Brutus Vs Antony: Struggle for the Love of Rome

Brutus vs Antony: Struggle For The Love Of Rome

The speeches of Antony and Brutus during Julius Caesar’s funeral are both compelling in their own right however Brutus’ speech was clearly the superior speech. Brutus’ speech preaches not of forgiveness but understanding, in order to justify his actions and wrong doings for the greater good. Antony on the other hand only emphasizes his position of avenging Caesar. This shows that Brutus’ speech is the superior persuasive elocation because he exercises multiple persuasive techniques and has multiple examples of rhetorical repeals. (ethos, logos, and pathos)

.Brutus has multiple examples of the three rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos in his speech which helped make his case all the more powerful. Brutus used ethos when he said “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.”(p.3) and when he also said “Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour,”(p.1). Both these examples are effective in persuading the audience because Brutus justifies his actions for the greater good and establishes the idea that what he is doing is right. Brutus uses pathos in his speech he said “With this I depart,--that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome,”(p.8) and also when he said “If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less than his.”(p.2). These are effective examples of pathos because they pull at the audience's’ heartstrings and make the speaker appear more human and thus relatable. Brutus also states facts and makes logical statements as apart of logos. This is seen when Brutus stated “Had you rather Caesar were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men?”(p.3) and makes another logical conclusion later when he said “As he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I Slew him.”(p.3). These statements are persuasive because Brutus’ logic is sound and hard to refute.

Brutus not only effectively swayed the Roman populace using pursuing basic Rhetoric elements, he also issued many advance persuasive techniques. For example in the third paragraph of Brutus’ speech he uses the euphemism persuasive technique when he says “As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was