Not only does Marc Antony make the plebeians feel good about themselves by pretending to be there friend, but he also complements them:
“You are not wood, you are not stones, but men.”
This quotation is also foreshadowing what the senators said at the beginning of the play. The senators insult the plebeians by saying “You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!” Marc Antony later compliments the plebeians by saying that they are the opposite of this. Marc Antony’s compliment is very powerful and it makes the plebeians feel useful.
Brutus uses the imperative in his speech. This makes him feel superior and in control of the crowd:
“Be silent” “Have respect to mine honour”
Brutus is naturally superior to the crowd and gives orders to the plebeians. The crowd will not like this and will probably retaliate against Brutus later on. This is Shakespeare helping to foreshadow the retaliation. However, Marc Antony appears to be humble in his speech. He talks to the crowd emotionally and immediately lowers himself to their level.
Brutus uses rhetorical questions as a persuasive technique. It creates an intense atmosphere amongst the crowd:
“Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all freemen?”
This rhetorical question makes the crowd think about the question Brutus asks them. It shows the crowd two different possibilities and is persuading them to agree with the death of Caesar. Brutus is rationalising with the crowd.
However, Brutus overestimates the intelligence of the plebeian mob. He speaks to them in the wrong tone and uses language that makes him look superior. His biggest error is that the crowd cannot follow his logic they need emotive reasons. The mob might even be insulted by Brutus’ naturally condescending tone:
“Censure me in your wisdom” “that you may be the better judge”
The irony is that the plebeians have no wisdom to censure Brutus with, but Brutus believes they do. Brutus also believes that the crowd will make the best decisions on the death. But later on we find the crowd making wrong decisions and basing them on the money given to them in Caesar’s will.
We can see in Marc Antony’s speech that he has used symbolism, the plebeians even say things that may be interpreted as symbolic:
“His eyes are as red as fire with weeping.” “hearth”
The colour red is often associated with anger, blood and love. This is very symbolic. It shows us that Marc Antony is angry with Brutus because he loved Julius Caesar. “Fire” is often associated with the same things as the colour “red”. We think of rage, anger and power when we hear the word fire. The “hearth” is also very symbolic. It can be associated with things like love, patriotism and innocence. This symbolism is helping Marc Antony connect with the crowd on a more emotional level.
In Marc Antony’s speech he uses repetition to make a sarcastic refrain:
“…and sure he is an honourable man…” “…than I will wrong honourable men”
He uses the phrase “honourable man” or “honourable men” so many times in his speech that it becomes sarcastic. The sarcastic catch phrase helps Marc Antony turn the plebeian mob against Brutus and the conspirers. It makes the mob wonder whether the conspirers really are “honourable men”.
Antony’s use of a metonym gains him the public sympathy and gets him emotionally closer to the crowd:
“My hearth is in the coffin with Caesar”
Marc Antony uses the metonym of the “heart” to show his emotions to the mob. It is as if he is saying he has died along with Caesar. Here he gains much sympathy from the mob.
In conclusion, the two funeral speeches of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar are very persuasive. However, Marc Antony wins the crowds support by speaking to them in the correct tone. He lowers himself to the plebeian level and uses a range of rhetorical devices to support his arguments against the conspirers. He has an advantage over Brutus before he even speaks. He has the body of Caesar and speaks last. Brutus however is very disadvantaged. His speech is interrupted by the entering body of Caesar and he does not confront the mob in the correct tone. So, even though both speeches are very powerful and persuasive Julius Caesar ends up as a tragedy because the man that is honourable and humble becomes the one the crowd turn against.
