The Plebeians In Julius Caesar By William Shakespeare

Improved Essays
Having the views of the common people almost always results in your favor. It gives the conspirators strength in numbers to overcome their opposition. In Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, the Plebeians are easily manipulable and change their opinion three major times. The Plebeians are not deep thinkers about these decisions like Brutus had been with Cassius’ persuasiveness to murder Caesar, they simply make their decisions on their feet. The Plebeians support one side of a story and then completely change their opinions to support the opposite side. The first major opinion change of the Plebeians occurs in the very beginning of the book. The Plebeians love Pompey but then they celebrate his defeat by Caesar. Marullus …show more content…
Continuing off of changing their opinion in favor of Caesar, they now change it against him and celebrate his death. The Plebeians’ opinion on Caesar’s death begins to change when the First Plebeian says, “I will hear Brutus speak” (3.2.9). This opens up their minds to hearing the reasons in which the conspirators killed Caesar. Although this statement does not ensure the Plebeians will completely change their views, it definitely foreshadows that it will happen. Brutus responds by first stating, “If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, to him I say that Brutus’ love to Caesar was no less than his” (3.2.19-21). By opening out with this, he addresses the Plebeians by relating to them saying the death was nothing personal to Caesar and that he loved him just as they did. He also talks in pros which is the language of the common folk where there are multiple punctuation so on the same line. By doing so, he does not talk to them, but rather with them and it helps to relate him to what has just happened. Brutus finishes by saying, “Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Caesar than you shall do to Brutus” (3.2.38-39). Brutus killed Caesar for Rome, for the common folk, they should be on his side because of this. After this the plebeians yell, “Live, Brutus, live, live!” (3.2.50). Now the Plebeians’ opinions have been completely switched after …show more content…
If you have strength in numbers then you are favored to win in most situations. The Plebeians are always shown in groups, never by themselves and they never have deep thoughts about what they are deciding on. Their decisions are spur of the moment. At the end of the book, we are considered to be Plebeians because our opinions change as well. An argument can be made for whether the Plebeians are easily manipulable or that the conspirators are just really pervasive. Regardless, their swaying opinions cause uprights in

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Introduction “Cowards die many times before their death; the valiant never taste of death but once.” At the point when Caesar said this, he knew he would kick the bucket and on account of Brutus. Brutus cherished Rome and would not have liked to see Rome devastated on account of Julius Caesar. Cassius inquired as to why was Caesar to be the lord when Brutus was pretty much as honorable and awesome as Caesar.it turns out Brutus was both a loyalist of Rome and a double crosser of Julius Caesar. He is a nationalist for cherishing Rome enough to protect it, however he is a trickster in light of the fact that he slaughtered Caesar.…

    • 367 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent 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
  • 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

    Brutus’ speech is idealistic, as is Brutus in person. He expresses he loves Caesar but still killed him to make people believe that it is necessary and justice to kill Caesar. He…

    • 634 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Act III, Scene 2 of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony turned a crowd of mourning citizens to an angry mob. Antony turned this crowd into an angry mob through multiple persuasive devices. Brutus and the other conspirators thought they were killing Caesar for the good of Rome, but Antony and other ideas. He wanted to discreetly show the crowd of Romans who the conspirators actually were to him, a group of murderers. In order to persuade the people to not have sympathy for the Conspirators, Antony showed them Caesar’s will, repetitively said the word “honorable”, and showed them Caesar’s body.…

    • 1153 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Julius Caesar is a play written by William Shakespeare during 1599 in London, it's a play of Tragic drama and historical drama. The setting is during ancient Rome, toward the end of the roman republic. The most essential moment of the play was the tragic death of Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar was a successful military leader and highly respected, but he started to change, becoming overly ambitions, easily flattered over the most little of comments and assuming power without the proper authority, becoming more arrogant and domineering, not the kind of man who is leader material. The power of persuasion is the central plot of Julius Caesar, The conspirators know their is safety in numbers and need to persuade as many people to join their cause as possible.…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 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

    Whether public speeches result from those such as Adolf Hitler or Martin Luther King, Jr., their remarkable ability to ignite the population persuades people to take up arms regardless of the cause. In the midst of Act III in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus and Antony both speak to the bewildered citizenry regarding Caesar’s demise. Resulting from a handful of conspirators assassinating him in the Senate, Caesar’s death sparks chaos which demands explanation. Thus, some individuals assert Brutus’ speech over Antony’s by claiming that Brutus’ effect and ability to direct his point sooner propel him higher than Antony. Unfortunately, this argument fails to acknowledge Antony’s mightier impact on the audience and his employment of a larger…

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Imagine losing a best friend and never saying goodbye. Imagine witnessing their last breath as they are brutally murdered. Imagine having to stand in front of a crowd trying to reason their death. In Shakespeare’s The Tragedy Julius Caesar, Mark Antony has to fill these dreadful shoes after witnessing the murder of his closest friend, Julius Caesar.…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Brutus turned against Caesar for the good of Rome. He saw that Rome…

    • 1147 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    And to this there is two arguments that can be made in Brutus’s defense. Brutus does not agree to the plan to kill Caesar until he sees “proof” that the citizens of truly want Caesar to be removed. Secondly by this point Caesar was loved amongst the masses in Rome. So peacefully…

    • 384 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Brutus asks the Romans if they would rather be enslaved with Caesar living, or free with Caesar dead. In this case the citizens have their thoughts led astray by this rhetorical question which is focused on the positive outcome of Caesars death, away from the actual brutality and ruthlessness of the murder. Furthermore Brutus’ use of parallelism “As Caesar loved me, I weep for him /As he was fortunate, I rejoice at it/ As he was valiant, I honor him/ But as he was ambitious, I slew him” serves the purpose of directing the plebeians thoughts towards the fact that Caesars death was justified and that his reasoning behind the mutiny was that he loved Rome more than he loved Caesar.…

    • 1114 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To bring them out of this, it is important that Brutus joins the conspiracy to guide Rome away from the type of rule Caesar used and serve as a better leader. At the time after Caesar’s death, the Romans are confused, and can be easily manipulated. They will believe whatever they may hear. When Brutus speaks at Caesar’s funeral, he immediately turns the crowd from rambunctious and hassled to content with Caesar’s death. Minutes later, Antony convinces the same crowd to avenge Caesar’s death.…

    • 1403 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Flattery can make even the thickest skinned people believe you. A person can use just their words to persuade their audience. It’s an easy way to manipulate someone to do what you want. Throughout the play Julius Caesar, flattery is used to manipulate and convince the other characters.…

    • 1153 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Mark Antony: A True Hero

    • 282 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Notwithstanding the greatness of his loyalty, Mark Antony displays many other indications of being a hero, an example of such being his favor in the eyes of the Roman people. The people of Rome chose to side with Antony over Brutus, when each character gave their funeral speeches after the death of Caesar. Brutus gave to the people his reasoning for killing Caesar, yet Antony only praised his deceased friend and never once tried to directly disprove the conspirator’s word. As Antony’s speech goes on his listeners fondness for him noticeably grows, the plebeians words show this well. The character of Third Plebeian says, even before the speech comes to an end, “There’s not a nobler man in Rome than Antony.”…

    • 282 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays