (III, i, 23-24).

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Brutus believes that Caesar will do more harm than good to the people, and reap benefits for himself. Brutus has already said this, but had said it in his own words, (II, i, 12-14). He has no clue if Caesar will use his power for the good and betterment for the people, or use it for his own needs and other

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While Brutus spoke well, but had no real factual standpoint, Antony gave many examples of Caesar’s achievements. In his speech he uses Pathos, Logos, Ethos, and Situational Irony to sway his audience. He uses Brutus’ and Cassius’ precious honor and Caesar’s achievements against them, saying, “When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept./ Ambition should be made of sterner stuff./ Yet Brutus says he was ambitious,/ And Brutus is an honorable man” (3.2.90-93). In this statement and many other statements following the same pattern Antony degrades the honor and the arguments of Caesar’s ambition that were made by Brutus and the other conspirators.

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1629 Words | 7 Pages

As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; // as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; // as he was valiant, I honour him: // but, as he was ambitious, I slew him” (JC, 3.2.20-30), leaves the mob more disturbed and bitter than ever before they succumb to Antony’s appeal to emotion as he continues to exploit their self-love. Brutus’s naïve belief that he has successfully justified his actions in the eyes of the Romans with such a short speech lacking any self-love is a sign of his naivety – a form of foolishness that lacks folly. On the other hand, Antony’s long speech is brave and fearless – a sign of a fool who embodies folly. According to Folly, “I [folly] is also the champion of prudence” (Folly, 27) as prudence is derived from experience, and men who lack

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Brutus delivers his speech in a laudatory manner by conveying Caesar’s deeds and claiming he was ambitious, although Antony contradicts Brutus’ claims and says Caesar spurned the crown with the intent to merely rule as a de facto dictator. Brutus’ speech reveals his motives were truly for the benefit of Rome given his nationalistic tone and Antony’s speech was merely used to obscure his true motives, which was to embroil Rome in a series of civil wars to attain power. Brutus and Antony’s speeches consisted predominantly of Pathos and Ethos, but it is Antony who ultimately it is Antony who prevails because of his almost disingenuous attitude and even use of Logos which is seen when claims that reading Caesar’s will would dishonor his compeers and even Caesar

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In this scene Caesar has been murdered by the conspirators including Brutus. Brutus is one of Caesar's good friends who is driven by honor; who thought Caesar’s ambition was going to be the end of Rome. Antony is a very loyal friend of Caesar’s who does not agree with the conspirators. Brutus and Antony are both smart well thought out characters. They desire to persuade the commoners to their side of the situation.

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