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Rhetorical Devices Used In Mark Antony's Speech

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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. The sadness he shows to the Plebeians causes them to feel sympathetic towards him, which persuades them into believing that the conspirators are careless men. To prove that Caesar cared a lot about Rome, Mark Antony mentions that, “ When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept; Ambition should be made of sterner stuff” (3.2. 100-101). When a leader is upset about a …show more content…

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). Antony is trying to find out whether they believe if Brutus had a valid reason to assassinate Caeser. He achieves his goal of making the murder seem unethical by using his convincing argument.
Overall, Mark Antony’s speech was helpful in trying to convince the Plebeians. By the end of his speech, the Plebeians believed that the murder of Julius Caesar by the conspirators was an unrightful doing. The conspirators might’ve gotten away with the murder, but will never be seen the same by the

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Pathos refers to a speaker evoking emotions to influence his or her audience. Antony effectively uses pathos when he eulogizes about Caesar. He evokes empathetic emotions in his discourse. In addition, Antony uses pathos when he expresses his own feelings. Antony proclaims, "Bear with me; / My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, /

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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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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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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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Antony uses many rhetorical devices in his speech from logos to pathos and many more but, the most effective rhetorical device in Antony's speech is logos because, in Antony's speech he pulls from the people's strings and emotions to get the people of Rome to get on his side and not Brutus’s side. Antony uses logos in many ways and uses it in the best possible way he can. Anthony's goal by using the rhetorical device logos, is that he is trying to make everyone one not on Brutus’s side about the reason why he killed caesar. The first example of how Antony uses logos in his speech is, He stated that, “I come not, friends to steal away your hearts. I am no orator as Brutus is.”

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This is ethos in the way it gives him credibility as a friend, suggesting that he would truly know Caesar. But, it is also pathos because it makes the crowd sorrowful for him because someone that is close to him has been killed. The use of ethos, logos and pathos made Marc Antony’s argument and speech far superior to Brutus’s. Another reason that makes Marc Antony’s argument more valuable is

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Marcus Junius Brutus and Mark Antony both deliver speeches to justify the death of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE and both use Logos and Ethos to convince the Roman citizens to join their sides. Both sides deliver their speeches with vehemence and start by elucidating why Brutus killed Caesar to begin with, why Antony’s desire for revenge is justified, and what the future of Rome will be because of his death. Antony teases the citizens of Rome with the will of Caesar that he holds in hand and claims it will dishonor Brutus and the other conspirators and is also one of his vital uses of Ethos in his speech. Most of the citizens, if not all of them side with Antony and will most likely help him accede to a great title of power in the future and also betray Brutus because of what Antony has them believe, i.e. an ignoble assassin. Brutus and Antony 's speeches were both compelling, although Antony´s speech was more successful, but it is because he was able to manipulate the people of Rome with

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(3.2.73).Then Antony continues to talk to the crowded about how he thought that caesar will be remembered for the bad he did and will be buried with the good that he did for people around the town. ”The evil that men do lives after them;The good is oft interrèd with their bones. So let it be with Caesar”.(3.2.74).He has yet to use one of the Rhetorical Appeals in his speech to use to get the crowded on his side backing him up. It is not till later on in the speech he uses Pathos to play with their Emotions “When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept”.(3.2.90).Saying how he is sad to see that Caesar was killed,Stating that he misses him and that he will cry about this moment. He does not focus on how he cares he just states three or four lines that show he cares the rest of the time he is talking about what caesar had done.

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Marc Antony gives his speech at Caesar’s funeral to the citizens of Rome. The purpose of his speech is to prove to the citizens that Brutus is wrong and Caesar shouldn’t have been killed. The tone of his speech is very ironic. It also gets very dramatic as he talks about Caesar being killed.

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Antony speech is claiming that it was not a good idea to kill Caesar and to convince that Brutus is a very bad man. Antony makes the claim of Brutus throughout the whole speech using parallelism and repetition. Antony constantly says “for Brutus is an honorable man” through the entire speech but doesn’t really mean it. Yet Antony always says the same phrase a lot of times it makes you think of something different. The beginning of the speech when he first says the phrase you actually think he trying to be respectful.

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There are two reasons why Antony gave this speech. The first was to get back at Brutus for murdering his beloved friend, and making him pay for it. The main reason Antony gave this speech is because he had a greed for power. He thought that if he could get all the plebeians on his side, that they would attack the conspirators and trust Antony, therefore making it easy to take on the spot for power. “Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius, To cut the head off and then hack the limbs, Like wrath in death and envy afterwards, For Antony is but a limb of Caesar.

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