Preview

Julius Caesar - Mark Antony

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
787 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Julius Caesar - Mark Antony
Mark Antony It is human nature to change one's personality to fit the situation. People behave differently when speaking to a dignitary that when talking to a friend. Over time one can change due to a loss or gain of power, sometimes for the better or worse. In Julius Caesar, for example, Mark Antony goes through several changes. Mark Antony loved Julius Caesar, yet when he passed away Mark Antony swears vengeance, and ultimately is corrupted by the power of running a country. At the beginning of the play Antony is harmless and extremely loyal to Julius Caesar. Mark Antony is about to run a race, but "When Caesar says ‘Do this,' it is performed." It is almost as if Mark Antony is only a puppet to Julius Caesar. He is being respectful of his leader, yet it seems as if he is fearful of him. While Caesar does not realize Mark Antony's potential, Brutus underestimates him. Brutus refers to Rome as a body and Caesar as the head, yet "To cut the head off and then hack the limbs" would be killing Mark Antony. If the head of something was shot, there is no need to try to shoot the heart. Julius Caesar is concerned about his well-being, for good reason. Casca has been speaking in low tones and Caesar would "Have men about me that are fat" because he feels that they can be trusted easier. Caesar trusts Mark Antony as his closest confidant due to the fact that they have been like brothers all their lives. A conspiracy is planned, Caesar is killed, and Mark Antony becomes a skillful, planning, and vengeful manipulator. When Caesar dies Mark Antony has "Fled to his house amazed" because one of his closest friends has been killed. The conspirators have judged Antony to be a coward, and therefore do not respect him. He sends his servant to see if it is safe to speak with the conspirators. When they finally meet, he shook everyone's hand, "but was indeed swayed from the point by looking down on Caesar." By seeing the corpse of his friend, he has been
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Julius Caesar Betrayal Quotes
    • 862 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Julius Caesar Betrayal Quotes

    After the assassination of Caesar, Brutus explains his reasons for committing such an act. Antony deceives Brutus into believing that Antony understood their reasons and would join them as an ally. By becoming a supposed ally, Antony gains the advantage of trust, as Brutus trusts him to speak at Caesar’s funeral. At Caesar’s funeral, Antony goes against Brutus’ trust, and reveals Caesar’s will, and incites the plebeians to come to the conclusion that Caesar had been a good man, and that Brutus was in the wrong. Antony reveals his true intentions when he says to himself, “Mischief thou art afoot; / Take thou what course thou wilt” (III. iii. 275-276). Antony had taken advantage of the trust bestowed upon him by pulling off a brilliant act on his part, that effectively persuaded Brutus. Not only that, Antony also takes advantage of the trust that the plebeians had given him. His ulterior motives are revealed when he criticizes Lepidus’ ability to stand besides them and asks, “Is it fit, / The threefold world divided, he should stand / One of the three to share it?” (IV. i. 15-17). This shows how Antony has no intention of fulfilling his promise made to the plebeians to uphold Caesar’s will. Instead, he wants to gain power for himself, and gets rid of Brutus and the other conspirators to get his way. He had acted as a perfect friend/ally to the plebeians as he acted to Brutus, and he also took advantage of them as well.…

    • 862 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Effects of Caesar's Rise to Power
    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Effects of Caesar's Rise to Power

    The Roman's godlike worship of Caesar threatens the prominence of the Senate. To retain his dominance Mark Antony chooses to become a close ally to him. Cassius, Brutus, and the other conspirators however, plot Caesar’s demise. In the end, Mark Antony finds high esteem and the conspirators receive banishment and death. The play is an example, or maybe even a warning, that our actions and reactions have real effects. Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Cinna, Trebonius, and Cimber respond swiftly and without thought to Caesar’s rise and pay a heavy price for it in the end. Mark Antony sees the worth in being Caesar’s friend, and their friendship benefits him when Caesar is dead. In the play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare the principal characters' initial reactions to Caesar’s rise affect their conclusive outcomes.…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Julius caesar
    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Julius caesar

