Brutus and Antony

What can you do to be seen as an exceptional adequate speaker? and Antony are both noble people that are both fair speakers in ’s play, Julius Cesar. Both people spoke at Cesar’s funeral trying to persuade their audience about his death. Brutus, who killed Cesar, tries to explain to the audience why he did such a thing, and Antony explains why what Brutus did was wrong. Although Brutus was a good orator and uses rhetoric well, Antony had the more persuasive speech overall. Antony had better use of emotional appeals, loaded words, and tone. Emotional appeals are arguments that attempt to persuade by feelings.

Since Antony can’t say that Brutus is a bad person, he starts off with an ethical appeal. “The noble Brutus” (5). However, he says that line sarcastically, and soon proves to his audience that Brutus is wrong about Cesar by using an emotional appeal. “Hath told you Cesar was ambitious If it were so, it was grievous fault, And grievously hath Cesar answered it” (6-8). He’s great at getting the audience thinking about if Brutus is actually noble and is one reason why Antony is a better speaker than Brutus. Second, loaded words are words that have strong emotional tones beyond its meaning.

Antony uses loaded words to sway the people into his thinking that Caesar was good. “For Brutus is an honorable man, So are they all, all honorable men”(11-12). “Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And yet Brutus is an honorable man”(25-26). He repeats these lines often throughout his speech. Antony uses words like honorable and ambitious. This can be seen as a momentum that pushes his argument further. By the use of loaded words, Antony catches the attention of the of his audience and persuades them in a great manor. Lastly, tone, which is the speaker’s attitude toward the audience.

Mark Antony uses a subtle and eloquent tone in his speech. This is in contrast to the rational tone of Brutus’s speech. “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;” (1). Whereas Brutus’ speech starts off more weak and and calmer which wouldn’t grab the audience’s attention as much as Antony’s beginning speech. Overall, Antony had a more persuasive speech and it probably made the audience feel more included. He used a lot of appeals that let his audience to be more persuaded by his speech. He had a more stronger connection towards the audience and used skilled rhetoric, iambic meter, and manipulation in his speech.