Rhetorical Analysis Of Marc Antony's Funeral Speech

In comparison to the perceptions both Cassius and Brutus have towards Caesar, is the perspectives of Antony and Caesar of himself. Antony looked at Caesar as a friend, a role model as well as a kind and deserving leader. This notion is exemplified through the use of emotive language “O mighty Caesar! /most noble blood of all this world/ the noblest man/ That ever lived in the tide of times”. Furthermore, the use of descriptive and connotative language throughout Antony’s

Mark Antony uses imagery, rhetorical structure, and tone all throughout his speech to turn the Roman citizens against the conspirators who killed Caesar. Antony opens his speech using imagery saying, “If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.” Not only is Antony using imagery in this section of his speech, but he is also using the rhetorical structure of pathos by telling the plebeians they should prepare to cry about a man that when Brutus was just talking they were resenting Caesar. Through the speech Antony uses a very sorrow tone. He also attacks Brutus and the other conspirators by calling them “traitors” at the end. Antony uses ethos when saying, “For Brutus,

Even the starting line of his oration is a powerful use of rhetoric. By referring to the plebeians as “friends” and “Romans” he creates a sense of emotional connection with them and shapes a feeling of citizen-like connection, which is use of pathos. Calling them “countrymen” creates the feeling that Antony is simply a fellow Roman like the plebeians and he is alike to them. Antony then uses the rhetoric device of conduplicatio in his speech, repeating that Brutus is an honorable man. This is also a use of irony. He says in a sarcastic manner that Brutus is honorable after pointing out contractions to what Brutus had said about Caesar and why he needed to be murdered (Gradesaver). Antony also mentions that Caesar’s declining of the crown three times showed that he was not ambitious. Antony causes himself to appeal to the crowd even more with another device of rhetoric— the understatement. He claims his modesty and contrasts his speaking skills with those of Brutus, when his persuasive skills are actually more powerful than Brutus’s in the lines:

Antony uses an abundance of pathos in his speech. One example is: “Caesar was my friend and just to me” (III, ii, 86). Using pathos helps the audience make connections with him. He also reads Caesar’s will which makes the people feel guilty about turning against Caesar during Brutus’ speech. He shows them the stabs wounds on Caesar’s coat and names which conspirator stabbed him. The Roman people now feel pity and anger towards the conspirators. Overall, Antony was smart with his words and won over the Roman people better than

Antony gave the most effective funeral speech to thoroughly convince the Roman people to side with him and rebel against the conspirators. In order to accomplish this, Antony uses the persuasive techniques logos, ethos, and pathos.

Mark Antony’s speech also provided use of the rhetorical device pathos in order to sway the citizens of Rome to his side. His most prominent use of this rhetorical device is when he sobs, “Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me”. In saying this, Mark Antony allows for the Romans to empathize with him and gives a pause for them to think for a moment and feel pain with him. By trying to provoke emotion in the citizens of Rome, he creates a better use of the rhetorical device than his fellow Roman.

By contrast Antony from Julius caesar heavily relies upon the power of language and its ability to exploit the human flaw that is emotion, and by doing so manipulate ones perception through a emotionally (pathos) driven argument. Antony has a greater understanding of the people and knows that they are passionate people who will be swayed by such talk. Also Antony unlike Brutus uses iambic pentameter this shows that he has a higher authority which would make the audience listen more carefully. After each argument Antony produces in Caesar’s defense, he uses irony through the lines “But Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man”. This line is repeated a number of times creating an anaphora. As well as slowly dismantling Brutus’

The most predominate and important aspect In the play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare are the speeches given to the Roman citizens by Brutus and Antony, the two main charaters, following the death of Caesar. Brutus and Antony both spoke to the crowd,using the same rhetorical devices to express their thoughts. Both speakers used the three classical appeals employed in the speeches: ethos, which is an appeal to credibility; pathos, which is an appeal to the emotion of the audience; and logos, which is an appeal to the content and arrangement of the argument itself. Even though both speeches have the same structure Antony’s speech is significantly more effective than Brutus’s.

In the play Julius Caesar, Caesar’s funeral is very dramatic. Both Antony and Brutus give speeches, and both of them really connect with their audiences, especially Antony. Shakespeare often uses various literary devices in his plays, many of which are used in Antony’s funeral speech. Antony uses logos, ethos and pathos in his funeral speech to connect with the crowd.

Julius Caesar’s, one of the main leaders of Ancient Rome, reign was short lived because some of his fellow leaders, including his best friend, Brutus, murdered him. Mark Antony, a Roman politician, general, and ally of this leader, gives a speech at his funeral in William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar. Antony’s purpose is to convince the people of Rome that Brutus and his men wrongfully murdered Caesar. He adopts a sarcastic and snarky tone in order to convince the public that Brutus and his “honorable men” are not the noble, just people that they call themselves. Mark Antony delivers a speech at Julius Caesar’s funeral to persuade his audience that Brutus and his men unjustifiably murdered Caesar.

It was, however, the most apparent example of repetition in the epistrophe, “Brutus is an honourable man” (III, ii, 84, 89,) that outlines the heart of Antony’s speech – that the conspirators were, in fact, not the least bit honourable in their murder of Caesar. Antony uses the epistrophe again to illustrate the other major concept in his speech; Caesar wasn’t ambitious – he didn’t deserve to die. “Brutus says he was ambitious.” (III, ii, 88, 96, 100). Through the heavy-handed use of repetition in Antony’s eulogy to Caesar, he delivers a strong message to the crowd. More importantly, however, such repetition was able to compel the audience into believing his words instead of Brutus’.

It is obvious that Antony wins the crowds favour over Brutus, Antony’s use of words whip the masses into a frenzy so great that they do not realise the fickleness of their

Roman politician and popular figure in the Roman Republic, Mark Antony, uses the rhetorical devices of pathos, logos, and ethos in his funeral oration for Julius Caesar, in order to deem the assassination of Caesar by Cassius, Brutus, and their conspirators, wrong. The speech conducted by Mark Antony, a good friend of Caesar’s, has a sorrowful tone due to the fact that Mark Antony wants the crowds of Romans to agree with him. Antony conducts his speech in such a way to strike pity and regret in the assassinators and conspirators of Julius Caesar. Usage of pathos, ethos, and logos is essential in winning over the plebeians trust and respect.

Antony’s funeral speech was very effective in getting his point across to his audience, and was able to tell the audience that Ceasar did not deserve to die. He also told them of what a noble man Caesar was. Antony was also able to do this in a way where he did not come right out and say Caesar's death was Brutus’s fault and that Brutus did the wrong thing. He was able to give his opinions while staying on Brutus’s good side.