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Rhetorical Devices In Julius Caesar

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Throughout Julius Caesar, Shakespeare uses the technique of rhetoric. The technique can also be referred to as the art of persuasion. The characters use this technique to persuade and trick friends, foes, and family. Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses the rhetoric technique of irony in Julius Caesar. He also includes many rhetorical questions and similes to persuade others. Shakespeare’s use of rhetorical devices draws in the reader and really makes them sympathize with the characters. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare uses irony frequently throughout the play. One instance is when Antony says, “I come to bury Casear, not to praise him.” (Shakespeare.3.2.202). This is an example of irony since Antony does praise Caesar, but instead makes …show more content…

One example that stands out is when Antony says, “Had as I many eyes as thou hast wounds, weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood, it would become me better than to close in terms of friendship with thine enemies.” (3.1.204-207). Antony is saying that he’d rather become friends with his enemies than just crying endlessly. Another indication of this is when Caesar says, “But I am constant as the Northern star, of whose true fixed and resting quality.” (3.1.60-61). Caesar was speaking to Calphurnia, and wanted to not go to the meeting and Caesar says that he is not able to be convinced. This was one example of rhetoric that really enhanced the character’s message. Still another great example is when Cassius says, “Why man, he doth bestride to the narrow world. Like a Colossus, and we petty men. Walk under his huge legs and peep about. To find ourselves dishonorable.” (1.2.135-139). Cassius says that Caesar is a giant who will become powerful and in control while everyone else is tiny and will become his slave. Using similes, Characters in the play convinced others to join their cause or to express how they felt.” To reiterate, similes strengthen the meaning that Shakespeare wants to

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In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, he uses rhetoric writing techniques and appeals, such as ethos, logos and pathos, to enhance the persuasive element of the monologues. Cassius persuades Brutus to overthrow Caesar while using logos throughout his monologue. Cassius proves Caesar competes with him by explaining to Brutus, with facts, that Caesar questioned him to, “Leap in with me into this angry flood and swim to yonder point” and prove how Caesar makes everything a competition with Cassius (Shakespeare 14-15). Cassius also wants to show Brutus that Caesar believes that he is a triumphant leader and can accomplish many battles from the past like, “Aeneas, our great ancestor, did the flames of Troy upon his shoulder the old Anchises bear,

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Near the beginning of his candid speech, he uses several rhetorical devices to sadden the crowd. Antony talks about his friendship with Caesar: O judgement, thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason! — Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me.

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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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In the play Julius Caesar by William shakespeare, Caesar is murdered by the senators of rome, to prevent his power hungry ego from destroying their beloved city. During Caesar's funeral, both Marc Antony and brutus give speeches. Both speeches contain athos, which appeals to emotions, and rhetorical questions, these emphasize both of the speeches in different ways. Although Brutus is a convincing orator, Antony's uses a more effective form of rhetorical questions and pathos, which evokes feelings in the audience.. Pathos is a technique used in writing in order to appeal to the reader's emotions.

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Comparison of Atticus Finch’s and Marc Antony’s Speeches Most would agree that a convincing, effective speech can be a difficult to write and deliver, in part because it takes immense skill to effectively sway people’s minds, especially those not in favor, with words alone. However, Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar and Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird features two characters, Marc Atony and Atticus Finch, respectively, who can do ju `st that by using rhetorical devices to their advantage. Throughout both Atticus Finch’s closing argument in To Kill a Mockingbird, and in Marc Antony’s speech at Caesar’s funeral in Julius Caesar, numerous rhetorical devices such as parallelism and irony were present as well as the rhetorical appeals

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William Shakespeare, in his tragedy Julius Caesar, uses the rhetorical devices of a rhetorical question, repetition of the word “ambitious,” and a direct reference in Antony 's speech to persuade the plebeians to rebel against the conspirators. Antony appeals to the pathos, ethos, and logos of the audience to get them to exile the conspirators. Shakespeare uses a rhetorical question in Antony’s speech to get the plebeians to notice the wrongdoings of the conspirators and excite them to revolt. Antony discusses the economic dominance and vigor that Caesar brought to Rome, and with sarcasm he states, “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” (3.2.99).

