Rhetoric And Persuasion In The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar

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In literature characters use ethos, logos, and pathos to help persuade the readers and other characters in the literature of what they are speaking about. In the play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Brutus speaks at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus tells the people of Rome how Caesar is an ambitious man and how he kills him so all of the people of Rome could finally be free. After Brutus is finished speaking, Antony steps up to speak. He explains to the people of Rome how Caesar couldn’t have been an ambitious man; he has turned down a crown three times. Brutus and Antony use persuasion throughout the play to explain further on why Brutus helps kill Caesar and how Antony gets the people of Rome to turn against Brutus. First, Brutus tells the people of Rome that he had only killed Caesar so they could finally all be free from his power. For example, when Brutus says,”not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved/ Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living, and/ die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all/ freemen?”(3.2.23-26). Brutus says this shows the …show more content…

For example when Brutus contributes to killing Caesar, he uses rhetoric to gain the people’s trust again and when Antony uses persuasion to turn their mind set around against Brutus and onto his side. Brutus uses pathos to have people make an emotional answer to a rhetorical question; if they want Caesar alive and live as slaves or have him dead and live free. Antony uses his relationship with Brutus to gain people and have them turn away from Brutus and turn towards him in the case of Caesar’s death. After looking at both, Brutus and Antony’s funeral speeches, it is inferred that even though Brutus and Antony both used rhetorical devices in their speeches, Antony used them to his advantage along with his strong relationship with