Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare - 2100 Words

In the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Mark Antony is depicted as a better leader than Brutus, due to his cunning use of rhetoric when addressing the plebeians after Caesar’s death. This essay will be divided into two sections to explore the ways in which Antony is depicted as better leader. The First section will contextualise the extracts used for analysis, and compare Brutus’s pedestrian speech with Mark Antony’s impressive oratory. This will be done by defining what rhetoric is, and how it is used by Antony to win over the plebeians in comparison with Brutus. The second section will use examples taken from Machiavelli’s The Prince, in order to establish that Mark Antony is depicted as a better leader. Noble Brutus is†¦show more content†¦Although Cassius tells Brutus not to grant Antony permission to speak at the funeral, Brutus says that it would not be precarious, as he will address the plebeians first and state that he has granted Antony permission. Now that the extracts have been contextualised, the definition of rhetorical will be explored as this is what Antony uses which portrays him as a superior leader. Rhetoric is the ability to persuade an audience using artful speeches or an enthralling writing style (Auger 262). It was a vital part of study during the Early Renaissance time in Europe, being included in the syllabus at universities which Shakespeare made use of (Auger 262). According to Auger, Brutus presents an inadequate speech to the plebeians in Act 3 of the play, while Antony’s speech is more alluring (262). The following sections will analyse the ways that Antony persuades the plebeians by the use of rhetoric, portraying him as a better leader than Brutus. Before focusing on the actual speech, it is important to note how Brutus addresses the plebeians as he addresses them from the pulpit during the entire speech. The pulpit is a platform which elevates Brutus from the plebeians, placing him in a position of authority. This can be seen when the Third Citizen exclaims â€Å"The noble Brutus is ascended: silence!† (III, II, 1544). He remains in the pulpit during the entire speech and only descends from it when he departs. Thus Brutus remains detached from the commoners of RomeShow MoreRelatedJulius Caesar by William Shakespeare646 Words   |  3 Pages William Shakespeare is one of the greatest playwrights of all time. He has written over 30 plays that include comedies, histories, and tragedies. A tragedy is about the downfall of a tragic hero, and the tragic hero is someone of greater power or high standing obtaining a flaw. One of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies is the story of Julius Caesar. In this story, the main character, Julius Caesar, is plotted against his best friend, Brutus, and the head of the conspiracy, Cassius. 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