The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Acts I - III
Julius Caesar Funeral Oration Analysis
Mark Antony Addresses the Crowd During His Oration
As you read The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, you should have noticed the author William Shakespeare’s use of both persuasion and rhetoric. Perhaps the best examples from Acts I, II, and III are found in the orations (monologues) of both Brutus and Mark Antony. In the tragedy, Brutus speaks first, stating that Caesar had to die. Brutus also states that Mark Antony may speak whatever he wishes, but he should not speak ill of the conspirators. Mark Antony’s oration comes next, and he is allowed the last word. In his speech, Mark Antony’s words are so strong that Brutus leaves the Forum.
Access and read either Brutus’ funeral oration or Mark Antony’s funeral oration and analyze it for the speaker’s use of persuasive techniques and elements of rhetoric.
In this assignment, you will create a chart of the persuasive techniques and elements of rhetoric, pull examples from the speech for each technique or element, and write a one to two-paragraph response which discusses the effectiveness of persuasion and rhetoric in the speech. Listed in the table below are the elements of rhetoric and persuasive techniques to help with your assignment.
Ethos - the speaker asserts and proves his credibility or character. Pathos - the speaker appeals to the audience’s emotions. Logos - the author appeals to logic or reasoning.
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Call to Action - the speaker motivates the audience. Elevated Language - the speaker uses sophisticated words and syntax to impress the audience. Rhetorical Questions - the speaker asks questions used to reiterate or emphasize a point. Repetition - the speaker repeats words or phrases for effect. |
Before you begin, access the Julius Caesar Funeral Oration Analysis Checklist to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit. You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you used.
Once you have completed your chart and response, please submit your assignment to the dropbox.