In the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, titular character, Julius Caesar, engages in a one-on-one conversation with first his wife, but then later his friend over if he should head to the Senate that day. His wife, Calphurina, fears for his life were he to leave, due to a horrid dream that she had, while Decius, his friend who is part of the plot to assassinate Caesar, desires him to go. Both Calphurnia and Decius use various rhetorical devices to back up their arguments in an attempt to convince Caesar of their beliefs,
Calphurnia’s argument initially starts with her trying to build up her credibility in the subject through a variety of different rhetorical device. At the inception of her argument she says that she “never stood on …show more content…
Decius has a good understanding of his audience and, with the use of rhetorical devices, tailors his argument to appeal towards Caesar’s desires. Though he knows what the dream truly portends, he chooses the words “fair and fortunate” to describe Calphurnia’s dream since Caesar would desire that he would be such a great man, that all these signs would happen just for him, and in a good way. This word choice has a nice and happy connotation to the words that make Caesar want to believe the dream means this much good for him. He uses selection of detail to describe in the dream how “great men shall press for tinctures, stains, relics, and cognizance” from him, which appeals towards his desire for nobility. Through his employing of diction to use the word “great” to describe the men, it appeals even more towards Caesar because it would not just be regular people who desired things from him, but rather men who were already greater than just the average person, which further entices him and his attempts for superiority. Decius uses the word choice to describe Rome as being “great” because it shows appeals to Caesar’s sense of nationalism. Caesar ends up desiring power. and the use of the word “great” makes Rome sound powerful, which is what he desires to rule
Calphurnia’s argument initially starts with her trying to build up her credibility in the subject through a variety of different rhetorical device. At the inception of her argument she says that she “never stood on …show more content…
Decius has a good understanding of his audience and, with the use of rhetorical devices, tailors his argument to appeal towards Caesar’s desires. Though he knows what the dream truly portends, he chooses the words “fair and fortunate” to describe Calphurnia’s dream since Caesar would desire that he would be such a great man, that all these signs would happen just for him, and in a good way. This word choice has a nice and happy connotation to the words that make Caesar want to believe the dream means this much good for him. He uses selection of detail to describe in the dream how “great men shall press for tinctures, stains, relics, and cognizance” from him, which appeals towards his desire for nobility. Through his employing of diction to use the word “great” to describe the men, it appeals even more towards Caesar because it would not just be regular people who desired things from him, but rather men who were already greater than just the average person, which further entices him and his attempts for superiority. Decius uses the word choice to describe Rome as being “great” because it shows appeals to Caesar’s sense of nationalism. Caesar ends up desiring power. and the use of the word “great” makes Rome sound powerful, which is what he desires to rule