    Act 1 of Julius Caesar begins on the streets of ancient Rome during the high holiday of Lupercal. Citizens all over Rome are not only celebrating the holiday, but also celebrating Caesar’s return from Egypt. While celebrating with his fellow Romans, Caesar gets an oracular warning from a soothsayer who tells him to “Beware of the ides of March”. As Caesar is celebrating his return and impending crowning, Cassius is plotting to murder Caesar because he’s jealous and feels that Caesar is no better than him, so why should he get the crown while he has nothing. Cassius’s first step in the plot against Caesar is to try to sway Brutus away from Caesar and onto the conspirator side. He does this by playing on Brutus’s rectitude and saying that Caesar has no honor, and that when he becomes dictator he will ruin Rome. After meeting with Cassius, Brutus is still not entirely convinced about whether or not to join the conspiracy. He is conflicted (torn) by his loyalty to Caesar and the future of Rome with Caesar’s growing power. Knowing that he must do the right thing, Brutus acts prudently and informs Cassius that he will weigh his options. Cassius knows that Brutus has not been swayed to his side, so he plans to send Brutus forged letters from the people of Rome that state their love and respect for Brutus in hopes that this will show him that Caesar is not the only one loved and respected by the people.…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Julius Caesar Conflicting Perspectives
    • 858 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Julius Caesar Conflicting Perspectives

    He delivers a convincing speech on how the assassination was just and was for the benefit of Rome. The sheepish commoners are easily satisfied by this explanation and when Antony arrives he has to bellow to gain their attention. Antony then commences a skilfully rhetoric argument against the conspirators. The repetition of the word ‘ambitious’ by Antony in act 3, scene 2 subtly ridicules and discredits Brutus and wins over the crowd. By using this rhetoric dialogue in Antony’s speech, Shakespeare communicates Antony’s perspective and personality. The clash of the two personalities and perspectives of Brutus and Antony in this scene extends the drama and emphasizes the contrast of characters included in ‘Julius Caesar’.…

    • 858 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Julius Caesar
    • 511 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Julius Caesar

    In all actuality Shakespeare portrayed Julius Ceasar very closely in his play to what it really was in real life with only a few slight differences and also in the play the stroy is shortened down quite a bit from what really happens after Ceasar is assassinated. For example in the play Caesar is portrayed as a noble hero that is struck down by his "allies" without much of a reason. In reality Caesar was power hungry, cruel, devious, ruthless, and extremely ambitious which may have been why he was one of histories greatest military generals. Although in both the play and real life the citizens loved Caesar because he was a strong and powerful leader. In all honesty, his assassins had very good reason to fear him being their emperor.…

    • 511 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Julius Caesar
    • 513 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Julius Caesar

    Flavius and Caesar are not the best of friends, so I would say that he wanted to undermine Caesar's power and control his political actions. !…

    • 513 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Examples Of Politically Corrupt In Julius Caesar
    • 1322 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Examples Of Politically Corrupt In Julius Caesar

    Yet another one of the more commonly deemed immoral personality traits. It was by this state of mind and his abuse of power that Marc Antony contributed the loss of morality within the political aspects of this play. Being a great admirer and friend of Caesar, Antony sought out revenge upon the conspirators after learning of the assassination. By making his eulogy more emotionally charged and getting the opportunity to speak after Brutus, Antony was able to uproot what his pier said and get the revenge he was seeking. Throughout his speech, Marc Antony described Caesar’s wounds in ways such as, "Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through. See what a rent the envious Casca made. Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb’d.” (III, ii, 176-178) This inspired grief and anger within the Roman people that was then pointed directly at the conspirators. Until the end of the play, Antony is continuously seeking revenge and he does obtain the ultimate revenge when both of the conspirators, Brutus and Cassius, die. This strong desire for revenge is masked to look like justice for the assassination of a great leader, but is it really? In the end, there is no benefit. Yes, Caesar’s death has been avenged but all the great political minds that could have taken his place after his assassination have also been killed and the couple left have been even more corrupted after going through this whole ordeal. Now those…

    • 1322 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Brutus's Tragic Flaw Essay
    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Brutus's Tragic Flaw Essay

