"Machiavel or Passionate Idealist" - Which of either applies to Mark Antony?
"Machiavel or Passionate Idealist"
Which of either applies to Mark Antony?
Introduction
Antony was slow to emerge, and it wasn't until he was forced to show his true potential, could he really be judged. He was a character with many hidden traits until he was forced to show his true character while defending Caesar after his death. He was misunderstood by all, and his true leadership qualities were underestimated. Once he became a leader of Rome, his true character was unrevealed.
Antony loved Julius Caesar and became very dependent on him. Antony had desired the crown for Caesar so that all friction could have been avoided, and then after Caesar, he could have had the highest position.
All this was changed however when Caesar became no more. It was impossible for Antony to subordinate himself to anyone else; least of all to the conspirators.
Antony was looked down upon by all the conspirators except for Brutus. They feared Antony would become as powerful as Caesar and possibly a dictator. Brutus persuaded the others not to add the assassination by saying, "And for Mark Antony, think not of him: for he can do no more than Caesar's arm when Caesar's head is off." Brutus underestimated Antony and perceived him as a person who didn't always take life seriously, couldn't have a serious nature and therefore, not a thinker. Brutus judged him as being frivolous and simply liking sport and partying, with a reputation for womanizing. Unfortunately for Brutus and the conspirators he was respected by Caesar and so simply couldn't be ignored.
Distressed Antony, after losing his friend manages to keep his cool, until he is allowed to speak at Caesar's funeral. Brutus, the leader of the conspiracy, first attempts to win the popularity and support of the crowd, and he does so with a speech full of glittering generalities. His speech was of a high standard and sounded great, but actually meant nothing. The people favor Brutus until Antony takes the stand and delivers the cold hard facts, turning the mob of people into an angry stampede. The persuasive and manipulating techniques used by Antony helped him to gain ...
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Distressed Antony, after losing his friend manages to keep his cool, until he is allowed to speak at Caesar's funeral. Brutus, the leader of the conspiracy, first attempts to win the popularity and support of the crowd, and he does so with a speech full of glittering generalities. His speech was of a high standard and sounded great, but actually meant nothing. The people favor Brutus until Antony takes the stand and delivers the cold hard facts, turning the mob of people into an angry stampede. The persuasive and manipulating techniques used by Antony helped him to gain the crowd's support and control. If he had not used these techniques, Antony would simply be carried off the stage and thrown into the mob. The techniques Antony used (to make his speech persuade the mob to help him) were: the fact that he recognized the opposing argument, his slowly rising emotional expression, and the use of a simple refrain that gets more and more sarcastic each time around.
Antony acknowledged the conspirators' argument to show that he was not selfish. "The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious. If it were so, it would be a grievous fault." (Act III, Scene ii) Although the crowd knows it, Antony says that Brutus said that Caesar was ambitious. Antony repeats what Brutus said to make room for a very powerful comeback. He uses "Brutus's voice" to have an argument with himself. This increases the effectiveness of a speech to use this method of "debating with himself." "...and grievously hath Caesar answered it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest (for Brutus is an honorable man, so they are all, all honorable men." (Act III, Scene ii), Antony is simply paying his respects to Brutus; to show (to the crowd) that he is truly a noble and honorable man. That helps the crowd to sense Antony's honesty. It also creates the illusion that Antony is on Brutus's side, because his tone sounds as if Caesar's death was for the better. "I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, but here I am to speak what I do know." (Act III, Scene ii). Here Antony goes again, respecting what Brutus said before he took his stand. He tells the crowd that he does not mean to steal the support, but to deliver the cold, hard facts. Those words sound honest and unselfish, and that wins the undivided attention of the crowd. Acknowledging the opposing argument is a persuasive technique that lays a foundation for a speaker to build on, and Antony took full advantage of this crowd-winning technique.
A slowly rising pool of emotions increases the intensity and drama of a speech, and as Antony uses this method, his speech becomes incredibly effective. While Antony gives his funeral oration, the intensity and volume of his voice slowly rises as he begins to make his point - which is Caesar was not ambitious and he did not deserve to die. When Antony uses this technique of increasing his emotional expression, the crowd becomes excited and sympathetic for Antony. It is a technique that is very effective in manipulating a group of people. With every line Antony speaks, his voice and body language grow with anger and sorrow at the same time. Soon, his pool of emotions overflow, and he explodes into a furious state. "...I thrice presented him a kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?" (Act III, Scene ii), Antony stops supporting Brutus's argument and uses evidence that Caesar was not ambitious. He is so angry at this point that he wishes to disprove Brutus in every way. All of a sudden, after a raging storm of caged-up feelings, he gets very quiet and sentimental. The crowd is one-hundred-percent sympathetic for him, because they know that he is in pain from the undeserving loss of his friend. Emotions play a very important role in manipulating a crowd, because it helps them to see from the speaker's perspective.
A constantly changing refrain (in a speech) also helps a persuasive speaker to shape the crowd in his hands as if it were clay. The way that Antony uses this refrain is truly extraordinary. When he begins his oration, he is supposedly siding with Brutus's argument. However, when he makes his first move to prove a point of his own, the refrain is slightly altered. For example Antony uses 'Yet' later on after using 'But'. "You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; and sure he is an honorable man." (Act III, Scene ii). Antony has just made a complete fool of Brutus. The small refrain in the speech has made an unbelievable impact.
Through the use of these three persuasive techniques, Mark Antony slowly succeeds in winning the support of the entire mob. By acknowledging the opposing argument, slowly letting his emotions take over, and using a "simple" refrain, Antony delivers the perfect crowd-manipulating speech.
So to conclude, Mark Antony seemed at the beginning of Julius Caesar, a shallow and unimportant character. But by the end of the play Antony had been revealed as bold, shrewd, ambitious, and the play's most thoroughly Machiavellian character.
Navad Khanzada
