Yet while Caesar may not be unduly power-hungry, he does possess his share of flaws. He is unable to separate his public life from his private life, and, seduced by the populace’s increasing idealization and idolization of his image, he ignores ill omens and threats against his life, believing himself as eternal as the North Star. Antony - A friend of Caesar. Antony claims allegiance to Brutus and the conspirators after Caesar’s death in order to save his own life. Later, however, when speaking a funeral oration over Caesar’s body, he spectacularly persuades the audience to withdraw its support of Brutus and instead condemn him as a traitor.
But due to Brutus being mislead and easily manipulated by Cassius, Brutus would be a more suitable leader to lead Post-Caesar Rome than Cassius, but not to convincingly lead the conspiracy against Caesar. But neither are able to lead the conspiracy and Rome as a whole. Both Cassius and Brutus are friends of Caesar, Brutus respects and loves Caesar but he believes that he would bring chaos to the state of Rome, in comparison to Cassius whom he despises out of jealously and resents the fact that Caesar shows him no favour and is clearly envious of Caesar's growing power and popularity. In the first Act of the play, Cassius was clearly trying to persuade Brutus into removing Caesar from power, but Brutus is uncertain to do so, as he loves Caesar out of respect. " I would not Cassius, yet I love him well..Set honour in one eye and death I'th' other And I will look on both indifferently.." This shows that Brutus is indecisive of Caesar and is unfazed by Cassius's attempt to manipulate him to conspire against Caesar.
When he decides to side with the conspirators, was Brutus in possession of any solid evidence to convince him that Caesar would become a tyrant in the event of his being the dictator of Rome for life? To answer this question genuinely, it is necessary to examine his conduct in a broader perspective. This is what he confesses to himself: I have not known when his affections swayed More than his reason. But ’tis a common proof That lowliness is young ambition’s ladder, Act 2.i 20-22 If it is so, is it in conformity with his honour, integrity and sense of natural justice to conclude that the country can be saved only by killing his beloved friend? Considered from his own point of view, the
Cassius is all bent out of shape because he thinks Caesar is running around acting like a king. Without coming right out and saying so directly, Cassius (who has been plotting against Caesar with a group of conspirators) suggests that maybe Brutus should lead Rome. Brutus says he gets what Cassius is saying, but he is also good friends with Caesar, so he needs a little time to think about
Antony’s eulogy to the plebeians is used as a device to show Antony’s opinion of Caesar as a noble and worthy leader and contradict Brutus’s tyrannical classification. Brutus revolves his speech around Caesar’s ambitions and their damage to Rome. Contrastingly, Antony repetitively presents the rhetorical question, “Was this ambition” to the audience which refutes the core of Brutus’s argument and encourages the audience to question Brutus, helping Antony build up imagery of a faultless Caesar brutally murdered. Furthermore, Antony repetitively directs the audience towards the body of the murdered Caesar stating “what a rent the envious Casca made”. While this device may be devalued in the textual format of the play, when performed in the theatrical environment with effective props, it is highly confronting to the audience and further directs the
Although Shakespeare is well-known for his many sonnets and plays, he is also a master of persuasion. Through his persuasion techniques, Shakespeare relies heavily on the Aristotelian rhetoric; pathos, ethos, and logos. Pathos is the appeal to emotion, ethos is the appeal to ethics, and logos is logic. Shakespeare uses these devices in some of his most famous plays, especially Julius Caesar. All through out the play Shakespeare portrays this through many speeches.
Yet how is it that we are able to understand other people’s perspectives when they can be so far removed from our own? Composers, time and time again, draw upon their pivotal position of influence and manipulation over perspective to engage and enthrall their audience into understanding their own point of views. Compelling use of textual form can be seen in the timeless Shakespearean drama Julius Caesar as well as John Patrick Stanley’s provocative film Doubt that effectively empowers the audience to reach new and diverse perspectives. Although these texts may differ blatantly, the unique methods of textual form used by both composers effectively shape and mould our understanding of the complex notion of conflicting perspectives. Our perspectives of people are often reliant on other people’s own perspectives and opinions of someone.
After that was all stated he reminded the people how Carsar did turn down the kings crown multiple times, "I thrice presented him a kinlgy crown, Which he did thrice refuse." Then he repeats, "Was this ambitious, Brutus said he is ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man." He is just saying Brutus is an honorable man but using the sarcasm and irony of his choice of words to make Brutus look like the enemy. The irony he uses in this speech is quite astounding. Anthony uses the term, "an honorable man" as more of an insult than a compliment.
Another example of his imperfect syllogization is when he opposes the conspirators taking an oath on their resolution to assassinate Caesar. He persistently asseverates that if their cause - their motivation - is honorable and honest, then they need not swear. "Unto bad causes swear such creatures as men in doubt," he says. Yet the notion that their own cause might be corrupt does not occur to him. In consideration of this, Brutus appears increasingly benighted as he attempts to exonerate himself of guilt during the time preceding Caesar’s death.
Shakespeare uses similes that are called “extended similes.” Shakespeare takes personification to a whole new level by including vivid imagery and detail. Allusions are quite common in Shakespeare’s writing. Types of allusions that Shakespeare uses are historical, mythological, and literary figures. Shakespeare also uses puns that display his wittiness. Some of these puns are harder to understand, especially for Americans because of how the Elizabethan pronunciation.