Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Julius Caesar

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Brian Villanueva Miss Sanchez Honors English 4, Period 1 14 June 2013 Perspectives on the Death of Julius Caesar On rare occasions people try to use their power of speech in order to persuade others into thinking a certain way. In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, both Brutus and Antony speak of the justice and injustice Julius Caesar’s death in his funeral. While Brutus’ motives were said to be for the god of Rome, Antony’s were to incite the crowd. Although both men used rhetorical devices to persuade the crowd Antony’s speech had more effect on the mob or people. Brutus did indeed confess to the murder of Julius Caesar, but he said that he did it for the benefit of the roman people. He himself said in his conditional phrase that…show more content…
Antony tries to prove to the crowd that Caesar was not ambitious when he says, “He hath brought many captives home to Rome. Who’s ransoms did the general coffers fill. Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” (94). The rhetorical question states the obvious fact that Caesar was not ambitious. Antony states if Caesar would have been ambitious he would have not cared for those people being held captive. Antony proved that Caesar himself appealed to the censorship of the people when he said “When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept;” (99). Antony showed that Caesar was sympathetic towards the people, because they believed he was ambitious. His rhetorical technique emphasized the fact that the people were oblivious to his acts of sympathy precisely because they did not truly know him. He also states that Caesar was not ambitious because “[He] thrice presented him with a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?” (105). The rhetorical question Antony uses punctuates the fact that Caesar is not ambitious because he refused the crown more than once. With that he takes away Brutus credibility because Brutus himself said Caesar was

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