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Julius Caesar Rhetorical Devices Essay

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Shakespeare is known for his incredible tragic drama writing in which he constructs different types of rhetorical devices to influence the setting, mood, and tone of a play, one being The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. These devices demonstrate the enhancement in a speaker’s attitude, personality, and emotion to get a point across. In one particular scene, Shakespeare works in Mark Antony’s speech where he reads to the Plebeians using various amount of rhetorical devices to get his point across. The purpose for Antony’s speech is to show how Julius Caesar died in vain, how the Plebeians are now supporting his murders, and how the Plebeians are not being open minded about the situation. Mark Antony uses repetition to enhance his sarcasm to potentially help his speech influence the Plebeians behavior in a convincing manner, making them turn on Brutus through emotional appeal. …show more content…

Antony shows this type of emotional appeal through persuasion by making the Plebeians understand who Caesar truly was which is not ambitious as Brutus states. In his speech, he says, “He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?”(Shakespeare Act 3, Scene 2: 88-90). This shows how Antony first made the Plebeians reflect on their prior mindset and decision to Antony’s speech convincing/persuading them that Caesar was not ambition as they were told. Antony also states, “I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?” (Shakespeare Act 3, Scene 2 96-97). This entirely convinces the Plebeians of Caesar’s true act towards the Plebeians. The device of emotional appeal helps get part of his point across to the people in the crowd eagerly wanting to hear more of what he has to say about the

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Antony contradicts Brutus’ claim that Caesar was ambitious by recalling the times such as when he “thrice presented him a kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse.”, asking the audience “was that ambition?”(Act III, Scene II). Antony uses examples like Caesar refusing the crown 3 times to prove that he wasn’t really ambitious and slowly turning the crowd against Brutus. Antony also proves that Caesar was not ambitious when he recalls that even “when the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept.” (Act III, Scene II). By showing how Caesar acts like and empathizes with the people, Antony uses pathos while still proving that Caesar wasn’t actually ambitious, debasing Brutus’ earlier claim and framing him as a liar and a fraud in the eyes of the

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Brutus starts off the speech by telling the audience his reasoning for Caesar’s murder, getting the crowd on his side. Knowing how to use devices properly gives Antony an advantage of winning over the audience. He uses all rhetorical appeals by repetition, deductive reasoning, and restating Brutus’ opposing viewpoints fairly and accurately. Antony provides a strong speech with many rhetorical devices to push the audience to agree with his argument. One of Antony’s best appeals was pathos.

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These devices strike sympathy in the plebeians for Caesar, but also a strong displeasure towards Brutus. By talking about his friend’s death in a tragic way, Antony not only persuades the plebeians to side with him instead of Brutus, but he also causes the plebeians to come together in a massive horde and become a violent riot through

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He then came back and shook the conspirators’ bloody hands, he begged to speak at Julius’ funeral, and Brutus allowed him, as long as he did not speak badly of the conspirators. When doing his speech, he used rhetorical devices like repetition and sarcasm when he kept repeating that Brutus was an honorable man and using it in a sarcastic tone. He used pathos by playing with the audience's emotion when showing the cloak and Caesar's body, it made the audience emotional. Brutus' speech convinced the people that his reasoning was enough to kill his friend and they even wanted him to be the new Caesar. Antony's speech convinced the people to turn against the conspirators, kill a poet with the name Cinna, and start a riot.

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By refusing to read the will several times and admitting that what it contains will cause the people to have such a great love for Caesar that knowing he is now dead will be unbearable, Antony ignites curiosity in the people and furthermore, a subconscious feeling of respect and graciousness toward Caesar. Basically, Antony uses Caesar’s will to convince the people that Caesar was a selfless, kind-hearted man and those who killed him should be ashamed and punished for killing an innocent man. Through Antony’s use of paralipsis, he is able to plant a seed of admiration for Caesar and one of hate for the conspirators in the hearts of the plebeians. In his speech to the citizens, Antony also asks many rhetorical questions to cause his audience to pause and reflect on how they really feel, or how Antony wants them to feel, about certain people and events that have recently become important. In one instance.

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The most common type of pathos that Antony used was in the form of sarcasm, which can be seen when he said, “The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious: if it were so, it was a grievous fault; and grievously hath Caesar answer’d it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest, (for Brutus is an honourable man; so they are all, all honourable men)” (III.ii.79-85). Antony’s emotional approach was completely effective on the crowd, and he was able to turn the people into a mob and start civil war by using reverse psychology. Antony uses reverse psychology by teasing the crowd with Caesar’s will, by constantly referring to the conspirators as honorable men, and saying that he does not want to turn the Romans against Brutus, even though he clearly does.

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Mark Antony is trying to win over the people of Rome by his very effective use of rhetoric. In his speech, his overall point is to persuade the Roman citizens that Brutus’s claim of Caesar being ambitious is not true. Antony’s use of rhetorical devices such as a rhetorical question give the people a good message. When he is telling them that Caesar brought many captives to Rome, he asks, “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious” (3.2.18). Antony’s rhetorical question was very effective since he is making the people question Brutus’s claim.

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Secondly, Shakespeare uses the repetition of the word ambitious in Antony’s speech to instigate the plebeians, and fill their minds with enough doubts to get them to rebel against the conspirators. Talking about how Caesar refused the crown three times at the Luperical, Antony proclaims, “Which he did thrice refuse; was this ambition. / Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;” (3.2.95-96). Bringing up the Luperical is a strong point. It is still fresh in the memories of many

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This pulls on the pathos of the audience because the rhetorical question pulls on their conscience. Their conscience is questioning whether the murder of Caesar is justifiable, since he was not all the ambitious according to Antony. This allows for Antony to take advantage of the easily pliable minds in the audience and flip their introspections to vanquish the conspirators. Shakespeare uses the repetition of the word ambitious in Antony’s speech to instigate the plebeians, and fill their minds with enough doubts to get them to rebel against the conspirators. Talking about how Caesar refused the crown three times at the Luperical, Antony proclaims, “Which he did thrice refuse; was this ambition. /Yet

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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 the beginning of his speech, he attempts to gain their trust by saying, “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears” (3.2.82). This remark now makes the Romans feel as they are all one, as well as Antony. It also confirmed to the Plebeians that he was on their side and was trustworthy. Also in his speech, Antony questions them by asking, “ Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” (3.2.99).

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Antony wanted people to be patient with him. He also says, “When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff” (3.2. 100-101). Antony says this to show that Caesar was a good man who cared about the people. It was also to show that Brutus was wrong when he stated that Caesar was ambitious. Antony makes the citizens feel that the conspirators murder was

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