In William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, Marc Antony appears to be a strong advocate for Julius Caesar’s triumphs and increasing power. However, like Caesar, Antony is extremely manipulative and powerful. After Caesar’s death, Antony manipulated the conspirators into believing he was on their side before requesting to speak at Caesar’s funeral. While Brutus and the conspirators remained fooled by Antony’s innocence, Antony took the initiative to inform the Roman citizens of the conspirator’s horrendous actions towards their beloved leader, Julius Caesar. Caesar’s funeral was a time of reflection for the citizens of Rome, as Marc Antony caused them to question their allegiance to Brutus. Marc Antony’s power has always been a part of him. However, after Caesar’s death, his power only intensified as his passion for vengeance grew. An example of Antony using his power with words to his advantage was when he beseeched the conspirators to believe that he would remain loyal to them and their cause. Antony says: “Therefore I took your hands, but was indeed / Swayed from the point by …show more content…
Antony’s manipulative behavior intensified during this scene as he attempted to persuade Brutus into allowing him to speak at Caesar’s funeral, which had major consequences later in the act. Another group that Marc Antony successfully persuaded was the citizens of Rome. After the citizens praised Brutus for his honorable speech, Marc Antony presented Caesar’s body to the crowd, revealing each fatal stab wound that shattered the beloved Caesar. Antony’s crying and speech about Caesar’s accomplishments appealed to the citizens’ sympathy, which later escalated into anger. He used his strength of public speaking to convince the crowd that his intentions were in their favor. His power intensified during his speech as the Romans started choosing Caesar over the