Julius Caesar Persuasive Techniques

In Shakespeare’s popular drama Julius Caesar, a group of senators ferociously murder the Roman dictator Julius Caesar at the Capitol in Rome. Marcus Antonius(Antony) is one of Caesar’s most-trusted friends, and one of the few who does not betray him. At Caesar’s funeral, Antony motivates the citizens of Rome to turn against the conspirators and avenge the death of Julius Caesar. His oration at the funeral is packed with persuasive devices including specific evidence, verbal irony, and props to manipulate the minds of the people in the crowd to mutiny against Caesar’s killers. The contents of this essay look at the persuasive devices Antony uses and evaluates their effectiveness on the crowd. In his speech, Antony uses specific examples to explain how Caesar emulates the qualities of a fine leader. Antony’s choice of details using specific evidence greatly contributes to the crowd’s change in judgement of Julius Caesar. He mentions many of Caesar's
Antony calls the conspirators “honorable men” as an insult, spitting it out angrily as he speaks, “If I were disposed to stir / Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, / I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong, / Who, you all know, are honorable men.”(3.2.137-139). He points out how these “honorable men” killed a great man who loves the people and would do them no harm, to make them suspicious that they killed Caesar over a personal vendetta or greediness, and not for the better of the people. Then, Antony describes Brutus’ contribution to the butchering of Caesar, “Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabbed;” (3.2.193). He calls Brutus “well-beloved” because by this time of the speech the people are flaming with rage towards Brutus and the other conspirators. They show their newly developed anger and hatred for the assassins in their reaction to Antony’s