I will now explain Mark Antony’s speech.
Mark Antony used deceitful lies to entice the audience into thinking that what Brutus had done was just pure treason, done without reason. Another lie MA used was –“Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him the evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones” .MA cleverly used the word ambitious many times, to make the crowd really think if Caesar was truly ambitious. Unlike Brutus, MA showed his emotions, and very cleverly at that. At one time during his speech, MA pretended to cry about the ordeal of Caesar’s death, but was really just trying to inveigle the audience even more. “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him” - This is a lie as MA does praise Caesar after enticing the audience .MA also used deceptive and vengeful lies, to entice the crowd and turn them against Brutus. One of his many lies is when he says that the biggest cut in Caesar was finished by Brutus. As MA makes up all of these lies, the crowd becomes more and more ready to fracas, and to start thinking about what Brutus had said was actually true. Another clever way to make the audience wonder if Brutus was a ruthless killer was this – “For Brutus is an honourable man” .One way MA does this is that he uses repetitive speech. One example of this, is when MA keeps on repeating the word ambitious, to make the crowd actually think if Caesar was in fact ambitious.
MA also welcomes the crowd by saying “You gentle Romans” – This makes the feel more sympathetic at his – “Sad state”. “I am no orator, as Brutus is” – This makes the crowd feel quite sympathetic towards MA, as it displays that he is struggling speaking about the death of Caesar as honourably as Brutus did.
The crowd should appreciate the great skill of oratory by MA, but not the deceitful lies, he made up about the cause of Caesar’s death and that Brutus was basically a savage.
MA used his great skill of oratory with deceitful and manipulative lies to entice the crowd and turn them against Brutus. Mark Antony also replied on emotions, as he pretended to cry about Caesars death. The reason for MA’s deceit was for power.
Brutus thought that if he told the truth about the killing, the crowd would believe that he did it for the good of Rome. But this was a big mistake as well as trusting MA who betrayed him. Another mistake was how he talked to the crowd. Brutus spoke DOWN to the crowd, not being as good an oratory speaker that MA.
Brutus succeeds in what he tries to say to do. His main task was to make the audience think that what he did was for the good of Rome, and not for his own power. He also speaks with authority and acts very stoic, not showing his emotions towards Caesar.
MA uses his very skilful oratory with clever, manipulative lies to entice the audience – One lie is when MA describes Brutus as a killer. MA however plays upon his emotions, to entice the audience even more, and make them think about the truth of the death of Caesar.
Both Brutus and MA’s speech has very clever effects, but both have very different ways of enticing the crowd.
Brutus speaks of just the truth, trying to make the crowd feel that the act of treason was not such a savage killing. He washed his hands in Caesars blood and shows the dagger he killed Caesar with, again not denying that he had taken part of the killing. Brutus also acts very stoic, not showing his emotions about Caesar.
MA uses many manipulative lies to make the audience think that the actions were just a brutal killing. He makes up more lies such as saying, which person made what wound in Caesar – Saying that Brutus made the biggest. “Through this the well-balanced Brutus stabb’d”.
MA also acts the audience for permission for lots of things such as, asking he can come down to them, and if he should open Caesars will.
The use of props for MA is Caesar’s mantle and Caesar’s will. His Staging is when he uses Caesar’s body (twice), and his dramatic pause.
All of theses are used cleverly to entice the audience. Another thing MA does is he makes the audience feel important, by him doing the following –
MA has Caesars will, and asking the audience if he should open it (he gives them a choice). “You will compel me then to read the will?”
Also he asks if he can come down to the crowd (another choice). “Shall I descend and will you give me leave?”
His main act of staging was his dramatic pause when he said “Bear with me, my heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, and I must wait till it come back to me”. This made the crowd feel sympathetic towards MA, and makes them think more about the killing of Caesar. As MA kept on lying (he made up a lie about the wounds of Caesar – he said that the biggest wound was done by Brutus, to let the crowd knew that Brutus was involved)
To summarise, I think MA’s speech was very manipulative, as he twisted the truth a lot to turn the crowd against Brutus. He also said about the wounds, so the crowd would believe further that Brutus was a savage killer.
The use of props and staging for Brutus are a dagger, bloodied hands and bloodied garments.
These props and staging are very clever as they display how truthful Brutus was, as he didn’t wash or clean his hands, dagger or attire. But Brutus also made big mistakes. “I do entreat you, not a man apart, save I alone, till Antony have spoke” – This is the main mistake when he leaves MA to betray his trust, and turn the crowd against him. This quote of Brutus is another mistake he made – “I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death”. As he said this, Brutus pulled out his bloodied dagger. By doing this, the crowd knew for certain that Brutus had killed Caesar.
But not everything Brutus had done was risky; as following act was very clever. Brutus and the other conspirators bathed their hands in Caesars blood, to make the death seem more symbolic and less ravenous.
On all of Brutus’s props and staging he was truthful about everything, as he thought this would make the crowd believe his act was done for the good of Rome and its people, however he was wrong by being truthful, as he made it worse for himself, as then MA could turn the crowd against him much easier.
