Rhetorical Strategies In Julius Caesar

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Rhetorical Strategies in Julius Caesar In Julius Caesar, Antony and Brutus deliver two speeches, both of which are driven by three rhetorical devices; ethos, logos and pathos. Though both were able to use the rhetorical strategies effectively, Antony’s speech ended up above both. Antony and Brutus, Begin with establishing their credibility first. Brutus breaks into ethos by talking about his honor, he tells the plebeians to keep his honor in mind. He also lets everyone know that Caesar was “ambitious” and he had to “slew” him because of it. He says this because he thought everyone in town thought Caesar was an honorable man. When Anthony came up, he knew that he had to work harder to gain the crowd’s attention, so he begins with saying, “I come to bury Caesar, not praise him.” (Act 3 Scene 2; 72) He says this because he knows people don’t want to hear a speech about how “amazing” Caesar was, so he says he’s not there to praise him. In saying this, he gets people’s attention. Both start off with trying to get their credibility first, Antony wins in doing a better job because he worked harder in trying to get it. Pathos, the emotional appeal, is used most in both their speeches. Brutus asked rhetorical questions to try and stir up emotion in the crowd, “who is here so rude would not be a Roman?” (Act 3, Scene 2; 29) In asking these questions he knows people will begin to think about what he has to say. Antony also uses a great deal of emotion in his speech. He used repetition to try and sway the plebeians. He often refers to Brutus as an “honorable man”, each time with more sarcasm. Antony also uses reverse psychology on the crowd. He tells everyone about “Caesar’s will”, however, he says that he cannot read it. This makes everyone beg for him to read it. This gives him a sense of authority over them. He then goes down to read it. While around Caesar, Antony shows
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