Brutus uses his power over the plebeians and starts demanding them to listen to such commands as
‘Believe me for mine honour’ and also
‘Have respect for mine honour’
Immediately afterwards he uses his friendship to win the crowd over
‘Any dear friend of Caesar, to him I say Brutus’ love Caesar was no less than
His’
And then goes on to say
‘Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I love Rome more,
Both if the two statements are very persuasive, Brutus protest that he loves Caesar, and that Rome is more important to him, almost as though he sacrificed his friend for the good of Rome, again this is appealing to the crowds sense of patriotism, they are starting to lean towards Brutus now and are calming
As an orator Brutus uses rhetorical questions, all of which appeal to the crowds sense of patriotism. Firstly he asks
‘Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves?
Than that Caesar were dead, and live all free men?’
The crowd are lost in a field of answers now and are anxious to hear more of his sayings. The first rhetorical question woke up the crowds sense of freedom so cleverly Brutus asks another freedom related question
‘Who is here so base, that would be a bondman?’
Not only has this made the crowd think about freedom but it has also planted the seed of what if Caesar lived, into their minds, the crowd are now on Brutus’ side. He has succeeded. However Brutus feels that this is not enough, he needs some security that will keep the crowd to his way of thinking. So his third rhetorical question is again appealing to their sense of patriotism
‘Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman?’
This is irony, because what Brutus is really saying, who would be a traitor to Rome,
This could possibly suggest to the mob that Caesar was.
Cleverly Brutus says after that rhetorical question
‘If any, speak, for him I have offended’
This is a persuasive technique because Brutus knows that the crowd will think about what he has said, so therefore realise that Brutus is speaking sensibly.
Brutus’ final rhetorical question is much the same as the third,
‘Who is here so vile that would not love his country?’
Again irony is used, what he meant was that if you go against Rome then you are not deserving of your Roman status.
Immediately after Brutus’ fourth rhetorical question he uses a good persuasive technique, he pauses and tells them why
‘I pause for a reply’
This is a clever tactic from Brutus because he needs to ensure that the plebeians are firmly on his side.
As well as rhetorical questions Brutus also uses list, consisting of three plus points and then on negative. He starts by saying
‘There is tears for his; joy, for his fortune; honour, for his valour;
And death for his ambition’
This is a persuasive technique from Brutus as the crowd would agree for the positive points and then would consider and eventually agree to the negative.
Another technique that Brutus uses is his prop, the dagger that he had killed Julius Caesar with. This would make the crowd feel guilty at the death of their leader, but also it would make them feel respect for Brutus as it shows him having the courage to bring the dagger to them.
As Brutus is confident with his speech to the crowd, perhaps over confident because he makes a vital mistake, he allows Mark Antony to speak,
Similarly Mark Antony enters to a hostile crowd, except this time they are opposing all of Mark Antony’s views. Unlike Brutus, Mark Antony uses a more friendly opening, it is also more of a plea compared to Brutus’ demand
‘Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears’
Not only does the first line show us that Mark Antony has a hard task ahead of him, but it also shows us that his speech is spoken in blank verse, ten syllables per line, this gives his speech some rhythm. Immediately after his plea to the mob he starts his speech with irony
‘I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him’
What Mark Antony really meant was quite the opposite but he has the task of pacifying the crowd, so he needs them to believe him and
‘The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious;
If it were so it was a grievous fault’
That sentence contains irony Mark Antony claims that Brutus is noble, he means that not at all, he then uses Brutus’ favourite accusation ‘ambitious’ and goes on to prove him wrong. The word ‘If’ is conditional, Brutus believes it is true whereas Mark Antony strongly believes otherwise. The crowd are swinging further and further towards Mark Antony’s way of thinking by the line. In so many words without actually saying it Mark Antony is calling Brutus a liar. ‘Grievous’ suggests a serious wrong doing on Brutus’ behalf. Next Mark Antony points out that Brutus has allowed him to speak, then automatically undermines Brutus with a very ironic, although the sarcasm is not so obvious to the commoners at first
‘For Brutus is an honourable man,
And so are they all honourable man.’
This irony is not realised by the crowd, however with Mark Antony’s repentance of honourable to be shown the will soon catch on.
Mark Antony’s aim was to take the crowds opinion of the conspirators and turn it around into his favour, so that he could turn them against the conspirators, to do this he needs to show his views on why Julius Caesar was not ambitious. He does this four times.
His first stab at the conspirators is linked to his and Julius Caesar’s friendship
‘He was my friend, faithful and just to me’
Followed by
'Yet Brutus says he was ambitious
And Brutus is an honourable man.'
His use of irony would have been recognised by the more intellectual of the crowd now, his way of thinking in common with Brutus is starting to rub off on the mob. He continues
‘He hath brought many captives to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill.’
Whereas Brutus would say Caesar was ambitious Mark Antony would protest by saying that Caesar brought money to Rome. This allows him to say how Caesar was not overly ambitious because an ambitious leader would have kept the money for himself.
‘When the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept’
‘Ambition should be made of sterner stuff’
'Yet Brutus says he was ambitious and Brutus is an honourable man.'
Now the plebeians have realised Mark Antony’s irony, they are starting to trust him, to ensure this trust Mark Antony uses a line that know-one could disagree with
‘I thrice presented him with a kingly crown
Which he did thrice refuse, was this ambition?’
