Critical Analysis of Mark Antony’s Funeral Speech Essay

Of tout ensemble Shakespeares works , Julius Caesar is a play that hinges upon rhetoric both as the art of opinion and an artifice used to veil intent. The most striking of Shakespeare is his command of language. In Mark Antonys funeral oration for Caesar, we have not only one of Shakespeares most recognizable opening tonal patterns but one of his finest examples of rhetorical irony at work. The talking to could serve as a thematic synopsis to Julius Caesar. wiz of the most important and significant parts in the play is the funeral speech given by both Brutus and Mark Antony.At firstly, the funeral speeches seem to have no true significant meaning. However in further investigation it is established that the speeches ultimately serve as the basis for the final extinctcome of the play. By exploring the speeches of both Brutus and Mark Antony we are able to focus on the important details which alter one from the other. Through this analysis we are in addition able to overhear why Brutuss speech becomes one of his justifications and explanations, while Antonys becomes one of manipulation and skill. It is kn accept that both Brutus and Antony hoped to appeal to the common wad.However, the way in which each man went about it differs drasti knelly. Not only did it influence the outcome of the play, but each speech overly offers a unique insight on each of the speakers. Brutuss speech Brutuss speech becomes one of acquittal, not only for the people of Rome, but for Brutus himself. He uses his love and nobility as a shield to defend and justify his actions to the cluster. Brutus states that he has carried out this horrendous act because of his love for Rome, and for the good of the people.This is my answer, not that I have loved Caesar less, but that I love Rome more (3. 2. 21-22). In his speech he re signals that the people use their reason to judge him. Although this seduces the crowd, it is not until afterwards one of the common people cry Let him be Caesar. (3. 2. 51) that it is realized the speech is precisely too good for them. Brutus begins to realize that liberty is not what the people wanted, but rather that they desire a healthy leader. Although his speech serves the purpose for its practical effectiveness, Brutus later comes to discover that his lack of insight of human nature aided in the apparent hopelessness of his cause.In comparison Mark Antony fully understands human nature and uses his awareness of it in his speech. Antony appeals to the passion and the grief of the people. What Brutus failed to recognize in the people, Antony used to his best interest. He realized that the people of Rome were altogether incapable of acting with reason and he employed this inability to manipulate and control their emotions and actions. By using Brutus own explanations for Caesars death to begin his speech, Antony proves his validity to the crowd.By questioning Caesars ambition, yet never actually humiliating the conspirators He succeeds in purposely jumper cable the crowd away from any rational defense provided by Brutus. Antony uses his own grief along with a series of lies to remove the sympathy of the people. Through his powerful and honest speech he is able to cast a shadow of doubt into the read/write heads of the people, and the crowd begins to gaze at the true motive behind Caesars murder. Antony understands the needs and wants of the people and uses this to prey upon their emotions and passions.He dangles Caesars Will in front of the people and then quickly puts it away again, knowing that the crowd go forth demand that it be read. Antony also recalls memories of the cloak Caesar now wears, while revealing his bloodied body, fully aware of the havoc it will reek, but unrelenting in his quest for revenge. Antonys Speech Antonys performance on the bully pulpit came as no surprise. To be sure, Antony does not have it easy. He is already a man distrusted by the conspirators for his friendship wi th Caesar.Brutus lets him speak at Caesars funeral, but only after Brutus,a great orator in his own right, has spoken first to show the reason of our Caesars death. Burtus makes it very clear that Antony may speak whatever good he wishes of Caesar so long as he speaks no ill of the conspirators. Obviously Antony has two advantages over Burtus his subterfuge and his chance to have the last word. It is safe to say that Antony makes the most of his opportunity. He even mocks the senators and merely sets the table for dissent. He progressively hits upon the notes of ambition and honourable in a cadence that soon calls both terms into question.Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears From a rhythmic perspective, the trochaic feel of this opening immediately commands attention. The succession of hard stresses is also Shakespeares way of using the verse to help Antony cut through the din of the crowd. Antonoy also echoes the opening beginning that Brutus uses Romans, countrymen and lovers,but conspicuously rearranges it where Brutus begins with Romans to reflect his appeal to their reason, Antony begins with friends, which reflects the more emotional tact he will take throughout the rest of his speech.Remember also that Antony has entered the Forum with Caesars body in tow and will use corpse as a prop throughout his oration. Antony follows with a line of heterosexual iambic pentameter punctuated with a feminine ending I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. Here is the first irony of Antonys speech, in