Rhetorical devices aid in persuading the reader into believing what is being told to them. In the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare utilizes these devices to show how other characters persuade their audiences. Caesar was growing too strong, and the Senate, the branch of government, grew wary of this rise to power, so they plotted to kill him. Brutus, one of Caesar’s good friends, aids in this scheme, and speaks at his eulogy. He sways public opinion of himself by using an abundance of rhetoric to portray himself as a selfless man. Throughout his speech, Brutus is seen using ethos to build up his credentials. He persuades the audience into believe what he has to say. In the beginning of his speech, he says, Believe me …show more content…
Brutus tells the crowd to keep his honor and reputation in mind while they judge that he has to say. Honor makes him respectable, credible, and worthy of the audience’s trust, so they are manipulated. Ethos is used again toward the end of his speech. After explaining why he betrayed Caesar, Brutus tells the crowd, “With this I depart,-- that, as I slew my best lover / for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, / when it shall please my country to need my death” (III.ii. 46-48). Since he is trying to convince the crowd that he only has the best intentions for Rome, he goes so far as to tell them that he is willing to be killed if that is what needs to be done, perpetuating the idea that he has done no wrong. In using ethos, he justifies his actions to the crowd and convinces them of his …show more content…
By asking whether they wanted to be free, he reveals that a living Caesar would lead to a life of torture and slavery. Later in his speech, Brutus builds pathos by asking the crowd rhetorical questions. Asking the crowed, he inquires, Who here is so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended” (III.ii.31-34). Replying to Brutus, the crowd can only reply none, in fear of being ridiculed by their peers. No one wants to oppose these statements, because they are all Romans, and they all love their county, so they don’t. Using pathos helps Brutus manipulate his fellow Romans into believing he is doing what is best, even though its all in self
Brutus used ethos ineffectively in his funeral speech to establish his credibility amongst the Plebeians and demonstrate that he had the right to speak. He and the other conspirators had just murdered Caesar, so they had to come out to justify their actions. Brutus came out to speak to the Plebeians, and he used ethos to make himself reliable and worthy of speaking to his audience. Brutus said, “Believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor that you may believe”(III.ii.15-17). “Mine honor” referred to the fact that Brutus was a well-regarded and honorable Senator, and also a descendent of people who paved the way for the republic.
Brutus uses rhetorical questions, faulty reasoning and hyperboles to create the tone of persuasion while convincing the Roman people to be on his side. To start off his funeral speech, he wants the citizens to trust and believe what he has to say about Caesar, Brutus announces; “Believe me for mine honor, and have respect for my honor, that you may believe me”(Shakespeare 42). In this case, faulty reasoning is shown because Brutus has done nothing to prove him honorable to the citizens. Given that, he has no evidence that he is trustworthy, Brutus still try’s to persuade the crowd to believe what he has to say about Caesar is true, which is
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar- Rhetorical Analysis In the novel, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, after Brutus brutally executes Caesar in Act 3 Scene 2, Antony is allowed to give a speech to the people of Rome whom have seen witnessed this fatal tragedy in Scene 3. Antony uses anaphora, connotative diction and details throughout his speech to persuade the Romans to change their perspective of Caesar and Brutus. The way Antony speaks about both Caesar & Brutus are a dispute of what he is actually trying to announce to the Romans. At the end of his speech, Antony hopes to reach the Romans emotionally (pathos) by enraging them against Brutus’s false statements against Caesar.
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.
In Cassius’s eloquent speech against Caesar, he primarily utilizes persuasion through tools such as pathos, rhetorical questions, and compare and contrast. Cassius uses pathos to begin his monologue when he claims, “I know that virtue be in you, Brutus, / As well as I do know your outward favor” (Shakespeare 1.2.95-96). By expressing that Brutus has “virtue” and “outward favor”, Cassius appeals to Brutus’s emotions, but not to an exaggerated extent. This emotional appeal is a persuasion technique because it is used in moderation and in pertinent locations. The context is appropriate since rather than using it as a tool to feed on Brutus’s emotions, Cassius only uses it to get Brutus’s attention as an appropriate hook.
When it comes to murder, the culprit almost always rationalizes his or her actions to make them seem innocent in the situation. The murderer usually rationalizes their actions by using the victim's characteristics and using that to measure the value of the victim's life. In the play Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, Brutus and others decide to kill Caesar to protect the citizens of their home for they fear Caesar and his “ambition” would enslave the people of Rome. After they murder Caesar, Brutus speaks to the people to explain his actions and Mark Antony, one of Caesar's close companions, speaks on Caesar's behalf. Mark Antony was able to use rhetorical strategies better than Brutus in his speech in order to gain a level of
Now the difference between the use of rhetorical questions in these speeches is that Antony's was used effectively, he worded it in such a way that stirred feelings as well as made them think. Brutus, on the other hand, only appealed to logic and talking to the citizens in such a way that almost offended them. Brutus says “Who is here so Vile that will not love his country?”. This is a rhetorical question that is weak because it is offending people in a way of making them feel bad if they don't love Rome with a burning passion. This isn't effective because the only thing this could do is make the romans feel as if they are being attacked.
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.
After reading excerpts from Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, write an essay that compares Brutus’ speech with Marc Antony’s speech and argues the effectiveness of the rhetorical devices (ethos, pathos, logos) used in each. Be sure to support your position with evidence from the texts. William Shakespeare writes a play about Julius Caesar’s assassination and the speeches his friends gave at his funeral. In the play, Brutus assassinated Caesar because he thought he was protecting Rome. He was saying that if Caesar got all the power he would most likely become vicious and make everyone his slaves.
First, Cassius uses ethos, pathos and logos to manipulate Brutus into joining the conspirators. When Cassius first mentions joining the conspirators Brutus is sceptical and asks him “into what
Brutus and Antony use ethos, logos, and pathos in their speeches to convince the commoners of their side of the story. One person just so happens to be more convincing than the other. Using ethos,
Brutus wants to make the crowd feel like he is in a way the victim. In order to do that he says "As Caesar loved me I weep for him" so in a way the people feel bad for him. This emotional appeal did not persuade the audience considering the fact that he was if he truly did love Caesar as much as he said he would, then he would have tried to find a different route in getting rid of Caesar as emperor. Antony goes with the approach of making the people of Rome feel guilty. He tells the citizens "You all love him once not without cause what cause withholds you then to mourn for him" so they could reflect on their attitude towards his death.
William Shakespeare, in his tragedy Julius Caesar, uses the rhetorical devices of a rhetorical question, repetition of the word ambitious, and direct reference in Antony 's speech to instigate the plebeians and persuade them to rebel against the conspirators. Antony pulls on the pathos, ethos, and logos of the audience to get them to exile the conspirators. Shakespeare uses a rhetorical question in Antony’s speech to get the plebeians to notice the wrongdoings of the conspirators and excite them to rebel. Antony discusses the money that Caesar left to the countrymen, and with sarcasm he states, “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” (3.2.99).
Brutus delivers his speech in a laudatory manner by conveying Caesar’s deeds and claiming he was ambitious, although Antony contradicts Brutus’ claims and says Caesar spurned the crown with the intent to merely rule as a de facto dictator. Brutus’ speech reveals his motives were truly for the benefit of Rome given his nationalistic tone and Antony’s speech was merely used to obscure his true motives, which was to embroil Rome in a series of civil wars to attain power. Brutus and Antony’s speeches consisted predominantly of Pathos and Ethos, but it is Antony who ultimately it is Antony who prevails because of his almost disingenuous attitude and even use of Logos which is seen when claims that reading Caesar’s will would dishonor his compeers and even Caesar