5 Rhetorical Devices in Speeches of Brutus and Antony
1. As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;
as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was
valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I
slew him.
This line from Brutus’s speech is an example of paralellism because Brutus says I ___ for him, as he was ______. These repeated phrases then form paralleism in the sentence.
2. Who is here so base that would be a
bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended.
Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If
any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so
vile that will not love his country? If any, speak;
for him have I offended.
This line from Brutus’s speech is an example of anaphora because the same groups of words “who is here” and “if any speak, for him I have offended” are repeated at the beginnings of successive clauses
3. For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men—
This line from Antony’s speech is an example of antimetabole because the words honourable men are repeated in succcessive lines, in reverse grammatical order.
4. Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved
Rome more
This sentence from Brutus’s speech is an example of antithesis because there is a contrast between loving Caesar less and loving Rome more.
5. There is tears for his love; joy for his
fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his
ambition.
This line from Brutus’s speech is an example of isocolon because each successful clause is paralell in length.( 4 words each).
Julius Caesar Study Questions
p. 222, #15;p. 225, # 9; p. 229, #6; p. 238 #4 a-d, g,
15.On his arrival at the Senate, Caesar has 30 lines (Act III Scene 1, lines 35-48; 58-73) to speak before Casca strikes his first blow. Find examples in those lines of:
A.his pomposity
Are we all ready? What is now amiss
That Caesar and his senate must redress?
B.his vanity
Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.
I could be well moved, if I were as you:
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am constant as the northern star,
C.his arrogance
[To the Soothsayer] The ides of March are come.
D.his affection
Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?
- his pride
If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him,
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.
Be not fond,
To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood
That will be thaw'd from the true quality
9.In his address to the mob in the forum (Act III Scene 2, lines 12-44), Brutus speaks in prose, not blank verse. His words have been described as “a lecture”.
a.Show from the speech that Brutus knows he enjoys the respect of Roman citizens.
Then none have I offended. I have done no more to
Caesar than you shall do to Brutus.
b.Show that he believes the crowd is capable of making rational and just decisions.
hear me for my
cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me
for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that
you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and
awake your senses, that you may the better judge.
c.Show that his speech is based on an appeal to reason and logic.
If then that friend demand
why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer:
--Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved
Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and
die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live
all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;
as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was
valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I
slew him.
d.Show that he is proud of his patriotism and his republicanism.
--Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved
Rome more
e.Show that he wishes to act magnanimously. Comment on the wisdom of his approach and assumptions. Do you think it is reasonable to describe him as politically naïve?
Brutus’s approaches his speech in prose rather than blank verse in order to make himself seem closer to the citizens of Rome. The assumptions he makes on Caesar destroying Rome are reasonable, but his overall presentation of the speech is somewhat politically inexperienced because he tends to assume that the Roman citizens will understand his speech perfectly.
6.In Act II Scene I, in which Cassius wins over Brutus to the conspiracy, show evidence of
A.his tact
But honours you; and every one doth wish
You had but that opinion of yourself
Which every noble Roman bears of you.
B.his ability to strike the right note when making his approach.
It may be, these apparent prodigies,
The unaccustom'd terror of this night,
And the persuasion of his augurers,
May hold him from the Capitol to-day.
c.His willingness to take a second place when it suits him.
The morning comes upon’s: we'll leave you, Brutus.
And, friends, disperse yourselves; but all remember
What you have said, and show yourselves true Romans.
4.Antony shows a masterly control over the fickle nature of the common people.
a.Before Antony ascends to the Public Chair to make his oration, which remark typifies the commoners’ dull-wittedness?
He says, for Brutus' sake,
He finds himself beholding to us all.
b.Whereas Brutus’s speech appealed to the intellect, Antony’s is emotional. He ends his opening remarks by choking back tears. How do the people react?
They begin to feel great pity for Caesar and Antony, and also begin to feel hatred toward the conspirators
c.Marullus says of the commoners, “You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things” (Act I Scene I, line 36).Antony says, “You are not wood, you are not stones, but men” (Act III Scene I, line 140). Explain why Antony’s oratorical approach shows a greater understanding of crowd psychology.
He remarks upon the greatness of the citizens in the crowd and appeals more to their emotions as a whole rather than Brutus’s fashion of attempting to show them the logic behind killing Caesar.
d.Why does Antony mention the will to the crowd, but decline at first to read it?
So that they will anticipate it even more and love Antony all the more for reading it to them. Also, Antony wants to make it seem as if reading Caesar’s will is hard for him to do so that the crowd sympathizes more with him than the conspirators.
- The commoners forget the will till Antony reminds them of it (line 236). What does this tell us of their powers of concentration?
That the commoners are usually only concentrated on what is going on at that current moment and that they usually forget things quite quickly.