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Julius Caesar: Most Noble Speaker

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Julius Caesar: Most Noble Speaker
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if a close friend was gruesomely murdered? Can you imagine the crazy mixed emotions you would feel? The heartache, betrayal, and hurt? What would you do to get back at the people who hurt you the most? In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, the beloved leader, Caesar, is tragically murdered by conspirators, who were thought to be his most trusted friends. Caesar’s right hand man, Antony, plans to seek revenge on Caesar’s killers, including once-friend Brutus. In order to execute his plan, he must use several manipulative tactics in his funerary speech to sway the plebeians into participating and getting what he wants: revenge.

Antony ends up using pathos, his emotion, to have a better connection with the plebeians. He used certain words to make the crowd sad, angry, and trusting. To make the crowd sad he would use words such as mourn, death, funeral, coffin, and disapprove. Using those words, he had made the crowd sad about losing a strong leader. But to help make the crowd trust him, he would use words such as honorable, rich, and legacy. To show the crowd that he honored and loved Caesar he would use words like heart and praise. By using these words he would sway the crowd to do what he wants. Brutus ended up not being manipulative with his words. He tried to have the crowd trust and agree with him but the words he used didn’t have as big of an effect as Antony’s did. Brutus used fear as a tactic to have the plebeian’s side with him. He asked if they would rather have Caesar “living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all freemen?(III. ii.24-25). Brutus ended up hurting himself by saying this because he made the plebeians second think their grief. Antony didn’t force the crowd to do anything that they didn’t want to do. He allowed them to choose for themselves. Antony’s words stirred the crowd more and got a bigger wave than Brutus. Brutus talked about how ambitious Caesar was but didn’t move

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