Julius Caesar Funeral Speeches

Julius Caesar Funeral Speeches

The play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is about Brutus and his supporters that killed Julius Caesar for the good of Rome. Brutus was an honorable person who always told the truth. On the other hand, Antony was the persuasive and faithful friend to Caesar. Brutus’s funeral speech appealed to the people’s logic while Antony’s speech was more effective because he spoke to the people’s emotions.

Pathos is appeal to emotions which Brutus used it in order to win the plebeians over. Antony’s use of pathos turned the plebeians against Brutus. Brutus tried to persuade the plebeians how ambitious Caesar was. Brutus says to the people of Rome, “As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him” (3.2.24-26). He states this to tell the crowd how Caesar was his friend but his ambition is what lead to his death. He knows of the people’s appeal to their Roman values and uses that to explain why he killed Caesar. Brutus’s use of pathos was not effective enough to win over the plebeians overall. During Antony’s speech, he delivered strong emotion to the plebeians. Antony shows his emotions and affects the plebeians when he said, “Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me” (3.2.105-107). This shows how Antony loved Caesar and his sorrow which adds on to making the plebeians turn against the conspirators. Brutus tried to show how ambitious Caesar was. Accordingly, Antony used the strategy of pathos to sympathize with the people.

Logos is an appeal to logic and reason. Brutus used reasoning in order to show that he did it for the good of Rome. Anthony’s use of logic was to add onto the plebeians emotions. Brutus’s best logic reason was his fact to killing Caesar for the good of Rome. Brutus was logical when he said, “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (3.2.21-22). This shows that Brutus would do anything for Rome even kill his own close friend.

Also, Brutus tried to be logical when he said, “Had you rather Caesar living, and die all slaves,than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men?” (3.2.22-23). He states this to show reason to why he killed Caesar. Also, this goes back into Brutus doing it for the good of Rome and how Caesar was ambitious. Antony twists Brutus’s logic about the Romans being all slaves if Caesar was to become King. Antony does this when he says, “To every Roman citizen he gives, To every several man, seventy-five drachmas” (3.2.240-242). Also, when Antony said, “Moreover, he hath left you all his walks, His private arbors, and new-planted orchards, On this side Tiber; he hath left them you, And to your heirs forever: common pleasures, To walk abroad and recreate yourselves. Here was a Caesar! When comes such another” (3.2.247-252). This shows how Caesar wasn’t really the bad guy after all and all the things he left to the plebeians. Brutus use of logos was to show the little respect Caesar had for Rome and how Caesar used his power for his on good. As a result, Anthony was generous to the plebeians and tried to explain how Caesar’s good outweighed his bad.

Rhetorical

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