William Shakespeare is an amazing author who was able to write an amazing play called The Tragedy of Julius Caesar in which he wrote a scene that had Brutus and Antony make speeches at the funeral of Julius Caesar. In the funeral speech, both men had different points to achieve when talking to the audience; Brutus was trying to prove his innocence and Atony was trying to prove why Julius Caesar he was innocent. Brutus and Atony use completely different tactics to persuade the plebians. Brutus liked to use ethos, pathos, and logos. Atony uses rhetorical questions, visual aids, verbal irony, and diction. As for which speech was more persuasive both sides make valid points, Atony seems to be able to provide more evidence and Brtuse is able to rile up a crowd.
Brutus is very loved in Rome, so when he was there for the murder of Julius Ceaser it made seem that he had good reseason for the killing. During the speech brutus’s main point was to prove that the reason for Ceaser death was for the good of Rome, during the speech Brutus states ¨Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all freemen¨ showing that if Ceaser wouldn’t have died Rome would have been in danger. The tactics that Brutus used during the speech were ethos, pathos, and logos, and liked the remind the audience that he was friends with caesar, an example of this is at the beginning of his speech he says ¨Believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor that you may believe¨ he is using ethos as an appeal to his own personal honor. In the speech, Brutus states ¨ As he was valiant, I honor him. But, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor for his valor, and death for his ambition.¨ and ¨ I say that Brutus’ love for Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I love Rome more.¨ and in both of these quotes you can see that Brutus is telling the plebians that he was friends with caesar and he supported caesar but caesar got too ambitious for Rome and his ego was too big and he was going to ruin Rome.
When stating his speech Antony had many emotions but he was really good at getting his point across and defending his friends’ honor. Before he was able to say his speech Brutus made him agree to three terms He cannot blame the conspirators, He must say that he had to get permission to speak, and He can speak only after Brutus has finished. During his speech he was able to keep his promise and still prove his friend’s innocence when he says ¨He was my friend, faithful and just to me, But Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honorable man.¨ he is not blaming the conspirators but his is implying that it is their fault. Another example of Antony keeping his promise is when he says ¨I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know.¨ he is speaking opposites to keep his promise. Antony uses lots of tactics to get his point across like rhetorical questions, verbal irony, and diction, an example of this is when. Antony uses a lot of rhetorical questions to get the audience riled up, some example of this is when he says ¨I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious,¨ he is proving his point of Ceaser not being ambitious and still keeping his promise. Another example of the rhetorical question is when he said ¨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;” he is asking did caesar seem ambitious when is protecting Rome. In the speech Antony uses lots of verbal irony for example he says ¨you all know, are honorable men. I will not do them wrong. I rather choose To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you, Than I will wrong such honorable men.¨. Lastly, he used diction for instances when he says ¨O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beasts,¨ He’s connecting Brutus with brutish which means violent making him a mean man who kills.
Brutus and Antony both conveyed their points greatly but Antony was the most successful. Antony even had some setbacks before he could even start his speech with the terms that Brutus gave him. Brutus did really well in defending himself and the other conspirators but Antony was easily able to prove him wrong and provide evidence for instants when he asked ¨I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious,¨ he is proving everything that Brutus is saying is wrong. The plebians also seemed to believe Antony and not Brutus.