Comparing Two Speeches In Julius Caesar

Decent Essays
Two of the most important speeches in Julius Caesar are actually spoken right after each other. Mark Antony's and Brutus' speech are the most criticized and looked over, so following that theme I will be comparing the two speeches in this essay. They also reveal quite a bit about each, Mark Antony's and Brutus', personalities.

Out of the two speeches that are given to the crowd gathered Brutus went first, so that's who I'll be addressing first. Brutus is a very logical man. since he is so logical it's no surprise that he uses logic in his speech. He tries to justify his actions by explaining to everyone that it was the best course of action for Rome. While Julius seemed ambitionless if he was given that much power there was a possibility

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.” -Mahatma Gandhi. In this quote Gandhi is pointing out that by using violence, we destroy what little bit of humanity we have left. By using our words and not violence we get our point across not only in a more respectful manner but with less destruction after all.…

    • 625 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rhetoric, it’s all around us whether we realize it or not. In Act Three of Julius Caesar, Caesar moves to the capitol after refusing Artemidorus’ letter of warning. Shortly after, the conspirators (people who were planning to kill Caesar) stab him to death. Antony flees the scene but Brutus convinces everybody to let him live. Brutus then explains to the people of Rome the meaning of why they had killed Caesar, but what Brutus, the conspirators, and people of Rome don’t know, is that Antony is pretending to be an ally but in reality, plans on striking back with the help of Octavius Caesar.…

    • 1047 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Persuasion is the act of urging someone to do something. Some people may try to persuade others by being subtle and trying to make them do or believe something without them knowing whereas others will get straight to the point. There are innumerable different types or forms of persuasion. In the book Julius Caesar, Brutus and the conspirers assassinate Caesar in the attempt to save Rome. Brutus speaks at his funeral to try to persuade the commoners that what he did was appropriate.…

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The tribunes, Marullus and Flavius, break up a gathering of Roman citizens seeking celebration for Julius Caesar’s victorious return from war. The triumph is marked by public games in which Caesar’s friend, Mark Antony, participates. During Caesar's parade on the feast of Lupercal, a soothsayer warns Caesar about the ides of March, which he disregards. In their conversation, Cassius attempts to influence Brutus' opinions into believing Caesar should be slain, in preparation of having Brutus join his conspiracy. They then hear from Casca that Mark Antony has offered Caesar the crown of Rome three times and that each time Caesar refused it, fainting after the last refusal.…

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings." (Cassius 1.2.141-142) This is part of a ‘spiel’ that Cassius gives to Brutus in Scene 2 of Act 1, where Cassius is questioning Brutus’ extensive loyalty towards Caesar, shortly after Brutus exclaims that “these applauses are for some new honours that heaped on Caesar” (Brutus 1.2.134-135). At this point, Brutus still fairly unconvinced by Cassius’ arguments: that Caesar is dishonourable, weak, and that Brutus is much well suited and liked to become ruler of Rome. This quote from Cassius (and the corresponding ideology behind it) is employed by Cassius as a clever piece of rhetoric that is aimed to convert Brutus to his ‘side’, convincing him that…

    • 542 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Loyalty is defined as a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause. Loyalties can conflict with each other and one would have to choose, but could that justify killing a person? In Shakespeare Julius Caesar, Brutus, Caesar’s best friend joined Cassius and other conspirators to kill Caesar justifying it by their loyalty to their country, Rome. They believed that Caesar is getting too powerful and his power is going to his head and will damage the republic. At Caesar’s funeral, both Brutus and Antony, Caesar’s noble friend give speeches that included different strategies to affect the audience’s feelings and thoughts.…

