William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the most influential playwrights in history. Believed to have first been performed in 1600, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar quickly gained recognition, and has been recognized since as one of Shakespeare’s more famous works. The play revolves around its three central characters, Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony, and Brutus. In the play Mark Anthony delivers one of the most famous speeches ever given; better known as the "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" speech. This speech is delivered right after the assassination of Julius Caesar, and is the second memorial speech spoken to the Roman plebeians, Brutus’ being the first. It is a subtle entreaty to embolden the citizen’s of Rome to avenge Caesar’s death, revealing Mark Anthony’s true repugnance toward the conspirators because of what he sees as their murder of Caesar, and what they see as a heroic deed. A moving speech, the impact of the “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech was so powerful partially because of Antony’s skill as an orator, and partially because of the strong rhetorical strategies of appeals to logos and pathos, repetition, verbal irony, style and tone.…