How Does Brutus Use Ethos In Julius Caesar

Scheming, manipulation, and backstabbing are common in almost every society in this day and age. As seen on many occasions in Julius Caesar, the conspirators spend a lot of the play plotting against Caesar,because they fear what he might do if he comes to power. Brutus is portrayed as the tragic hero, and he gives numerous speeches to convey his opinions and feelings about the subject matter. In William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the character Marcus Brutus makes many appeals to rhetoric, specifically ethos and pathos, in order to get his point across to the audience. Throughout the story, in order to express himself, Brutus makes many appeals to ethos. For instance, at the start of his eulogy, Brutus uses the phrase: “Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my / cause, and be silent that you may hear, Believe me” (JC.III.ii.13-14). When he uses the specific words “Romans, countrymen, and
Brutus uses their passion to his advantage, and convinces the conspirators that their own will power would be what compelled them to complete their task, not an oath. Another piece of evidence used to illustrate this, is when Brutus is defending the reasons behind his actions at Caesar’s funeral and he says, “ As / Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, / I rejoice at it…” (JC.III.ii.24-26). By using the two words ‘loved’ and ‘weep’, Brutus is not only making himself seem vulnerable to the townspeople, but he is also showing that the death of Caesar was not necessarily what he wanted, and that the death of who was once his dear friend, upset him deeply. By doing this, people begin to feel sorry for Brutus, and they are not nearly as outraged as they are before he was given the opportunity to explain