Julius Caesar Persuasive Speech Example

Honorable or Ambitious? In the play Julius Caesar written by William Shakespeare, you can find a famous persuasive speech. This speech shows emotion, credibility, appeal, and reason. This speech is told by Antony, Julius Caesar dear friend. Caesar had been murdered and Brutus the killer told the people of Rome that it had to be done. Antony then gives his speech to stand up for Caesar, the fair ruler. Antony uses ethos, pathos, and logos multiple times in his persuasive speech. Logos the logical or rational appeal plays a big part in his speech.
“ He hath brought many captives home to Rome Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:” Antony gives factual statements that shows Caesar did care for Rome and the Roman people. Antony stated that Caesar didn’t take the money of the ransoms for himself, but he gave that money to Rome. He asked the people if they think all the things he stated made Caesar ambitious. Brutus has him killed because of ambition, but they are no facts that show this ambition Brutus was talking about. Antony gave them reasons to show Caesar is far from ambitious, but a good ruler to the people. Antony also uses pathos in his speech to show emotional appeal and personal feelings. The emotion in the speech helps the audience understand the love he had for Caesar. The love shows the crowd that something must have been special in Caesar for Antony to care for him so much.
“Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it comes back to me.”
Antony weeps for his lover, his friend. Weeping showed the people true, real feelings for the past ruler. Pathos is needed in any persuasive speech to show that the way they feel is true. Another reason Antony’s speech is very persuasive is because he uses ethos. Ethos is authority, reliable, and credibility.