Brutus Use Of Rhetorical Devices Used In Julius Caesar

“But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” (George Orwell, 1984). William Shakespeare intensified his quality of work by insinuating manipulative and persuasive language within his writing. Cassius, a loyal server to Brutus, was easy to coax Brutus into rebelling against Julius Caesar, gaining an additional member to his group of conspirators. Cassius altered Brutus’ thoughts of Caesar’s ruling, within the use of multiple effective rhetorical techniques.

The use of rhetoric devices will better persuade an audience to choose a side on a situation. It is better to persuade someone when you have good points of evidence, and use a smart tactic to make them feel a certain way. In Shakespeare’s Play, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony uses persuasive techniques to persuade the citizens of Rome to believe that Caesar’s murder was not justified. Through the use of logos, verbal irony, and rhetorical questions, Antony effectively persuades the Roman citizens that Brutus and the conspirators murdered Caesar without justification. Antony’s appeal to the logos of the people is a great method of persuasion.

In his speech, Antony uses emotion (pathos) to appeal to the Plebeians and make them see his point.*Antony starts off his speech by saying “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” (JC III, ii, 82). He refers to the Plebeians as his friends even though they are completely different. Antony does this because he knows he will have an easier time winning over the Plebeians if they know that they are friends and equal to Antony. On the other hand, Brutus’ speech is much less successful in winning over the Plebeians because he uses logos. Brutus believes that the Plebeians will side with him through logic.

To begin, the rhetorical device of logos is very commonly used among those trying to persuade a targeted audience to take their side, using logic, to convey the information. This device is used multiple times throughout Antony’s speech, and is the primary tool focused on by Brutus in his public cry. The contrast is that Brutus is using the device more to show his accountability, honor, and to better reason logistically with the crowd. He also gears more towards the logic of things

While both Brutus and Antony delivered speeches to persuade the citizens of rome, Antony’s use of rhetorical techniques such as verbal irony, rhetorical questions, and logos made his speech more persuasive. First off, Marc Antony uses a lot of verbal irony in his speech to almost make fun of Brutus and the sentimental speech he gave. Antony gives off a very sarcastic tone throughout the beginning parts of his speech. He shows this by repeating the phrase, “Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honourable man.” until the citizens realize he doesn't mean exactly what he says.

Marc Anthony's funeral speech in the tragedy of Julius Caesar uses good persuasion techniques. With his use of rhetorical appeals, Anthony is able to sway the crowd and turn them on the conspirators who murdered Caesar. One of his most effective rhetorical appeals that Anthony uses on the crowd is logos. Through his speech, he repeats the phrase "Brutus is an honorable man" multiple times, each time with a slightly different tone. At first, the logos he uses seems to be a way of praising Brutus, but as the speech goes on, it’s clear that Anthony is using the phrase ironically.

So it is all on the line for Antony and Brutus. Brutus did a great job of using logos and lots of ethos in his speech, but most of his reasons to justify Caesar’s slaying were predictions of Caesar’s future behavior. Antony uses a lot of statements that are primarily pathos to persuade the crowd that the great Julius should still be alive. This is most of the reason why Antony’s address is the better of the two. Here are some of the fallacies that Brutus uses.

The people of Rome were easily manipulated through Brutus’s use of logos, but were just as easily turned against him through Antony’s pathos. Throughout the speeches of Brutus and Antony, they both address the people of Rome to consume the rightfulness of power in Rome. In Brutus’s speech he uses ethos. “ Believe me for mine honor, and have respected to mine honor that you may believe” (What is the basic difference).

The Speeches of Noble Men: Brutus vs Antony In the play Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, two characters, Brutis and Antony, both present speeches to the Plebeians regarding Caesars death. One, of course, is more convincing than the other, and the more convincing one was Antony’s. Although the speeches differ in the usage of logos and pathos, they are similar because they both use rhetorical questions to prove their points, and they both manage to sway the crowd to their side.

Antony’s Speech Using Rhetorical Appeals In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, after Caesar’s death, the Romans are conflicted about what should be done. After Brutus’ speech the Romans are ready to crown Brutus king and be on the conspirators’ side. Though Brutus then leaves the crowd while Antony delivers his speech, the crowd realizes what should be done of Caesar’s murder and Antony prevents the conspirators from getting away with the murder of Caesar.

Rhetoric in the Speeches of Brutus and Antony The death of Caesar is a controversial topic and was even more controversial at the time of his funeral when when senators were trying to benefit from his death by getting the Roman citizens on their side. At Caesar’s funeral, two senators gave speeches as an attempt to get the roman people on their side. Out of the two speeches, Marc Antony’s speech was more effective because of his use of appeals and biases, being 100% true and had a larger variety of rhetorical devices.

In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar one of the main characters Caesar is killed in Scene 3 act 2.Then Brutus and Antony both give speeches about how bad they feel. Brutus gives a good speech by using all three of the rhetorical appeals to persuade the crowd to want to listen to what he say by using logos,ethos,pathos to his advantage. Brutus gives a better speech that draws the audience attention,Antony not as much. Therefor here are some very valid points on why Brutus’s speech used the Rhetorical Appeals better.

In the play "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" by Shakespeare, two individuals named Brutus and Antony give a funeral oration to the people of Rome in concern of the justification of Caesars death. Both of them share an opposite view towards the death of Caesar, Antony thinks his death was unjustified, while Brutus believes in the opposite. Despite the fact that Brutus was able to deliver a better ethical appeal. Antony delivers a more persuasive rhetorical speech since he appeals to the crowd more with his emotional and logical appeal Ethical appeal was used by both individuals in their funeral orations, evidently Brutus was able to execute a better ethical appeal than Antony. Brutus wanted to make the people of Rome feel like the death of Caesar was necessary for the sake of Rome.

In William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Antony uses the rhetorical appeal logos to persuade the Roman people to turn against the conspirators. At the beginning of Antony’s speech, he started off by giving examples of Caesar being a generous leader, so when the ‘poor cried’ out for help, Caesar cried along with them (91). Antony uses the rhetorical appeal logos when he said that Caesar ‘cried’ with the poor. He made an argument that Caesar caried about the Roman people and more deeply, since the conspirator said that they killed Caesar because he is ambitious, but Caesar caried about his countrymen which showed that the conspirators are not honorable.

He uses logos to convey this point to the audience. Brutus spoke valiantly at his speech. Brutus uses logos to prove that Caesar died for the good of Rome in this quote, “Had you rather Caesar were living and die all slaves”. This shows that Caesar if he was not slain, would have become far too powerful.