Analysis Of Julius Caesar s Funeral Speeches - 2096 Words

One of the most arbitrary, but compelling bonds formed in society is that which is formed during communication involving an exchange of information. Almost all knowledge, behaviour, or emotion can be traced to, or is derived from some sort of network that connects a sender to a receiver. This relationship often provokes action as a result of how the information is conveyed by the informant. The aforementioned analogy applies inextricably to this bond in that the bias present in the delivery of information inclines the recipient to view the information similar to the sender, rather than impartially. Four devices in particular can be attributed to the persuasiveness of the bias in the information. When evaluating Julius Caesar s funeral speeches, this is especially pertinent. Antony was the most influential rhetorician because of his ability to exploit the crowd’s emotions surrounding the assassination of Caesar, and how he was able to effectively leverage his position as a clos e friend of Caesar; Brutus was more balanced and consistent in his use of rhetorical devices. While Brutus’s oration was convincing, it was undermined by Antony’s onslaught of examples which damaged Brutus’s credibility, and gave him a decisive authority over the crowd. The focal point of the contention of ethos was the honor of Brutus. Specifically, Antony challenged if Brutus was as virtuous in the intent behind the murder as he said. As such, the crowd was most impressionable to the speaker who was