Table of Contents
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Speech analysis of Antony and Brutus
Brutus speaks
Antony spoke about how Julius Caesar was a great leader and how he should be honored. He said that Caesar had a lot of noble qualities and that he was an honorable man. He asked the people to avenge Caesar’s death and to remember all the good things he did.
In conclusion
Works cited
An opening statement
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar speech plays important part in the plot. People in the play can easily be persuaded by both Anthony and Brutus speeches to support opposing views. “Not that Caesar was less important to me, but that Rome was more important to me,” Brutus says in his speech. If Caesar could live forever and all the slaves would die, what would you choose? I love Caesar and I weep for his love; as Caesar was a great man, I feel blessed; as Caesar was brave, I admire him; but, as he is ambitious, I killed him. There are tears because of Caesar’s love, joy over his fortune, honor and death for Caesar’s ambition. Brutus portrays Caesar as a leader who wants power and was determined to enslave Rome. He was able manipulate the crowd’s perception. The crowd praised Brutus’s killing of Caesar at the end.
Brutus’ speech convinced them, but Antony’s speech persuades them once more. Antony’s speech said, “Come to Caesar’s Funeral. He was my friend. He was loyal and just to us. But Brutus states that he was ambitious. Brutus is an honorable men. He hath taken many captives to Rome, whose ransoms filled the general coffers.” He continues to discuss Caesar as a friend and misunderstood. He says, “But here is a parchment with Caesar’s seal; I found it inside his closet, ’tis he’s will…And, when you die, mention Caesar’s will in your wills, Bequeathing the richest legacy.” The story’s theme is that speech has the power to convince people. Antony didn’t rely on one argument like Brutus. Antony won the favor of the crowd, defeating Brutus and his Conspirators. “Antony is not indifferent to any approach. Instead, his diverse rhetorical devices complement and enhance each other.” (Wills 46).
Analysis of Brutus & Antony’s speechBrutus’ speech The problem with Brutus’ speech during Caesars funeral was that he relied only on his reputation for proof. “Brutus’ speech in Caesars funeral emphasized one point – that his honor must be trusted” (Wills 79). Brutus did not provide any tangible evidence that Caesar was ambitious during his speech. There were no witnesses, letters, examples or witnesses to prove that what he was stating was true. This type of argument is weak because if one source, in this example Brutus’ Honor, is disproved, all arguments fall apart.
Another flaw of Brutus’ speech was his inability not to’read’ the crowd correctly. As a result, he presented a flawed argument. He used a logical argument instead of presenting one that was more emotional, as Antony did. Brutus had no idea that crowds are more sensitive to emotional prompts. Although it can be easier to present a logical argument for more educated people, they are usually more sensitive to emotional cues. Brutus doesn’t try to emotionally involve people during his address. When he says that he loved Caesar, and Caesar was his friend, but that he loved Rome much more, he couldn’t resist killing him. It is a great tactic. However, Brutus didn’t emphasize it enough. The pathos portion of his argument was also lacking. Wills 53. “Brutus’ argumentation is very pedantically focused, and cut and dry.” Overall, Brutus’ use of logos, logical arguments, is excessive for an uneducated mob. They cheer him on and agree with him, but they don’t understand the real motivation for Caesar’s death. Brutus was not looking for a king.
Brutus’s most remarkable flaws is his personality. He was unable to understand the crowd because of these flaws. Matthews Web states that Brutus is a vain, impractical and idealistic man who lacks the sense of humor that comes with understanding his fellow man. Because he is not able to understand and communicate with others, his thinking and acting patterns are terrible. Brutus comes from an upper-class background, which meant he was not able interact with the lower class of society. His speech would’ve been highly effective if they were.
Antony’s speechAntony had many examples to show that Caesar wasn’t ambitious. “Caesar brought many captives home from Rome,/ Whose ransoms were paid” (3.2.90-92 Shakespeare). Antony reminds Rome’s people that Caesar wasn’t ambitious as he gave his war spoils instead of keeping them. Caesar cried when the poor cried; Ambition should consist of more serious stuff” (3.2.93-94) Shakespeare. He tells the poor of Caesar’s empathy and compassion for the people. “I presented to Caesar three times the kingly crown. He refused each time” (3.2.98-999 Shakespeare). He continues by saying that Caesar would have accepted Antony’s crown if he was ambitious. Antony’s point about Caesar refusing to take the crown presented to him by Antony is now supported and Antony starts to get the approval from the common people when they think back on his words.
Antony also used deceit as a method to persuade people. He talked about or lied to the crowd in order to touch them on an emotional level. Antony recounts to the crowd the moment Caesar first put on the cloak that he was killed in. Antony wasn’t Caesar’s associate in the victory over the Nervii. Caesar wouldn’t likely be wearing an old cloak that he had worn to fight battles to attend a ceremony where he was expected to be crowned. Antony later points out Caesar’s injuries and assigns each to a particular conspirator. Antony was not present at Caesar’s murder and therefore cannot be trusted to identify the source of the wounds. Because of their frenzied attacks on Antony, the conspirators may not have been able to find the specific wounds they caused. Although this is not true, Antony did use it as a tactic. He ‘puts face’ the conspirators and makes the mob hateful.
Antony is victorious because his skills are in every place that Brutus fails, and he can speak after Brutus to know what he’s up to. “The psychology that [Brutus] overlooked or was unaware of Mark Antony understands the situation and applies it” (Matthews Web). Antony is able understand the mob and create an argument with emotional prompts that involves the mob. This makes them feel sympathy for Caesar. Antony also benefits from speaking after Brutus. This allows him to be more precise in his disproving of claims and to see how the crowd reacts to him. Antony can easily disprove everything Brutus claimed without interference.
ConclusionTo sum up, Antony’s multi-pronged attack was what made his mob address more powerful than Brutus. He only needed to prove that Brutus was an honorable man in order to end Brutus’ entire argument. He was able to do this by proving that Caesar wasn’t ambitious, and that Brutus is not honorable.
Antony gives many examples that prove Caesar was not ambitious. He realized that the audience was uninformed and highly emotional, so he should concentrate more on his pathos. Antony proved to be more successful because he combined so many advantages, proof and emotional ‘props, in such a masterful manner that they connected and supported one another, making him almost invincible.
Works cited
Delaney, Bill. “Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.” Explicator 60.3 (2006): 122. MAS Ultra – School Edition. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
Wills, Gary. “Rome, Rhetoric, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.” New Haven CT: Yale University Press, c2011. Book.
Matthews, Brander. “The Plays from Plutarch.” Shakespeare the Playwright. Brander Matthews. Charles Scribner’s Sons published the work in 1913. 254-263. Rpt. in Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Mark W. Scott is the name associated with the original source. Vol. 7. Detroit: Gale Research, 1988. The Literature Resource Center provides information about authors, their works, and literary movements. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Harley Granville Barker, “Julius Caesar”, from his “Prefaces to Shakespeare, first Series, Sidgwick & Jackson, Ltd.,1927, pp. 51-132
Stopford A. Brooke’s “Julius Caesar” in his “Ten More Plays of Shakespeare Constable and Company Ltd. 1913”, pp. 58-90
Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar.
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