    He misjudged Antony’s loyalty to Caesar and to Rome, calling him “but a limb of Caesar,” (Act II. Sc. I). Because of his altered perception in judgment, Brutus thought that every leader in Rome was as noble as him, acting for the good of the republic, which wasn’t entirely the case. Brutus was easily convinced that Mark Antony had joined the conspirators’ side after the death of Caesar and was unable to see through his false promises. Brutus never thought that the death of Caesar would provoke such a reaction from Antony because he assumed that every politician in Rome held clear distinctions between their private and public lives, concerning their duties in…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Julius Caesar
    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Julius Caesar

    Julius Caesar early political career followed the typical career of a Roman politician in the first century BC. He initially became a lawyer and then held positions needed to climb the political ladder to the consulship: quaestor, aedile and then praetor. He became consul in 59 BC and in order to make sure he obtained the consulship he formed a secret agreement between himself and the other two most important men at that time, Pompey and Crassus. Pompey was a leading military figure and Crassus was the richest man in Rome as well as a leading patrician senator. This alliance became known as the First Triumvirate which was formed in 60BC and it secured the alliance with Pompey with the marriage of Pompeia (Caesar’s sister). According to Pamela Bradley, ‘Caesar’s role in the First Triumvirate played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic’ and hence he effectively represented himself as a mediator, instigator and manipulator.…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Julius Caesar
    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Julius Caesar

    Brutus is a very cautious man. "Into what dangers are you leading me, Cassius, that you would have me lookinto myself for things that are not there?"(1.2.68-70) This quote is referring to act 1 where Cassius brings Brutus into the room and starts to talk about Caesar. When Cassius suggests to kill Mark Antony alone with Caesar, Brutus says, "Our plan will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius. We cut off the head and then hack the limbs, seem to kill Caesar in anger and then vent malice on his friends, for Antony is only a branch of Caesar."(2.1.169-172) Brutus doesn't want to just kill everyone, and be know as a killer, he just wants to do what he thinks is right for the people of Rome. Brutus was cautious, even near the end of the play when he was in his tent talking to Cassius,he told Lucilius and Titinius to go guard the door, until he had finished he conference.…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Julius Caesar
    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Julius Caesar

    •Antony is looked upon as an irresponsible kid who likes to attend plays and go out at night. He was Caesar's loyal assistant. That Antony loved Caesar there is no doubt. There is, however, ample evidence that Antony was the "sleek-headed man" of whom Caesar warns in Act I. His oration at Caesar's funeral was more than an attempt to avenge Caesar's death. It was a power grab. Antony speaks of Caesar's will. During the civil war that follows, he changes the will. Antony ruthlessly orders the murder of hundreds of citizens.…

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Julius Caesar
    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Julius Caesar

    A powerful leader being assassinated is not new in the history of the world. Some have been powerful and some have not. President John F. Kennedy is maybe the most famous in the history of the United States, except maybe President Abraham Lincoln. The murder of Julius Caesar is one of the most famous and popular too. The debate is whether he should have been assassinated or not, depending on what you think he was doing within the empire. It is true that Julius Caesar was changing the republic into an empire, but is that reason enough to kill the leader of that change? I don't think he should have been assassinated.…

    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Irony In Antony's Eulogy For Caeser
    • 173 Words
    • 1 Page

    Irony In Antony's Eulogy For Caeser

    Antony proves strong in all of the ways that Brutus proves weak. His impulsive, improvisatory nature serves him perfectly, first to persuade the conspirators that he is on their side, thus gaining their leniency, and then to persuade the plebeians of the conspirators' injustice, thus gaining the masses' political support. Not too scrupulous to stoop to deceit and duplicity, as Brutus claims to be, Antony proves himself a consummate politician, using gestures and skilled rhetoric to his advantage. He responds to subtle cues among both his nemeses and his allies to know exactly how he must conduct himself at each particular moment in order to gain the most advantage. In Both his eulogy for Caeser and the play as a whole, Antony is adept at tailoring…

    • 173 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Julius Caesar
    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Julius Caesar

    “As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me a man of such a feeble temper...”…

    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Julius Caesar
    • 2372 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Julius Caesar

    walked the face of this earth for 56 years. Some called him a tyrant, a foe,…

    • 2372 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More

Related Topics