Ethos And Pathos In The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar

In Shakespeare’s, “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,” a group of conspirators plot to kill the ambitious Caesar. Their plot is successful and Caesar is murdered in the Capitol while his right-hand man, Mark Antony, flees. Antony returns and asks the conspirators if he can speak to the public about Caesar’s death. Brutus grants Antony’s request, but on the requirement that Brutus gives a speech first. Brutus uses Ethos to make the Romans believe he’s one of them, Logos to give reason for killing Caesar, and Pathos to show he did love Caesar. Meanwhile Antony uses Ethos the same as Brutus, to convince the people he’s one of them, Logos to show Caesar wasn't ambitious, and Pathos to portray his true liking for Caesar. Brutus and Antony both use Ethos to give credibility to their speeches. In his speech Brutus says, “Believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour that you may believe,”(III.ii.14-16). Brutus is implying that since he is an honorable man with a great reputation, you should believe him. Basically Brutus is saying that his honor makes his speech true. Antony on the other hand says in his speech, “Good friends, sweet friends,”(III.ii.214). By addressing the people as
Brutus gives reason for why he had to slay Caesar. To the crowd he eloquently orates, “Not that I loved Caesar less, But that I loved Rome,”(III.ii.21-22). Furthermore, Brutus is saying he killed Caesar for the good of Rome because he loves his country. He even portray the assassination as a patriotic act. On the other hand Antony uses logos to prove Caesar wasn’t ambitious and shouldn’t have been slaughtered for that reason. While reading Caesar’s will he says, “To every Roman citizen he gives, to every several man, seventy-five drachmas,”(III.ii.242-243). By reading this Antony shows Caesar’s generosity and implies that if Caesar really were ambitious he wouldn’t have left seventy-five drachmas to every Roman