    • 874 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Words are the knives that stab Caesar, each one coming at a different angle and with more force than the one before. If hit in the wrong place, one can kill, if not, one leaves them in pain and suffering. Throughout the play Julius Caesar, written by playwright William Shakespeare, friends and foes attain the forceful weapons of words. Following the assassination of the great ruler Julius Caesar, two well-respected men, Brutus and Antony, express the power of speech to gain the crowds affection during the funeral of the beloved Caesar. Brutus, a well respected Conspirator and Antony, a loyal friend of Caesar, avail rhetorical and literary devices, conveying different tones of persuasion and matter of fact against manipulation and melancholy…

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Act III, Antony stands in front of the group of Plebeians after they have just listened to Brutus, the conspirator’s, reasonings as to why Caesar deserved his death. Mark Antony uses compelling rhetoric, to switch their mindsets, so the commoners pledge to his words instead of Brutus’s. Some may believe Brutus’s leadership skills make him a great speaker, but Mark Antony’s powerful, raw words…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    William Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. He is well-known for many of his works such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, etc. Along with these works is “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”. In “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”, Shakespeare writes two very well known speeches that are delivered by the characters Brutus and Mark Antony during the funeral of Julius Caesar. In speeches, Shakespeare uses ethos, pathos and logos on behalf of Mark Antony and Brutus to persuade the citizens of their own beliefs.…

    • 523 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    He reminded the people that Caesar would have ruined Rome, become a tyrant and would have enslaved everyone, he said "had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead?". He says this as a rhetorical question: it has quite an obvious answer but probably would have been false anyway. Brutus says that last quote like it is fact and that it will happen. The fact makes it seem more real.…

    • 1412 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar” Mark Antony unleashes a powerful speech during Caesar’s funeral, aiming to persuade the people of Rome that Brutus was fallacious to kill Caesar and that they should avenge his death. In Antony’s oration, he argues his case against Brutus by using the rhetorical strategies of Ethos, Pathos and Logos to manipulate his audience to be on his side, rather than Brutus’s side. These three persuasion tools allow his audience to connect with him and he is able to effectively argue his case against than Brutus. Antony’s first priority is to establish ethos in his speech. Since Brutus is a friend of the powerful Caesar, Antony must transcend his credibility and prove to the Romans…

    • 1389 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Certain aspects of Brutus’ speech are ineffective in convincing the populace who, before this, were completely supportive of Caesar. He fails to give them a logical and just reason for his actions. Brutus uses logical fallacy in his oration, “Had you rather Caesar were living, and / die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all freemen?” He creates an either-or argument which reduces the issue to having only two outcomes. This case of false dilemma brings forth a non-existent problem since Caesar is not certain to become an oppressive ruler.…

    • 1172 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Brutus’ speech rationalized Caesar’s murder by using logic and reasoning because he did not want the plebeians to turn on him. Therefore, he believed that he could persuade the crowd by using reasoning. Brutus states, “As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;/ as he was fortunate I rejoice at it; as he was/ valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I/ slew him”(3.2.24-27). This quote conveyed that Brutus loved Caesar, but he loved Rome more and that Caesar needed to be killed because he became too ambitious. Additionally, Brutus wanted the people to know that he loved Caesar by stating that he was very valiant and honorable.…

    • 863 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rylee Sellitto Ms. Heaton RL 1 English 10 November 4th, 2015 Effectiveness From Logical and Emotional Appeal Have you ever noticed the differences between two speeches by listening to how each persuades the audience with their words? In the tragedy Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar gets stabbed in the back by the conspirators and dies. After his death, both Brutus and Antony give a speech to the people of Rome, expressing their logic and emotion behind Caesar’s assassination. Antony’s use of logical and emotional appeals swayed the Romans and proved his speech more effective than Brutus’s.…

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Battle of the Speeches According to John Morley, “Three things matter in a speech - who says it, how he says it, and what he says, and of the three, the latter matters the least.” John understancds that how the speaker presents himself and his ideas can change the side of the crowd, more than any word they could have said. When Brutus and Antony give their funeral speeches in Julius Caesar it is a critical moment for each. Both need to sway the crowd to agree with their perspective.…

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays