Rhetorical Analysis On Catiline

In Catilinam Paper

Cicero, the masterful orator and lawyer, gave a tremendous speech against a wicked minded senator named Catiline who was planning to overthrow the government. Within the Temple of Jupiter, Cicero used many tactics to stir the senators such as reminding the senators of similar situations in the past; making them fear Catiline, connecting their situation to real life examples, and making it seem that his plans are known by everyone. With these tactics and others, Cicero effectively tries to stir the members of the senate against Catiline. Cicero opens his speech by reminding the senators of what other high officials have done in the past. He begins with,

"What? Did not that most illustrious man, Publius Scipio, the Pontifex Maximus, in his capacity of a private citizen, put to death Tiberius Gracchus, though but slightly undermining the constitution? And
He begins by making the senators think that there is an enemy right on their doorstep by saying that they are at the, "entrance of Eturia." The senators in this case believe that Cicero is referring to the entrance right outside of Rome, but in fact, Cicero is referring to the entrance on the other side of Eturia (quite a distance from Rome). If having a huge army outside their gate isn't enough for the senators, Cicero tells them that their number increases each day. This warning has to make the senators more fearful and anxious to get rid of Catiline, for the longer they wait, the greater the enemy becomes. Then Cicero, almost not needing to place more fear in the senators, makes them fear even more. He tells the senators that it is bad enough that there is an army right "outside" the gates, but when their leader is in the interior, gathering inside information, something must be done. The senators begin to ask themselves, "What if he has our war plans? What is he knows our