What Is The Persuasion In Julius Caesar

Every day, persuasion is used, whether it be to get a raise, convince someone to extend a deadline, or even to get the last piece of food. This persuasion is most evident in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, specifically with the character Antony. Through a series of lectures and speeches, he manages to accomplish his main goal of getting the plebeians and other Romans to believe his points. Antony does this through rhetorical talent, by using ethos (ethics), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic) to persuade the crowd to his own way of thinking without arguing against his adversaries. (thesis statement?)

In order to begin convincing the plebeians, Antony gives them a speech to disprove Brutus’s credibility. At first, the crowd is unwilling to listen

He presents Caesar's cloak, then uses logos by describing when he first put the cloak on: “Twas on a summer’s evening, in his tent, that day he overcame the Nervii” (3.1.169-170). The citizens were finally adjusting the sight of Caesar's bloody corpse when Antony began describing the pain Caesar's friends had caused him. Antony’s division of the scene to call attention to each part of the wound make this extremely graphic and allow him to place blame on each of the conspirators— “See what a rent the envious Cassius made: through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb’d; And as he pluck’d his cursed steel away, Mark how the blood of Caesar follow’d it” (3.1.72-76). Antony discredits Brutus’s honour when he implies Brutus betrayed Caesar, without actually saying he betrayed him. Antony describes how much Caesar loved Brutus, and how upset he was when he was stabbed by his best friend — “Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him! This was the most unkindest cut of all; for when the noble Caesar saw him stab, Ingratitude, more strong than traitors arms,” (3.1.181-184) He uses negative words like “traitor,” and “ingratitude,” to appeal to their emotions and convince the Romans that Caesar didn’t deserve to be stabbed. Having established Caesar's faithfulness, Antony was then able to build on the guilt that the crowd felt for having believed Brutus— “Whilst bloody treason flourish’d over us. O, now you weep; and, I perceive... these are gracious drops” (3.1.89-91). His recap of the situation forces the plebeians to reassess their loyalties, and eventually, change their minds. Antony acknowledges their pity for Caesar and plays to it by stating “Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold our Caesar’s vesture wounded? Look you here, here is himself, marr’d. As you see, with traitors” (3.1.192-194). His appeal