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Julius caesar character essay
Analysis of Julius Caesar
Julius caesar literary analysis essay
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Brutus first shows this when he says, “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more… As Caesar loved me, I weep for him… but, as he was ambitious, I slew him” (III,ii. 20-24). Brutus wants to gain the support from the plebeians so he covers up his murder by justifying it and saying that Caesar was too ambitious and that he loved Rome more. On the other side, Antony is persistent in establishing a strong connection with the people in order to make them admire Caesar. He expresses this when he says, “And men have lost their reason.
In the play, Antony displays that loyalty to one man can easily turn into greed when a person feels like they have power through manipulation. Antony as a character is run by a single cause, which is loyalty to Julius Caesar. An example of this is when he gave his soliloquy about Caesar’s death and the men that killed him. His words were self-controlled until the conspirators left, and when they did, he shouted: “Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice / Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war, / That this foul deed shall smell above the earth / With carrion men, groaning for war.”
He wanted to take care of the people. By saying all this he tries to point out why Brutus was wrong with saying the reason he killed Caesar was because he was ambitious. As Antony speaks, he continues to repeat the line that "Brutus was an honorable man." He does this so that the crowd will catch onto his sarcasm. Brutus only allowed Antony to come speak if he would only say good things about Brutus, so Antony decides to use repetition and sarcasm as well as a way to engage the
Brutus says, “I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There are tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambition.” Explaining that although he honored Caesar, he was ambitious and by killing him there was still joy for him but also death for his ambition. However, Antony’s persuasion and emotion made his speech better because Brutus only used “what if’s” and he couldn’t prove that Caesar would actually do the things he said. While Brutus went on about the possibilities, Antony used evidence of past events that everyone witnessed.
Brutus wants to make the crowd feel like he is in a way the victim. In order to do that he says "As Caesar loved me I weep for him" so in a way the people feel bad for him. This emotional appeal did not persuade the audience considering the fact that he was if he truly did love Caesar as much as he said he would, then he would have tried to find a different route in getting rid of Caesar as emperor. Antony goes with the approach of making the people of Rome feel guilty. He tells the citizens "You all love him once not without cause what cause withholds you then to mourn for him" so they could reflect on their attitude towards his death.
Brutus blindly believes Antony’s loyalty towards Rome and the conspirators, which gives Antony the chance to foil their plans. After Caesar’s death, Antony immediately sends his servant to deliver a message to Brutus saying, “If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony / May safely come to him” and give the reason why “Caesar hath deserved to lie in death” (Shakespeare III.i.145-147), then Antony “will follow / the fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus” (III.i.149-150). Knowing that Brutus is the least likely person to kill him out of the conspirators, as he is an honorable person, Antony takes advantage of Brutus’ overly trusting nature. In his message to Brutus, Antony acts sincere by pledging his loyalty to him in order to save himself and to be in an advantaged
Some characters argued that he was too ambitious and deserved to be slain while others thought that he was the best thing to ever happen to Rome. Brutus made the decision to kill his friend because he thought that it would better the nation. While the conspirators thought that this would make them heroes, it only brought turmoil in the country. Brutus tried to use his credibility to prove that he and the conspirators were correct, but the facts had stated otherwise. Mark Antony had used logic and reasoning to appeal to the crowd.
Antony’s suffering and grief induced a new perception of the state of Rome. The origin of this newly found perception was vengeance for his noble friend. “A curse shall light upon the limbs of man: domestic fury and fierce civil strife shall cumber all parts of Italy” (Shakespeare 45.) Antony was extremely strategic while seeking revenge for Caesar. Antony’s intentions towards the conspirators were very clever and purposeful.
Antony understands that to be able to get the people of Rome on his side he needs to make them realize that Caesar was good to them and genuinely did care about them. Antony was smart in his usage of rhetorical appeals by at first using evidence to show that Caesar was a good leader by letting them logically understand that aspect of the argument and then later when he got them on his side he started to appeal to their emotions. Brutus, although attempting to get the people of Rome on his side, his purpose was not as pure as Antony's. Some people may think that Brutus was more ethical in his persuasion because he wanted what was best for Rome, but as Antony says "For Brutus as you know, was Caesar's angel... Caesar saw him stab, ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms...
Brutus did not have the same reasons, saying in Act 2, Scene 1, “It must be by his death; and for my party I know no personal cause to spurn at him/ But for the general. He would be crowned.” Rather than wanting to kill Caesar out of hatred like the other conspirators, he was naive, believing that everyone wanted to kill Caesar for the good of Rome. Brutus was a fan of Caesar, but knew that Rome would prosper if Caesar was no longer around to become a ruler, additionally knowing that he could become a tyrant. The phrase, “I know no personal cause to spurn at him/
Antony had the honor in him to think rationally and go off of actual evidence, rather than fear. Additionally, Antony said how all of the conspirators besides Brutus killed Caesar purely out of jealousy. “All the conspirators save only he Did that they did in envy of great Caesar” (239). Antony was honorable enough to not be envious, but instead hold high regards for a man who had been serving Rome. Antony’s immense honor makes it so he doesn't make rash decisions without real reason.
Antony used strong, effective metaphors to sway the crowd. Brutus's purpose was to control the crowd which was Antony's purpose also. They wanted to keep the crowd from getting out of control. They wanted to prove that they shouldn't be the ones to be blamed for the
The quotation demonstrates Antony's competitiveness on the battlefield as well as his respect for his adversaries. He could have slain all of Brutus's soldiers out of pure rage, but he was wise and concentrated on the issue at hand rather than seeking retribution. While showing mercy to the others, he thought Brutus should be executed for his crimes. This demonstrates why Antony would make a good and impartial
Is there anyone who is so power hungry and ambitious that someone would want them killed? This is what Brutus thought in the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. He wanted to convince the audience that he was speaking to that Julius Caesar was an ambitious tyrant and had a lust for power, and if he were to rule, all the Romans would have been turned into slaves and would be under bondage. The other reason he killed Caesar is he said that he loved Rome more . However, Mark Antony was the opposite and aimed to convince the crowd by arguing against Brutus and planned to stir them up to riot.
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