Mark Antony's Persuasion

When I, look at these two speeches there really is no contest. Mark Antony really just takes the cake with his beautiful speech. To be fair Mark Antony had a huge advantage over Brutus in the fact that he got to speak last, so his words were the last the crowds got to hear, but that is not suppose to discredit Mark Antony. He still delivered an Amazing speech and what was overall just better than Brutus’s. This was just a big mistake on Brutus’s part he never should have let Mark Antony speak after his best friend was just killed. There was just simply too much motivation for him compared to a vulnerable Brutus. The first way we are going to look at Mark Antony's speech is through pathos which is an appeal to emotions. This was one of the biggest home-hitters for this speech and most likely why he won the crowd. “When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept”. In that line alone he has already beaten Brutus. Mark Antony is sad and is pouring his heart out, but at the same time is winning the crowd over with sad imagery. This quote shows that Caesar cared he might not have been the best leader but he cared for his people and that is what a sad Mark Antony is trying to get across here. The next
Mark Antony at this point had already persuaded them emotionally, but he needed them to actually think about it as well so it would not be just purely emotions that won the crowd over. “For Brutus as you know, was caesar's angel. Judge, O you gods how dearly Caesar loved him! This was the most unkindest cut of all, For when the noble Caesar saw him stab, Ingratitude, more strong than traitors arms, Quite vanquished him”. This is it, this is what brings this whole thing to a shocking close. He makes the crowd think. Why would caesar's right hand man just stab him like that. They were brothers and for him to just stab him for the “good of Rome” the crowd was not buying