Speech of Antony

Mark Antony's speech at the funeral of Julius Caesar gave off a tone of respect and appreciation toward Brutus through use of his specific diction. However, the tone is sarcastic and suggestive. Antony makes reference several times to Brutus being an honorable man. After repetition, the word honorable loses it's significance and become more of a joke. Not only does it lose it's significance, but it is also mocking Brutus by discrediting what he had said. Mark Antony's word choice throughout his speech is a matter of life or death. His suggestive speech allows him to keep his life while still getting his message to his audience.

Brutus agrees to allow Mark Antony speak. He does however, speak before Antony, as Brutus is an excellent orator himself. Brutus also gives Antony strict instructions to not speak poorly of any conspirators. Antony may only speak of the good of Caesar. Brutus speaks to show the reason for Caesar's death. He says how Caesar had to die for the good of Rome. And if the necessity of his own death were to arise for the good of Rome, then he would give himself the same fate. Brutus also speaks of Caesar's ill-willed ambition, in this case ambition is used in place of greed and selfishness. Despite being internally joyous of caesar's death, Brutus shows sympathy and respect towards him. He tells the crowd of Caesar's valiancy and that for his valiancy he honors him. However he calls Caesar ambitious, in this context, ambitious being greedy, corrupt, and more worried about himself rather than his people. Brutus continues by saying that all was done for the good of Rome, which is his main reason for validating Caesar's death. Then he goes on to use Mark Antony as an example. Brutus says that Mark Antony, although not being a part of the murder of Caesar, will benefit from his death, just as all other Romans will benefit. The reaction by the citizens in the audience is used to show the effectiveness of Brutus' speech. The citizens respond by praising Brutus and glorifying him by offering similar treatments a king would receive. These include crowning him, suggesting that he take the place of Caesar, and suggesting a statue of him be constructed to glorify him. Brutus finishes by telling the audience to be fair to Mark Antony. He does this to seem civil, making him more agreeable.

"I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him" (page 4). Mark Antony says to open his speech. He says this because he knows that if he says anything that slanders the reputation of Brutus, he himself will suffer death, the same as Caesar. Immediately in the speech Antony begins by asking for the attention of his fellow friends, Romans, and countrymen. It seems that he is trying to reach a personal level with the audience. He does this by calling them friends, so that they will be more willing to hear what me has to say. He says that Brutus is an honorable man, so anything Brutus says must be true. However, he repeats himself, constantly calling Brutus an honorable man. After a while it is subtle irony. The irony is that Antony says that Caesar did good things, and for those good things, Brutus called Caesar greedy and corrupt. Antony continues by giving examples of the good that Caesar did for Rome. Caesar wept when the poor cried. Caesar brought captives home to Rome. Caesar refused the crown on more than one occasion. All of these things that Caesar did seem noble of any leader. The audience can see that. Antony says that Caesar did all of this good. Yet Brutus calls him ambitious, and Brutus is honorable, so his word can be trusted. Antony ends his speech by saying that he had no intentions of disproving anything Brutus said. He then reminds the audience that they once loved Caesar, and there was reason that they loved him. Antony asks them that if they had reason to love them, what is their reason not to mourn for him. The citizens in the audience then believe that what had been done to Caesar was wrong. They now believe that what had happened to Caesar was without reason and therefore unjust. One citizen says that "Caesar has had great wrong."(page 4) meaning that he did not deserve his fate. Another citizen says that because Caesar refused to take the crown, he could not have been ambitious. If Caesar was not ambitious than Brutus' reason for killing him was not a valid one.

Through Mark Antony's word choice and use of rhetoric irony, he is able to sway the audiences opinion of Brutus and Caesar. The remarkable thing about Antony's speech and persuasion of the crowd was that he did not slander Brutus or the other conspirators in any way. Therefore Brutus could not reprimand Mark Antony.