Act III Scene II Speech Analysis

Table of Contents

All about Brutus.....................................................................................................................3

All about Antony....................................................................................................................4

Comparison of Brutus and Antony........................................................................................5

Outline

I. All about Brutus

A. Brutus’s Charatcters

B. Brutus’s action

C. Brutus’s inner self

II. All about Antony

III. Comparison of Brutus and Antony

Eujene Yum

Miss Kolnik

World Literature

13 Oct 2010

Act III Scene II Speech Analysis

Introduction

“Nobody can acquire honor by doing what is wrong.” Brutus and Antony are two

important public figures in the play, Julius Caesar. In Act Three, Scene Two, Brutus and

Antony give a speech to the citizens; Brutus defending his cause for the murder, and Antony,

being the emotional one kindling, kindling the people’s emotions toward Brutus and the

conspirators. Their speeches both show their love for Caesar, spoken in a humble manner,

and connect to the citizens, and offer something. Their speeches differ in the usage of the

word honor, opinion on Caesar’s ambition, the results of the speeches, and what they desire

to gain from the speeches.

All about Brutus

Brutus and Antony both love Caesar. Brutus explains to the plebeians that he loved

Caesar no less than anyone else (lines 20-23), but he loved Rome more. Antony alsoAlso,

Antony states his love for Brutus in his speech many times. He calls Caesar “(his) friend,

faithful and just” to him (line 94). He uses strong diction, such as “ my heart is in the coffin

there with Caesar” (line 116). He calls himself a “plain blunt man that love(s)” his friend

(line 230). Secondly, they both speak in a humble manner. Brutus tells the citizens to

“censure”, or judge him in their wisdom on what he is about to say (line 17). Antony kindly
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asks the citizens to lend him their ears (line 82) and listen to what he has to say. He admits in

front of all the people that he is “no orator” (line 229). Third, both of them connect to the

citizens. In Brutus’s case, he asks questions to the citizens, and waits for a reply, respecting

their opinions (line 36). Antony physically connects to the citizens; he descends from the

podium to read them the will (lines 171-172). He also refers to him and the peoplee together.

“Then I and you and all of us fell down (line 203). Lastly, the two politicians offer

something- an idea or physical things- to the crowd. Brutus offers freedom acquired through

the death of Caesar to the people. He asks the citizens if they are base enough to be

bondsman because of Caesar’s reign (lines 30-31). He assures the citizens that “if Caesar

were dead” all freemen will live (line 25). Antony offers things to the citizens, also. He

presents tangible things. He reads them Caesar’s will which Caesar gives “to every Roman

citizen seventy-five drachmas” (line 256), all his walks, private arbors, and new-planted

orchards (lines 261-263).

All about Antony

One of the first differences between Brutus and Antony’s speech is that they use the

word honor for unlike usages. Brutus asks the plebeians to “believe (him) for (his) honor, and

have respect to (his) honor that they may believe.” This shows that he uses his reputation for

being honorable to receive credit from the citizens. Antony refers to Brutus and the

conspirators as ‘honorable men’ numerous times in his speech (lines 92, 96, 103, 108, etc).

His usage of honor is to virtually disprove that Brutus is honorable, and that his deeds are not

honorable at all. Secondly, their opinions on Caesar and his ambition are completely

different. Brutus thinks it was right to kills Caesar for his ambition (line 28). Antony

questions Brutus’s statement (lines 105-106) by giving examples of Caesar’s un-

ambitiousness, such as refusing the thrown three times. Third, the results of their speeches are

very different. By the end of Brutus’s speech, the crowd wonders what Antony would say,
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and plan on comparing their speeches (lines 68-70). Antony stirs up the crowd and by the

end, the citizens think of the conspirators as haters, traitors, and not noble (lines 165, 167,

125). Lastly, what the two men want to gain from giving their speeches is dissimilar. Brutus

wants to be blunt and explain clearly why he killed Caesar. He wants respect and

understanding for what he did (lines 48-49). Antony, on the other hand, desires emotions, like

pity and anger from the citizens. He uses strong phrases like “dip their napkin in his sacred

blood” (line 145) and “kiss dead Caesar’s wounds” (line 144).

Comparison of Brutus and Antony

Brutus assumed that the citizens are very easy to persuade, and that they are not much

of a problem. That is why he wasn’t harsh or emotional like Antony in his speech. He thought

if he just plants the logic and reasoning of killing Caesar in their brains, they would celebrate

in the fact that he saved them from bondage under slavery, instead of thinking the opposite

(lines 61-65). Antony, on the other hand knows that the citizens aren’t stones or wood. He

knows that they have emotions and thoughts (line 154). This small fact enables him to

manipulate the minds of the citizens with his emotional speech. He reads them the will,

because he knows that they will side with the person who gives them tangible benefits, unlike

Brutus.

Conclusion

All in all, Brutus and Antony have similarities in the context of the speeches and the

way they deliver it, and they have differences in the usages of a word, their motives, and the

result. Antony was able to persuade the citizens because of this one small fact that Brutus was

not aware of. Knowledge is power.

References

Pataki, George E. "Death Penalty Is a Deterrent." Pro-death Penalty.com. Mar. 1997. Web.

06 Nov. 2010. <http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/Articles/Pataki.htm>.