Antony to Rule the Republic In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, leadership and the implications surrounding it are recurring themes. Shakespeare’s insights into the human condition create the political setting and mood of the play, which centers on a group of men in various leadership positions. This focus on realistic human condition depicts flawed characters. Their flaws then are unavoidable due to the flawed nature of the world. With all these faults in character, the question remains: who, if anyone, is best fit to lead? Marc Antony may seem like the less obvious choice, but his charisma, experience, and oratory skills equate him to Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy. His military experience and the respect gained from
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In order to maintain credibility and respect with the public, a leader must be able to arouse strong emotions by defining a vision which captivates and unites them. Marc Antony’s oratory ability helps him win over the people of Rome and gain credibility to unite them against a common enemy: the conspiracy. He knows the power of persuasion and shows this power in his speech at the funeral of Caesar. With only a short speech, Antony manages to completely shift the public opinion in his favor by convincing the Roman citizens to oppose the conspirators and condemn their murder of Caesar. “There 's not a nobler man in Rome than Antony,” one citizen says of Antony (Act III, Scene 2, line 115). Another citizen says of the conspirators, “O traitors, villains!” (Act III, Scene 2, line 196). By using his powers of persuasion in appealing to the preponderant emotionally susceptible American bourgeoisie, Antony would be gaining an overwhelming portion of the …show more content…
He has the intelligence to take advantage of Brutus’ naïve nature by convincing the conspirators of his allegiance to the conspiracy, and of his support of the murder of his friend. He takes each of their hands, and assures them, “Friends am I with you all and love you all,” (Act III, Scene 1, line 232). Antony is able to utilize his intelligence and sincerity, along with his many other traits, in ways that persuade and motivate people. During his funeral oration, Antony repeats, “But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man,” (Act III, Scene 2, lines 85-86). Saying this shows that he is courageous in addition to his intelligent, for he openly mocks Brutus in front of the plebeians. Like Reagan, who was able to lead the nation utilizing his great oratory power, Antony’s speech over Caesar’s dead body showed that effective leadership stems from the ability to incite an audience with words, intelligence, and
In order to maintain credibility and respect with the public, a leader must be able to arouse strong emotions by defining a vision which captivates and unites them. Marc Antony’s oratory ability helps him win over the people of Rome and gain credibility to unite them against a common enemy: the conspiracy. He knows the power of persuasion and shows this power in his speech at the funeral of Caesar. With only a short speech, Antony manages to completely shift the public opinion in his favor by convincing the Roman citizens to oppose the conspirators and condemn their murder of Caesar. “There 's not a nobler man in Rome than Antony,” one citizen says of Antony (Act III, Scene 2, line 115). Another citizen says of the conspirators, “O traitors, villains!” (Act III, Scene 2, line 196). By using his powers of persuasion in appealing to the preponderant emotionally susceptible American bourgeoisie, Antony would be gaining an overwhelming portion of the …show more content…
He has the intelligence to take advantage of Brutus’ naïve nature by convincing the conspirators of his allegiance to the conspiracy, and of his support of the murder of his friend. He takes each of their hands, and assures them, “Friends am I with you all and love you all,” (Act III, Scene 1, line 232). Antony is able to utilize his intelligence and sincerity, along with his many other traits, in ways that persuade and motivate people. During his funeral oration, Antony repeats, “But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man,” (Act III, Scene 2, lines 85-86). Saying this shows that he is courageous in addition to his intelligent, for he openly mocks Brutus in front of the plebeians. Like Reagan, who was able to lead the nation utilizing his great oratory power, Antony’s speech over Caesar’s dead body showed that effective leadership stems from the ability to incite an audience with words, intelligence, and