This is a rhetorical question and is a clever way of making the crowd think about Mark Antony’s speech and thoughts.
Now the crowd are totally engaged in his speech. Compared to Brutus’ speech Mark Antony’s is much more emotional, he starts his speech in a much more friendly tone than Brutus’ and this allows him to toy with the crowds emotions, so far he has only changed their perspective on the murder but he goes on to create a passionate ball of rage in the mobs mind. His use of emotive language is a useful persuasive technique.
Now that he has the crowd on his side he begins to plant seeds of rebellion in an astute way into their minds
‘O masters, if I were disposed to stir
Your hearts and minds into mutiny and rage.’
He is trying to push the crowd in to mutiny and rage, but he uses the words in an ironic and rhetorical tone so that the mob would think nothing of it straight away but it would always be a thought in their heads, he is also very subtle in his sayings so that they can not backfire at a later stage, he can claim no such responsibility.
Whereas Brutus only uses one prop, the dagger, Mark Antony uses three, Caesar’s bloody body, Caesars blood drenched cloak, but most effectively his will with which he tantalises and creates false climaxes, by saying that it would be wrong for the crowd to see the will. The crowd repeatedly protest to hear the will but cleverly Mark Antony replies,
‘Have patience dear friends’
Which would suggest to the citizens that they would hear it soon.
Again Mark Antony indirectly creates the feel of mutiny and rage amongst the crowd
‘It will inflame you and make you mad.’
This is what Mark Antony really wants to happen but his use of irony plants the seed deeper in to the crowds mind. Again the plebeians plead to hear the will and Mark Antony consult them as though he had no choice but to read it. Immediately after he has agreed to read the will he brings his second prop, Julius Caesar’s body, into action. Once the ring around Julius Caesar’s body is formed, Mark Antony’s final prop, the bloody cloak is also used. The way Mark Antony brings the crowd to surround Julius Caesar’s body is a persuasive technique because he is allowing the audience to participate. He uses Julius Caesar’s bloody cloak to build up the mobs desire for revenge, he points out each single stab wound to Julius Caesar’s body, beforehand he reminisces on the good old days that they spent together,
‘Twas a summers evening in his tent,
That day he overcame the Nervii’
The plebeians would relate to this anecdote and it would make them even more incensed at the conspirators, because they too would remember that day and would be thinking if Julius Caesar were still alive days like that would be certainties.
‘Through this is the well-beloved Brutus stabbed’
Mark Antony is openly calling Brutus a traitor, the crowd are fully in favour of the revenge now and would not need telling who to execute, but just in case Mark Antony makes sure of it,
‘O piteous spectacle’
‘O traitors, villains’
‘Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill! Slay!
Let not a traitor live.’
The crowd are ready to set out for the conspirators, this is another false climax,
‘Stay countrymen’
Is Mark Antony’s answer to their burning desire. Now he appeased them and once again irony is used
‘They are wise and honourable men’
The crowd know that they are not, they are wholly on Mark Antony’s side, ready for war and death with a burning desire to kill all traitors of Rome, once again Mark Antony creates a false climax by tantalising the crowd with the will
‘You have forgot the will I told you of.’
They all once again plead to hear the will, Mark Antony agrees,
‘To every roman citizen he gives,
To every single man, seventy-five drachmas.’
The crowd are astonished at Julius Caesar’s generosity, how could such a generous man be ambitious, he goes on and promotes Julius Caesar’s generosity
‘… He hath left you his walks,
His private arbours and new-planted orchards’
Mark Antony is aroused by the crowds frustration towards the conspirators and sends them on a rampage which he knows will be to his benefit, because the angry mob will search and destroy the conspirators, he leads them on
‘Go fetch fire’
‘Pluck down benches’
Allowing Mark Antony to speak was a dreadful blunder by Brutus. An intelligent speaker like Mark Antony is undoubtedly going to turn the tables around, now not only are the mob on Mark Antony’s side but they are for the murder of all traitors, particularly the conspirators.
After the crowd has descended upon Rome Mark Antony’s manipulative side is let loose, his true colours are shown,
‘Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot,
Take thou what course thou wilt.’
He is victorious in every sense and he relishes the moment.
The superior of the two speeches is definitely Mark Antony’s for several reasons, firstly and most obviously it is longer, he also uses more props, Mark Antony uses three whereas Brutus only uses one. Mark Antony is a more emotive speaker, he is more involved in his speech and communicates to the crowd on a level at which they can appreciate, whereas Brutus shows his power. Brutus delivers a simple speech and he also stands in the same area throughout. Mark Antony involves the audience by walking into them and surrounding them around Julius Caesar’s body, this is a good persuasive technique amounting to audience participation. Brutus does not use irony, but the majority of Mark Antony’s speech is spoken ironically, for example he repeats ‘honourable’ when he means the opposite. Brutus also uses repetition by repeating with the word ‘ambitious’ when talking about Julius Caesar. Both Mark Antony and Brutus use rhetorical questions as a persuasive technique, this gives the audience time to think and also so do the pauses that they both use. Mark Antony’s speech is full of anti-climaxes, one line he is filling them with enthusiasm and the next he is appeasing them, this is an effective way of building their emotions.
