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Marcus Antony's Speech Analysis

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Jason H. Chang Counteracting the Opposition Julius Caesar was probably one of the most prominent figures in Roman history, known for his strong willed nature and commanding presence. In 44 BCE, Caesar was voted in to be Dictator perpetuo (often mistranslated as dictator for life).Worried that Caesar was becoming too powerful, several Roman senators including Brutus (a close friend of Caesar’s) assassinated Caesar while Caesar himself was by tradition, unarmed and defenseless. Following the assassination Brutus convinces the Roman citizens that Caesar was evil and overly ambitious. This places Marc Antony, a close friend of Caesar with a large burden to counteract Brutus’s arguments. Convincing his fellow Romans to change sides is no …show more content…

The sight of their former leader, Caesar dead on the floor, and Antony’s emotional turmoil prompts the crowd to make a decision: to join Antony or go against him. Ultimately, Antony wins the support of the crowd by convincing his goals and motives have more purpose and justification than that of Brutus’s as his emotional theatrics make it seem that he’s personally affected whereas Brutus addresses the assassination and his ultimate betrayal of Caesar with a sense of detachment. Due to Antony’s relatable nature compared to Brutus’s nonchalant and aloofness towards the crowd, the Roman citizenry start to believe in Antony and thus going in his favor. Later on, Antony brings out a scroll form his garment and proclaims that it is Caesar’s will, promptly putting it away saying that the crowd can only see it once they truly knew “how Caesar loved” them. Desperation is felt by the crowd and they all beg to know the contents of Caesar’s will. Eventually Antony, feeling that it’s the right time, points at Caesar’s cloak and begins to reminisce about the first time Caesar had put it on. The first time Caesar put it on was in Antony’s words on a “summer’s evening,” from this one can imagine Caesar being embellished with sunlight, beholding his power and influence. These vivid depictions of such nobility are soaked in by the crowd making them feel greater empathy for the demise of such a great leader. Since the crowd at this point is incredibly

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