He wants the crowd to know the facts ‘censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses that you may the better judge.’ He flatters the crowd and this helps them to accept him.
He appeals to their sympathy stating that he loved Caesar and daring them to find anyone who loved Caesar more. He tells the crowd how he admired Caesar and loved him for he was an honorable man, but had to kill him because of Caesars ambition. ‘Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more’ and this is how Brutus justifies his act.
Brutus asks whether they would prefer to live as freemen or as slaves under Caesar, ‘who here is so base that they would rather be a bondman?’ He pauses for a reply, giving the crowd time to think and change their views. This also gives a sense that Brutus cares about the crowds’ opinions. They reply, ‘none Brutus, none’ no one is offended or disagrees with Brutus’ actions or words.
Mark Anthony has a different approach, speaking in blank verse, he appeals to the crowd as ‘Friends’ rather than ‘Romans’ as Brutus had. This is because Mark Anthony wants to appear to them as a friend not as a ruler who has more power. This immediately shows his priorities, friends before the country and completely contradicts what Brutus had said ‘Romans, countrymen and lovers’ and done, killing Caesar.
‘I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him’ so he can without the crowd stopping him speak highly of Caesar.
He is very wise and knows how to handle the crowd, he is responsive to their mood and helps to sway their opinions of Brutus’ speech, ‘the noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious.... For Brutus is an honorable man’ and he repeats it three times and finally ‘honorable’ becomes more of an insult. Mark Anthony also questions Caesar’s ambition three times, when he gave ransom to the captives, when he cried with the poor people and when he refused the kingship that Anthony had offered him.
Mark Anthony uses a dramatic effect, by entering the stage with Caesar’s body and leaving the stage weeping saying his heart is still with the body of Caesar.
The crowd is swayed to him by his repetition, his underhanded ways of making a point, his dramatics, and his use of pause to allow the crowd to reflect on his points and his proof of Caesars concern for Rome. By doing so he manages to get the crowd to question the morality of killing Caesar, and therefore the crowd doubt Brutus’ justification.
Both Brutus and Mark Anthony try to appeal to the people, and use repetition. Brutus takes a defensive approach and allows the crowd to come to their own conclusions. Mark Anthony backs up all his points whereas Brutus leaves his points open ended, he takes a sneaky, underhand prosecution approach against Brutus.
The crowd found it easier to accept Anthony’s emotional approach than Brutus’ forceful approach.
In conclusion I suggest that Mark Anthony’s speech was more effective than Brutus’, he had the advantage of speaking second, and was wise enough to use this to his advantage, his speech provoked more response from the crowd therefore proves to be more dramatically effective.