Julius Caesar: Power Of Language, Speech, And Written Words

The play Julius Caesar shows the power of language, speech, and written words, through many examples. One instance was when Brutus and Antony gave their speeches at Caesar’s funeral, and both of them swayed the crowd. Another case was when Cassius first convinced Brutus to join the conspiracy. Finally, it was shown again when Caesar was convinced to go to the Senate meeting, where he was later killed. The power of language, speech, and written words is displayed in these examples and several other times throughout the play. The best example of the power of speech in Julius Caesar was when Brutus and Antony gave their speeches at Caesar’s funeral. When Brutus prepared to give his speech, the audience was originally furious with him due to the
fact that he was one of Caesar’s assassins. Caesar was a beloved leader to the people, and none of them were happy that one of his killers was standing in front of them. However, as Brutus spoke, they changed their minds. One critic who reviewed the play pointed this out here, “After Caesar's death, Brutus gives an oration; by the end of his speech, the public cries that Brutus, one of Caesar's assassins, should be crowned.” (Adney). In this part, the author mentions how Brutus’s speech changed what the crowds thought so much that they wanted Brutus to rule. Brutus convinced the crowd that Caesar had been a dangerous tyrant and that he did what he had to do for the good of the Roman people. By the time that he was done, the people were against Caesar, and for him. This was seen in this line, “This Caesar was a tyrant.” (3. 2. 69). Here, one of the plebeians was saying how he thought Caesar was a tyrannical, after hearing Brutus. However, this view the crowd had changed yet again when Antony spoke. In Antony’s speech, he mentioned the good things that Caesar had done, including the time he refused the position of king. He also read them Caesar’s will, which granted things to the plebeians. These points refuted the idea that Caesar was a tyrant, and overall, Antony’s argument changed their minds again, making them supportive of Caesar, and rebellious against Brutus. This was noted in a review, “Mark Antony, Caesar’s loyal general, delivers an emotional funeral oration that foments a violent rebellion.” (“Explanation”). Here, the author explains how Mark Antony’s speech changed the public’s mind yet again, stirring up the beginnings of a rebellion. When Antony was done, the crowd was eager to get away and chase after the conspirators. Overall, in this scene, it shows the power of speech as the Roman citizens go from supporting Caesar, to supporting Brutus, and back to supporting Caesar, after hearing the speeches. One instance that stands out is when Cassius convinces Brutus to join the conspiracy. The first way Cassius tried convincing Brutus was by talking to him about the matter. He told Brutus that he thought Caesar had grown too powerful, and could become tyrannical. The thought stuck with Brutus, especially because of his tendencies to put the Roman people first. This was shown here, during their conversation, “I do fear the people choose Caesar for their king.” (1. 2. 78-79). In this excerpt, Brutus had heard shouting, and told Cassius that he feared the people were choosing Caesar to be their king. Due to all of this, Brutus became concerned that Caesar was dangerous and feared that he would continue to grow in power, and rule over the Roman people like that. After that discussion, another way Cassius persuaded Brutus was by anonymously sending him letters. He would send Brutus letters, but forge them, so they appeared to be from citizens. The letters would tell Brutus to take action, and to fix the wrongs that had been committed. These things obviously swayed Brutus, because he joined the conspiracy, and became one of Caesar’s killers. Brutus’s change of mind was another example of the influence of language, speech, and written words. Finally, another great example of the power of speech, language, and written words is when Caesar was about to go to a Senate meeting, despite warnings not to.
At first, Caesar was determined to go to the meeting, but his wife, Calpurnia, begged him not to go. After a while, he consented, and decided to not go. However, Decius Brutus came by, and Caesar told him to let the Senate know that he would not be coming. Decius questioned him further about it, and Caesar told him to tell everyone in the Senate that he would not come because he chose not to. However, he told Decius that he was not coming specifically because Calpurnia insisted he not go, and had dreamed bad dreams, warning that something bad could happen. Decius talked him into going though, and reinterpreted the dream, saying that it meant positive things, not danger. In the end, Caesar changed his mind, and announced, “How foolish do your dreams seem now, Calpurnia!... Give me my robe, for I will go.” (2. 2. 105-107). Here, Caesar has changed his mind again, and has decided to go to the Senate meeting, not worrying about potential dangers. All in all, the power of language is evident in this scene when Caesar went from being determined to go to the Senate meeting, to changing his mind due to what Calpurnia told him, to deciding to go again over what Decius said to him. In the end, there were plenty of examples in Julius Caesar about the power of language, speech, and written words. It was shown in the speeches at Caesar’s funeral, which quickly changed the citizens’ minds again and again. Also, when Cassius first tried to convince Brutus to join the conspiracy. Finally, it was seen when Caesar made the decision to go to the Senate meeting, where he was later killed. These were just a few examples out of many. Overall, the play shows the powerful influence of language, speech, and written
words.