Julius Caesar - the Effects of Persuasion

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Thus, Antony can prove that the conspirators display corrupt and dishonorable characteristics once again. The view of the mantle pushes the crowd to feel even more furious than before, which demonstrates the plan Antony has had from the beginning. The dead body of Caesar shocks the Romans, because the people of Rome remember Caesar as heroic and great, but the corpse just looks weak and horrifying. The people become furious and angry by the mantle because the citizens shouted, "O piteous spectacle!"(III.ii.212), "O traitors, villains!"(III.ii.215), "We will be revenged" (III.ii.217). Antony certainly succeeds in getting the Roman people fired up to avenge Caesar's death. The citizens are ready to fight the conspirators when they say, "Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill! Slay! / Let not a traitor live!"(III.ii.218-219). Antony logically manages to say no negative statements towards the conspirators, but he succeeds in making the Roman people believe that the conspirators are incorrect due to persuasive tactics.

Likewise, when the people see Caesar's will, their anger and savage like nature act up, and they are ready to fight. Throughout Antony's funeral speech, he mentions Caesar's will several times. He uses the will to increase the crowd's anger and animosity towards the conspirators. When Antony brings out Caesar's will, all the Romans plead him to read it. Antony keeps saying that if he reads the will out loud, then the people will feel touched and moved by Caesar's affection for them. To push them over the edge to commit murder, Antony reads the content. He informs the people of Rome that Caesar does love them, because he leaves 75 drachmas and all his walkways to all the citizens including future generations. The Romans respond, "Most noble Caesar! We'll revenge his death!" (III.ii.259-260). Another Roman citizen cries out, "O royal Caesar!" (III.ii.261). This tactic to use props works and convinces the Romans that Caesar in fact demonstrates an honorable and noble person, and causes the people to want revenge against the conspirators. When Antony shouts, "Here was a Caesar! When comes such another?"(III.ii.269), the crowd all agree at once saying, "Never, never!" (III.ii.270). Evidently, the citizens disregard every word Brutus says, and believe there is no nobler and honorable leader than Caesar.

In conclusion, Antony exemplifies his skillful rhetoric powers, because he influences the group of people using different tactics intelligently throughout his funeral speech. In the beginning, he utilizes specific evidence to oppose Brutus' statements so that the Romans switch over to his side. Antony uses these tactics and logic efficiently because the Roman people slowly doubt every word in Brutus' speech. Moreover, Antony continually repeats the phrase, "And Brutus is an honorable man" (III.ii.89), to hint indirectly that he is in fact not honorable. He effectively uses this tactic since it permits him to persuade the crowd into believing in Brutus' dishonor without saying those exact words. Furthermore, Antony makes use of props to enrage the Romans to retaliate Caesar's death. Showing the stab wounds in the mantle and Caesar's will resonate with the Romans and in the result, the Romans respond to violence and anger. In conclusion, Antony's excellent use of rhetoric and using tactics logically satisfies the people of Rome enough to lose their temper against Brutus and the other conspirators.