that he is unequivocally here to praise Caesar. Antony is, in fact, lying. Come I to speak in Caesars funeral,Antony returns to the actual predicate of his statement with innocuous metrical regularity. The line is all but a throway Antony doesnt want the crowd dwelling on the idea that he is speaking here by permission.The preceding parenthetical expression insertion of Brutus and the rest being honourable men displace his emphasis and lessens the impression that Brutus holds sway over him. In doing so, Antony effectively obeys the letter of his agreement without surrender to its spirit. But Brutus says he was ambitious Antony contrasts his experience with what Brutus has said. The obvious implication is that Brutus and Antony have different views of Caesar. The more subtle implication is that since both men have claimed him as their friend, they have equal authority to speak on the subject of Caesars disposition.Antony, however, has the advantage of not needing to justify his actions. Instead, Antony can focus on sawing the limb out from under Brutuss argument. And Brutus is an honourable man. At this point, Antony is still ostensibly speaking well of Brutusat least to the crowd. A plebian might think that at worst, perhaps, both Antony or Brutus has made an honest mistake in his judgment of Caesar. On the other hand, the words says, ambitious, and honourable are becoming impossible to miss. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious This is the third time in this speech that Antony utters this refrain.Every time he says this, it draws Brutus in an increasingly harsher light. The recurring repetition amplifies the question in the mind of the audience, There is a rather obscure rhetorical term for this technique its known as repotia, which describes using the same phrase with minor variations in tone, diction, or style. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, The regular iambic rhythm of the line and the feminine ending both help soften this lines tone, which contrasts the high fervor of O judgment Its a simple metaphor that holds up well four centuries later.To Antonys credit, the sentiment is grounded in his love for Caesar its also quite telling of the character that hes able to use this emotion in such a cynical enterprise. Throughout his speech Antony calls the conspirators honorable men. He then says, You the crowd all did love him once, not without cause. What cause withholds you then to mourn for him? Thi s question goes against Brutus by questioning his speech when he betrayed Caesar. Now the crowd is starting to turn against the conspirators and follow Antony.Even though in his speech Antony never directly calls the conspirators traitors, he is able to call them honourable in a sarcastic manner that the crowd is able to understand. He starts out by citing that Caesar had thrice refused the crown, which refutes the conspirators main cause for killing Caesar. He reminds them of Caesars kindness and love for all, humanizing Caesar as innocent. Next he teases them with the will until they demand he read it, and he reveals Caesars gift to the citizens. Finally, Mark Antony leaves them with the question, was there ever a greater one than Caesar? which infuriates the crowd. He then turns and weeps.Antony then teases the crowd with Caesars will, which they beg him to read, but he refuses. Antony tells the crowd to have patience and expresses his feeling that he will wrong the honourable m en whose daggers have stabbed Caesar if he is to read the will. The crowd yells out they were traitors and have at this time completely turned against the conspirators and are inflamed about Caesars death. Antony uses the Ceremonial mode of persuasion in order to convince his audience that Caesar is not worthy of honor and praise.Antony must use pathos in order to appeal to the emotion of the audience. He must understand the disposition of the audience in order to successfully persuade his audience that Caesar truly was an ambitious man. Bear with me / my heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, / And I must pause till it come defend to me. (JC III ii 47) Marc Antonys speech at Caesars funeral was so cunning and powerful that it caused the crowds loyalties to sway. Prior to Marc Antonys oration the crowd favored Brutus and the conspirators.However, Marc Antonys compelling discourse caused the plebeians to support him, and not Brutus. Marc Antony used three literary devices durin g his funeral oration, rhetorical question, sarcasm, and repetition, to successfully persuade the crowd. Although the crowd was supportive of the conspirators after Brutuss speech, Marc Antonys use of sarcasm in his funeral oration caused them to rethink who they should support. Conclusion Although both of Caesars funeral speeches seem to serve the basic purpose of charitable to the people, their dissimilarity serves as a great significance.Brutus speech, which appeared to be, honest becomes a speech of symmetrical structure, balanced sentences, ordered procedure, rhetorical questions and abstract subject matter, and ultimately became a speech of utter dishonesty. This along with Brutus lack of human insight aided in his inevitable downfall. Mark Antonys speech on the other hand, for all its playing on passions and all its lies, proved to be at the bottom a truly honest speech because of Antonys unconditional love for Caesar. To that close Antony had truth on his side, making him concrete and real rather then abstract, and with this aided in his successful victory.