Persuasion influences our society by the environment, leaders, and knowledge that dictates the decisions of the world. In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Antony uses persuasion to manipulate the audience for his own political agenda. The play takes place in Ancient Rome, where the senators have all gathered with concerns of their leader, Julius Caesar, and fears his growing ambition. A small group senators formed a group of conspirators, led by Brutus and Cassius, to vanquish Caesar’s ambition and rising power by stabbing him 23 times. Now with Caesar dead, Mark Antony, Caesar's right-hand man, convinces the conspirators hold a funeral for Caesar because of his admiration among the citizens and to let him speak at Caesar's
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To ease the raging mob of commoners, Antony tacitly opens with “[Caesar] was my friend, faithful and just to me” (3.2.94). Illustrating Antony’s persuasiveness by promoting Caesar, while presenting their friendship. By doing so, it shows Caesar's loyalty and his admiration for his friend, to attempt to make the citizens feel the same way. Further on, Antony mentions “Brutus is an honourable man…[and he speaks] not to disprove what Brutus spoke, but here [he is] to speak of what [he] do know” (3.2.96-110). Antony wisely chooses to indirectly point out the betrayal of Brutus, by demonstrating Brutus’s credibility and using it against him. Reflecting poorly on Brutus behalf because it shows how he is all right with betraying someone who honored him, making Brutus seem heartless, a trait that someone with authority should not acquire. Which in the end, his use of ethos reflects the credibility of Antony in a positive way, while diminishing the credibility of …show more content…
However, Brutus’s speech is far more inferior to Antony’s, in which Antony successfully able to convince the raging mob of commoners to rebel against the conspirators. Once Antony had finally gained the trust of the people, like most political leaders, he manipulates the words of Brutus to benefit himself and his own political agenda. Yet, the people listen and fall in order with Antony, like soldiers in the army, as Antony motivates them to go to war. As a result, Antony sways the opinions of the people from the conspirators to his side and sends the commoners off to battle. Obviously, Antony use of ethos and logos is far more superior to Brutus’s ability to sway the people. Humorously, Shakespeare’s use of ethos and logos is comical because of he able to make fun of how society is swayed so easily to follow the words of a leader, buy a product, or even a person vote in an election. Overall, these modes of persuasions are evident in how a society is able to function and how everyday decisions of all people are swayed to one side or
To ease the raging mob of commoners, Antony tacitly opens with “[Caesar] was my friend, faithful and just to me” (3.2.94). Illustrating Antony’s persuasiveness by promoting Caesar, while presenting their friendship. By doing so, it shows Caesar's loyalty and his admiration for his friend, to attempt to make the citizens feel the same way. Further on, Antony mentions “Brutus is an honourable man…[and he speaks] not to disprove what Brutus spoke, but here [he is] to speak of what [he] do know” (3.2.96-110). Antony wisely chooses to indirectly point out the betrayal of Brutus, by demonstrating Brutus’s credibility and using it against him. Reflecting poorly on Brutus behalf because it shows how he is all right with betraying someone who honored him, making Brutus seem heartless, a trait that someone with authority should not acquire. Which in the end, his use of ethos reflects the credibility of Antony in a positive way, while diminishing the credibility of …show more content…
However, Brutus’s speech is far more inferior to Antony’s, in which Antony successfully able to convince the raging mob of commoners to rebel against the conspirators. Once Antony had finally gained the trust of the people, like most political leaders, he manipulates the words of Brutus to benefit himself and his own political agenda. Yet, the people listen and fall in order with Antony, like soldiers in the army, as Antony motivates them to go to war. As a result, Antony sways the opinions of the people from the conspirators to his side and sends the commoners off to battle. Obviously, Antony use of ethos and logos is far more superior to Brutus’s ability to sway the people. Humorously, Shakespeare’s use of ethos and logos is comical because of he able to make fun of how society is swayed so easily to follow the words of a leader, buy a product, or even a person vote in an election. Overall, these modes of persuasions are evident in how a society is able to function and how everyday decisions of all people are swayed to one side or