Use Of Ethos In Julius Caesar

Betrayal, stabbing, traitors. All of these are part of the play Julius Caesar written by William Shakespeare. This work of art tells the tale of Rome and its internal conflicts caused by Brutus, Marc Antony, and many others. Trials of honor and faith to the Roman Empire traverse before our eyes and as a result of the people of Rome being easily persuaded, and Antony’s excellent use of ethos, irony, and rhetorical questions, his speech stands as the most effective. Marc Antony’s use of ethos and irony help convince the people of Rome to see that Brutus was indeed not an honorable man. After Brutus’s speech, Marc Antony faces the crowd and delivers his thoughts on Caesar and the conspirators and states,”Good friends, sweet friends, let me not

When Antony is giving his speech he says to the public, ”He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did in this Caesar seem ambitious?”(47). This quote expresses the deeds of Caesar and how, despite what Brutus said, he was not ambitious.-------------. By using rhetorical questions, it gets the public thinking about how Brutus was wrong because Caesar was not ambitions, making them think that Brutus is not honourable. Also during Antony’s speech he states to the public, “You all did see on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?”(47). Antony is saying that Caesar could have been king three times over but did not want to. It illuminates how Caesar was not ambitious because he could be the ruler over a magnificent empire but refused too. By Antony telling the public that Caesar was not ambitious it discredits what Brutus was saying, making the public dislike Brutus. Marc Antony repeatedly using rhetorical questions would get the general public thinking about rebellion because Brutus did not do the honourable thing in killing