The Power Of Words In Julius Caesar

Pearl Strachan Hurd once said, “Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs.” This quote especially holds true in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, where a central theme is that words can sway peoples’ opinions. This manipulative manner of words can be seen in this Shakespeare’s play when Calphurnia and Decius are trying to convince Caesar whether he should go to the Senate or stay home, and during the speeches at Caesar’s funeral. This theme is seen when Calphurnia attempts to convince Caesar to not go to the Senate meeting. Calphurnia gets her point across by telling him of horrible omens she saw in her dreams, such as “…In ranks and squadrons and right form of war, which drizzled blood upon the Capitol. The noise of battle

After Brutus gives his speech explaining why Caesar had to be murdered, the Plebeians shout praises to Brutus such as, “Caesar’s better parts should be crowned in Brutus,” (3. 2. 54-55). However, after Antony speaks at the funeral, the Plebeians become enraged and chant, “Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill! Slay! Let not a traitor live!” (3. 2. 216-217). This proves that the words have the ability to influence someone to completely alter their mindset and go from supporting someone to absolutely abhorring someone. Furthermore, the plebeians are so moved by the words contained in Antony’s speech that they are motivated to act on their feelings. This is seen when they encounter Cinna the poet, where one plebeian exclaimed, “Pluck but his name out of his heart, and turn him going,” (3. 3. 35-36). Hence, upon hearing Antony’s speech the plebeians subsequently experienced strong emotions that led them to have to motivation to murder someone. Therefore, this emphasizes that the power of words can be so intense that they act as an impetus to get someone to perform an action one might not usually do. In conclusion, the persuasive nature of words is seen in the plebeians’ reactions to Brutus’s and Antony’s speeches at Caesar’s