Julius Caesar’s third act brings forth suspense and action as a result of its events and the eloquent orations of two of its major characters. Caesar’s much anticipated death occurs, and conflict breaks out almost immediately afterward. Marc Antony and the conspirators both operate slyly to achieve their goals, and danger is imminent.
In Act III, the primary conflict consists of two entities: Marc Antony and the conspirators. Although Antony initially indicates to the conspirators that he is on their side, it becomes clear that Antony has motives ulterior to those he expresses to Brutus and Cassius. As Brutus and Antony give their respective speeches to a Roman crowd, it becomes apparent that both sides are vying for the support of the crowd. Brutus desires the plebeians’ support in order to sooth his cognitive dissonance and justify his actions based on the response of the crowd. Antony, however, intends to rouse the population and urge them towards mutiny without directly insulting the conspirators. This roundabout conflict is very apparent to the …show more content…
There are two examples of this: Caesar and Brutus. Caesar has supreme confidence in himself and his abilities, and these qualities lead him to his death. When Caesar says, “If I could pray to move, prayers would move me: / But I am constant as the northern star,” he shows the impractical and unwavering belief he has in himself. Caesar insists on maintaining his public appearance while blindly ignoring the danger he faces. Brutus, on the other hand, is an idealist, which leads to his naivety. Brutus believes that people are inherently good, and therefore trusts Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral despite Cassius’ warnings. At the end of Act III, Brutus’ trust in nobility proves to have been misplaced when Antony turns the people against
In Act III, the primary conflict consists of two entities: Marc Antony and the conspirators. Although Antony initially indicates to the conspirators that he is on their side, it becomes clear that Antony has motives ulterior to those he expresses to Brutus and Cassius. As Brutus and Antony give their respective speeches to a Roman crowd, it becomes apparent that both sides are vying for the support of the crowd. Brutus desires the plebeians’ support in order to sooth his cognitive dissonance and justify his actions based on the response of the crowd. Antony, however, intends to rouse the population and urge them towards mutiny without directly insulting the conspirators. This roundabout conflict is very apparent to the …show more content…
There are two examples of this: Caesar and Brutus. Caesar has supreme confidence in himself and his abilities, and these qualities lead him to his death. When Caesar says, “If I could pray to move, prayers would move me: / But I am constant as the northern star,” he shows the impractical and unwavering belief he has in himself. Caesar insists on maintaining his public appearance while blindly ignoring the danger he faces. Brutus, on the other hand, is an idealist, which leads to his naivety. Brutus believes that people are inherently good, and therefore trusts Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral despite Cassius’ warnings. At the end of Act III, Brutus’ trust in nobility proves to have been misplaced when Antony turns the people against