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Mark Antony Rhetorical Analysis

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Mark Antony’s use of rhetorical devices helped turn the crowd against the conspirators in multiple ways in the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Mark Antony was Caesar’s best friend and right hand man. Caesar was killed by the conspirators because they thought he was ambitious and was trying to take all the power and become king. The conspirators gave Antony specific rules for what he could and could not say when he gave his speech at Caesar’s funeral. Mark Antony’s use of motifs, personality traits, and rhetorical devices such as the appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos, and repetition in Julius Caesar help convince the crowd to rebel against the conspirators. Mark Antony’s appeal to the crowd’s ethos, logos, and pathos, helps him …show more content…

Mark Antony says, “Yet Brutus says he [Caesar] was ambitious.” This quote was used a grand total of three times in act 1 scene 2 on lines 95, 107, and 102. This excerpt is used to show that Caesar was not determined to take the crown and rule Rome. Each time this quote was used, Antony gave examples of how Caesar really wasn’t ambitious, such as when he says, “I thrice presented him the kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse” (3.2.105-106). This quote shows that if Caesar really was ambitious, then he would have taken the crown and become king, but instead he refused. Not only did he refuse once, but three times. These examples shows many examples as to why Caesar was not ambitious did not want to be king. Antony repeats the phrase, “And Brutus is an honorable man.” This quote was repeated in act one scene two in lines 96, 103, and 108. Each time this quote is said, Antony had recently described why Brutus is honorable, such as when he says, “He hath brought many captives home to Rome” (3.2.97). This quote paints Brutus as a hero for bringing Roman people held in foreign lands home. The quote also brings to question Brutus’s own motives, questioning if he performed these gallant acts because he himself is ambitious. The quote also questions why Brutus conspired against his best friend if he is so honorable. Antony talks a lot about “Honorable men” or “Honorable man.” He uses the quotes for a collective total of seven times. The quotes are used in act one scene two in lines 91, 92, 103, 108, 136, 149, 163. Antony was given a set of specific rules before giving his speech, one of which was that he can not talk bad about the conspirators. Antony uses the word honorable to make it seem as though the truthful and possibly bad things he says about the conspirators was not as bad since they were still honorable, but none the less, Antony got

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