Antony's and Brutus' Speeches in Julius Caesar

“Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear, Seeing that death, a necessary end, Will come when it will come.” (Act 2.2 32-38) In a more modern way, Caesar states “Cowards die many times before their deaths. The brave experience death only once. Of all the strange things I’ve ever heard, it seems most strange to me that men fear death, given that death, which can’t be avoided, will come whenever it wants.” We spot out that a man that is talking about death will deal with death later on casting a foreshadow on his sentence. Later on, in the play we see a man by the name of Brutus lead a group of senators to kill Caesar. When this is being done Caesars last words were “Et tu, Bruté?—Then fall, Caesar.” A dear friend as he thought would come and kill him for Rome. After the death of Caesar Mark Antony would come in with shock and questions, noticing the blood on the hands of Brutus and Cassius, why. Antony then asks for Brutus’s permission to show the body to plebians. Here it begins a different journey and without a Caesar, things change, and nothing will be the same.

Well, Why do both of the speeches that Brutus and Antony give take up so much space in the play? These speeches are in fact very lengthy but they so much power and meaning, We see with Brutus he is very repetitive and ends up being favored and like by the audience or the Plebians. And he includes ethos, logos pathos into his speech, from the ethos and giving his audience honor and presenting less threat and make him look like its okay for him to kill Caesar, then to the logos and appealing to the crowd and saying he was my dear friend but Caesar’s negative intentions with Brutus being so good at placing his words and convincing the people that his reason was okay, lastly pathos makes the audience feel with him saying he loved Rome more and he would kill himself for Rome with that it lets the audience know that he has good intentions compared Caesar because no one has heard Julius say that and the Romans are now on Brutus’s side. A very important quote during his speech, “Be patient till the last. Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me for my cause, and be silent that you may hear. Believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, to him I say that Brutus’s love to 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 loved Rome more. “(3.2.14-28) He highlights his loyalty to the city of Rome and his reasoning was a way to get the Plebs to agree with him, for a little.

Also, we see Brutus use rhetorical devices or techniques to get the audience’s attention and their trust.  From Ethos: we see Brutus saying that it was right for him to kill Caesar, Logos: is seen all in the story with him pointing out the clarity in the speech, Pathos: he knows that the audience was easy to persuade and used that, Kairos: he becomes successful with his planned out action. Brutus expresses, “If any, speak—for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak—for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak—for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.”(3.2)and the reply from the plebians, “Live, Brutus! Live, live!”(3.2 45) This was a great way of presenting his pathos since we know that Brutus shows and speaks clearly with power when talking to the audience. Alongside the rhetorical questions and the truth about caesar he gains more respect from the plebians, the people are having a moment with someone that speaks his truth. Using the logic and reasoning it is like I know what you think but he wasn’t the leader for us, or at all. And with Brutus being such a strong speaker it is easier for him to manipulate the audience to think that he is the one that is right and Caesar was weak and wrong.

After, Brutus has his speech and is honored by the plebians we see Antony give his speech to the same people. He particularly sad or down he is more confused or befuddled because there was no meaningful reason for them to kill Caesar. A great powerful quote from the play stated by Antony, “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them;” (3.2 73-74) Antony liked Caesar they were both friends and he also includes the rhetorical devices that Brutus used to change the perception of the audience. As he appears to the character, he appeals to the logic, and he shows emotion to the reader and the plebians. “I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he is an honorable man.” “Bear with me. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me.” During the speech, he shows empathy and is very social. We know that Caesar may have treated Antony better than the people of Rome. Although Brutus presents the fact that Caesar would have been an unfavorable leader, with Antony’s speech he changes their opinions and makes the killers of Caesar hated then creating a riot.

“This was the noblest Roman of them all. All the conspirators save only he Did that they did in envy of great Caesar. He only in a general honest thought And common good to all, made one of them. His life was gentle, and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, “This was a man.” (5.5.73-80)  This play is named Julius Caesar, but it revolves around Brutus why is that? Is it because people wouldn’t be interested in a play named after Brutus as much as.