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. Antony’s funeral speech about Caesar in Act Three demonstrates his own use of rhetoric irony with the help of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. To begin with, the conspirators and people of Rome could have delivered the message that resulted in his speech. Since the conspirators killed Caesar, Antony got the message that he should strike back. In Antony’s speech, his overall motive was pointing out the ambitions of the conspirators, not Caesar, achieving his goal of rousing the plebeians to riot and civil war. His strong use of ethos
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Antony explains, “I thrice presented him a kingly crown, / Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?” (III,ii,93-94). The first part of this phrase shows that this is Antony's best evidence to contradict the speech of Brutus, and Antony knows that the majority of his audience will see it as he portrays it. This gives the reader the more crucial side of dramatic irony because the crowd could now be easily persuaded by Antony’s rhetoric. Now going on to the second part, the reader and audience knows it definitely wasn’t ambition, but saying this brings up an obvious point, making Caesar look bad. It’s full of evidence that Antony is grandstanding with his rhetorical question. However, some may believe that there was indeed some ambition in Caesar—and perhaps some reason for
Antony explains, “I thrice presented him a kingly crown, / Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?” (III,ii,93-94). The first part of this phrase shows that this is Antony's best evidence to contradict the speech of Brutus, and Antony knows that the majority of his audience will see it as he portrays it. This gives the reader the more crucial side of dramatic irony because the crowd could now be easily persuaded by Antony’s rhetoric. Now going on to the second part, the reader and audience knows it definitely wasn’t ambition, but saying this brings up an obvious point, making Caesar look bad. It’s full of evidence that Antony is grandstanding with his rhetorical question. However, some may believe that there was indeed some ambition in Caesar—and perhaps some reason for