Julius Caesar Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Words: 668
Pages: 3

In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Mark Antony gives a speech of ethics, emotion and reason to convince the people of Rome to turn against the conspirators. Antony gives this speech in the town square of Rome after the death of Julius Caesar. Antony uses a confrontational tone accompanied with a judgmental attitude because he is attempting to persuade the people of Rome to disregard the words of Brutus and to move against the conspirators. Antony uses ethical, emotional, and logical appeals to convince the plebeians of the wrongdoings of Brutus and his allies. Antony uses ethics by repeating “For Brutus is an honorable man; so are they all, all honorable men” (III.II.91-92). A universal belief that Brutus is noble exists among the Roman people so Antony …show more content…
His word choice is formal but he adds words such as friends and countrymen to evoke a sense of patriotism and responsibility to their former ruler. He also created violent and graphic images to show the Romans just how horrific the death of Caesar was. He showed them the bloody corpse of Caesar and described what happened in a terrifying manner. The plebeians responded with “O piteous spectacle” (III.II.210). Another said “O most bloody sight” (III.II.214). Antony showing the plebeians Caesar’s body allowed them to truly understand how gory and gruesome the death was. The images he helped create reached the heart of the plebeians that no words could have done. These images were the breaking point for the Romans because in the next lines after Antony shows the plebeians Caesar’s body they chant “Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill! Slay! Let not a traitor live!”(III.II.216-217). Antony finalizes these words with a confrontational attitude. Solidifying his will over the plebeians and in the end persuading them to move against the