Julius Caesar Rhetorical Analysis

Ambition alone is seen as something to fear. However, ambition and power are a dangerous combination. Unfortunately, this combination is seen in Brutus when he kills Caesar and tries to convince the Plebians to side with him and the conspirators. However, with ambition and power comes actions without the thought of consequences. Brutus forgot this when Mark Antony persuaded the Plebians through a speech full of manipulative and creative rhetoric during Caesar's memorial. In William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony uses juxtaposition, irony, anecdotes, and rhetorical questions to appeal to the Plebians with ethos and pathos to convince them that Brutus and the conspirators are traitors. Mark Antony shares a speech with

Antony brings awareness to the Plebians that "the noble Brutus hath told [them that] Caesar was ambitious" (Shakespeare 3.2. 77-78) to show that because Brutus is noble, then his word is accurate. Brutus claims that Caesar was ambitious, which means that Caesar was ambitious. As the speech progresses a few sentences, Antony reminds the Plebians of how honorable Brutus is and how Caesar had to die because of his ambition, but then speaks about the good things that Caesar has done. Antony starts to speak about how Caesar "hath brought many captives home to Rome whose ransoms did the general coffers fill" (Shakespeare 3.2 88-89). Antony then asks the Plebians if this action made Caesar an ambitious man and then once again reminds the Plebians that even though Caesar did this, Brutus says that he was ambitious and Brutus is an honorable man. How Antony keeps speaking about how Brutus is honorable, it is coming off as verbal irony. Antony is speaking about Brutus in a good way, but by the tone of his words, it is coming off as bitter and angry. He uses verbal irony to appeal to pathos to make the Plebians feel the bitterness in his tone and see that what Brutus has done

Antony recalls the cloak that Caesar is wearing at the memorial. Antony recalls the first time Caesar ever put it on and tells the Plebian a short anecdote about the summer evening that Caesar had "[overcome] the Nervii" (Shakespeare 3.2 170). By sharing this short anecdote, Antony tells the Plebians a story that showcases the goodness that came with the cloak. When Caesar wore the cloak, it was when he won a battle. Winning a battle shows the goodness that Caesar had done in his life and how the cloak symbolizes the good things that Caesar had done. However, not shortly after Antony tells this story, Antony no longer speaks of a good memory but a deadly one. Antony recalls the stabs that Caesar bore and the holes in the same cloak that show the betrayal of Caesar's friends. Antony points out to the Plebian the betrayals by saying, "look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through: see what a rent the envious Casca made: through this, the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd" (Shakespeare 3.2 171-173). Antony showcases situational irony through his earlier anecdote and by pointing out the individual marks on the cloak from the stabs that Caesar obtained. This is situational irony because Antony explains a great thing that happened while Caesar wore the cloak and then showed the stab marks on it. It shows how ironic it is that