Publius Cornelius Dolabella

The use of rhythm through iambic pentameter plays an important part in understanding Marc Antony’s funeral oration in Julius Caesar. Much of the speech is representative of Antony’s thought process and the rhythmic variations allow the audience to connect with his train of thought. Determining the meaning of these rhythmic variations can be done by examining the iambic pentameter. For instance in Speaking Shakespeare, Patsy Rodenburg discusses the importance of counting syllables in each line to discover if the iambic pentameter is regular or irregular with any line exceeding ten syllables being irregular (86). The irregularity of certain lines can indicate an important break from the monotony or “heartbeat” of the character, because Rodenburg states, “Regular or not, the rhythm of his lines is completely aligned and married to meaning and emotion”. The inner rhythms of the lines are also vital. Rodenburg says that, “Two syllables are needed to create an iambic and the stress falls on the second: de dúm” (84). However, the variations in theses beats can be indicative of deeper meaning (Rodenburg 86). In Antony’s speech, there are instances of regular and irregular iambic pentameter along with a variety of inner rhythms. Applying Rodenburg’s directions to Antony’s speech brings greater knowledge of its meaning through the rhythm of the lines and their inner rhythm. The audience begins to connect with Antony’s purpose when he delivers his first irregular line on the second…

The art of persuasion is not merely about convincing a person with logical statements. In many instances human beings are motivated by emotion. Persuasion is a cocktail of logic and emotion. Often the logic is minimal in comparison to the emotional appeal used to lure a person into a certain conclusion. Manipulation is an art form. In order to move the audience it must be colorful and, it must provoke. Mark Antony uses all vibrant colors to create is masterpiece, to convince his audience that…