The personality, Julius Caesar is explored through the two conflicting perspectives of Marc Antony and Brutus, specifically on the occasion of the speeches that are given by both, following Caesars assassination. Brutus speaks in prose, representing Caesar as a person who puts himself before his people. “…as he was valiant I honour him, as he was ambitious, I slew him.” supporting his portrayal of a man of ambition. When Antony speaks on the occasion after Caesars assassination to the crowd of Romans he speaks in verse, in contrast to Brutus speaking in prose, making Antony come forth as more educated and knowing. “I am no orator...-as you know me all- a plain blunt man that loved my friend.” Antony belittles his influential and powerful position within the Roman Empire to be seen with being a “plain blunt man.” This use of understatement and emotive connotative adjectives supports a devotion or
Good evening and welcome to Open Forum’s special addition of Caesar’s bunch tonight, where you; the audience ask the questions and we provide the answers. I’m your host Debra and tonight we will be examining the popular play Julius Caesar by Shakespeare. Answering your questions tonight are actors from different backgrounds but all play important characters in the play; Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar is set in Ancient Rome, which follows the life of Caesar; a Roman general rapidly gaining power. Many feared he was getting too powerful thus the assassination of Caesar took place in the hope of saving Rome.
He undermines Brutus, conveyed through his lamenting tone “thou art the ruins of the noblest man” to further challanege the perspective that caesars thirst for power was a threat to the roman republic. Shakespeare furthers these conflicting perspectives in Act 3 scene 2 to demonstrate the power of political rhetoric. In the funerary speeches, Brutus’ patriotic tone in “not that I loved Caesar less but that I loved rome more” representes him as a protector of the roman republican values that Caesar threatened. This is sharply
In contrast to Brutus , Antony speaks to the plebians as if they are his equals . He respects their intelligence to understand a speech given in verse . In a roundabout manner , he needs to use rhetoric to 1) make the people doubt brutus's honor and excuses . 2) to stir pity and increase the achievements of caesar and to 3) incite the crown into mutiny . He starts out by adressing them as "friends" because he wants to come to them as a friend rather than a ruler trying to get power .
“you all did love him once, not without cause: what cause withholds you then to mourn for him now”(citation). Here Antony depicts how the crowd once did love him but because a man has put false ideas into their heads, they turn on him. A citizen of Rome should stand for their beliefs, not the ones that are put into their heads even if it is by a powerful and honorable man. Not only does Antony show much emotion towards the subject, but so does Brutus when he speaks during his own eulogy. Here Brutus illustrates his love Rome, “not that I loved Caesar less, but I loved Rome more” (citation).
In a scene in act 4 scene 3, Brutus says “Did not great Julius bleed for justice’ sake?” to which Cassius replies “bait not me, / I’ll not endure it... I am a soldier... abler than yourself”. This dialogue gives the audience a perception of Cassius as a braver and nobler man than Brutus and validates his non-existent fear of Caesar and his death; boldly stating “When Caesar lived, he durst not thus have moved me”. In the previous scene where Brutus and Cassius first confront each other, the imagery in the quote “When love begins to sicken and decay/It useth an enforced ceremony” shows that the argument between Brutus and Cassius seems to arise partially from a misunderstanding but also partially from stubbornness. Though Brutus claims that his honour forbids him from raising money in unscrupulous ways, he would still use such money as long as it was not he himself, but rather Cassius who raised it.
What villain touched his body, that did stab, And not for justice?”(4.3.18-21) In this quote, Brutus is saying that no man who partook in Julius Caesar's downfall did so for self gain. Brutus's and every other conspirator slayed Caesar because they honestly believed that it would be what was best for Rome. Brutus evokes the emotion in the audience in order to get his point across. Brutus's honor can be proved through another very important
One idea in hisspeech stands out more than all the others. “If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, to him I say that Brutus’ love to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I lovedRome more.” (III, ii, 19-24) Again, Brutus speaks of his love for Rome, and those of Rome.Brutus has the same love for Caesar as Antony did, but Brutus cared more for Caesar thenAntony ever could. In may be that killing Caesar was not pure, but Brutus’ intentions were as pure as possible. He believed he was doing the right thing and that makes Brutus more honorablethen any of the other men who conspired against
Conflicting Perspectives Upon deeper examination of a text, the audience becomes aware of conflicting perspectives throughout many aspects of any texts. By presenting a subjective perspective, the manner an audience perceives an event, situation or personality can be shaped to evoke a fervently impassioned response in the audience. Using a variety of techniques and emotive representation, the composer establishes an empathetic and compassionate response with the audience by conveying a sense of integrity and authenticity, greatly impacting their beliefs, fears and desires. These concepts are shown in the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare published in 1623, President George W. Bush’s speech concerning the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and the poems, Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes. Shakespeare keys into the senses of the audience by creating characters that have in-depth personalities.
Conflicting perspectives within texts challenge the audience’s perception of history by offering interesting and alternative viewpoints of personalities, events and situations. Through their careful choice of representation, composers explore the way such perspectives generate diverse and provocative insights into past events and people which alter the way we the audience understand these. William Shakespeare’s drama Julius Caesar and Spike Lee’s film Malcolm X both strongly represent the conflicting perspectives surrounding historically significant leaders and their infamous assassinations. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare utilises the dramatic form to represent the differing opinions of Caesar, generating diverse insights into the public