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William Shakespeare, in his tragedy Julius Caesar, uses the rhetorical devices of a rhetorical question, repetition of the word ambitious, and direct reference in Antony 's speech to instigate the plebeians and persuade them to rebel against the conspirators. Antony pulls on the pathos, ethos, and logos of the audience to get them to exile the conspirators. Shakespeare uses a rhetorical question in Antony’s speech to get the plebeians to notice the wrongdoings of the conspirators and excite them to rebel. Antony discusses the money that Caesar left to the countrymen, and with sarcasm he states, “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” (3.2.99).

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Within Antony’s speech to the Romans he uses anaphoric text to spike a whirl of rage towards Brutus. Repeatedly Antony states “Brutus is an honorable man” emphatically for the duration of his speech to contradict Brutus’s nobility ( March Antony, Lines 83,88,95 ). Before Antony begins his speech he is approached by the Romans with comments to not speak bad on Brutus’s name, which is why he utilized the anaphora to repeat that Brutus is an honorable man therefore allowing him to gain the Romans trust to speak. Antony does not say these lines truthfully but sarcastically to make the people of Rome feel furious against Brutus for taking Caesar to his mortal death.

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(III.ii.248) Antony uses pathos here to make the Romans think and feel that there’s not going to be another Caesar and now Caesar is killed so it is a major loss to Rome. He also asks a rhetorical question to prove his point that there is only one

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In Act 3, Scene 2 of the tragedy of Julius Caesar written by Shakespeare, there are 2 very important speeches that shape the countrymen’s view on the death of Caesar. Marcus Brutus gives the first speech in an attempt to justify the murder he and his fellow conspirators just committed and the second speech is given by Mark Antony to open the citizen’s eyes to just how dishonorable and heinous the crime these men committed was. Both men use many rhetorical strategies in their speeches such as syntax to create juxtaposition and word choice to highlight the similarities and differences between the audience and the speaker in order to create an effect of either superiority or relatability to the audience. Each speech was effective in persuading the people to agree with a certain view, however in the end Mark Antony gave the speech that won the crowd.

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Rhetoric is an incredibly powerful tool capable of seducing even the most obdurate of people. As one of the most illustrious playwrights ever, Shakespeare was no stranger to the power of rhetoric. Rhetoric served as the fountainhead of Shakespearian allure. We watch the dramatic works of Shakespeare because we enjoy having our emotions manipulated; we enjoy the catharsis and self-reflection that accompanies a trip to the theater. Shakespeare truly was a master manipulator, but his manipulation was generally beneficial.

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In Cassius’s eloquent speech against Caesar, he primarily utilizes persuasion through tools such as pathos, rhetorical questions, and compare and contrast. Cassius uses pathos to begin his monologue when he claims, “I know that virtue be in you, Brutus, / As well as I do know your outward favor” (Shakespeare 1.2.95-96). By expressing that Brutus has “virtue” and “outward favor”, Cassius appeals to Brutus’s emotions, but not to an exaggerated extent. This emotional appeal is a persuasion technique because it is used in moderation and in pertinent locations. The context is appropriate since rather than using it as a tool to feed on Brutus’s emotions, Cassius only uses it to get Brutus’s attention as an appropriate hook.

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In William Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony wants revenge on the conspirators who killed Caesar. Following Julius Caesar's death, Mark Antony uses many different rhetorical devices such as pathos and ethos in his speech that help convince the Plebeians to go against the conspirators. Attempting to draw the emotions out of the plebeians, Mark Antony uses pathos to persuade them. Mark Antony says, “ My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, and I must pause till it come back to me” (3.2. 106-107). This statement emphasizes how much Antony loved Caesar and the grief he is now feeling that his closest friend is dead.

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Then he starts talking about how caesar was against the world “ But yesterday the word of Caesar might Have stood against the world. Now lies he there,And none so poor to do him reverence”.(3.2.117)Anthony

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Sydney Stone Mrs. Paul English 10A 16 October 2017 Rhetorical Analysis Essay William Shakespeare, a very famous writer, tells the story of Julius Caesar. In his play, Marc Antony delivers a powerful speech that uses many different rhetorical devices, appeals, and different styles of writing. Some of these include repetition, rhetorical questions, pathos, logos, ethos, and diction. These help enhance Marc Antony’s speech by persuading the audience towards considering that Caesar was a good man.

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