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Rhetoric and Power in Julius Caesar

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32 views4 pages

Rhetoric and Power in Julius Caesar

Uploaded by

nailaf1303
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

[Link] out the theme of rhetoric- versus power in ‘Julius Caesar’.

Under the guise of a gesture of friendship, Antony actually marks the


conspirators for vengeance. In the Forum, Brutus speaks to the crowd and
appeals to its love of liberty in order to justify the killing of Caesar. He also
makes ample reference to the honor in which he is generally esteemed so as
to validate further his explanation of the deed. Antony likewise wins the
crowd’s favor, using persuasive rhetoric to whip the masses into a frenzy so
great that they don’t even realize the fickleness of their favour. The value that
can be derived from this incident is the relationship between rhetoric and
power. Words serve to move hearts and minds, as Antony cleverly convinces
the conspirators of his desire to side with them: ‘Let each man render me
with his bloody hand’.

Q2. Decius is more successful in persuading Caesar


than Calpurnia. Explain.
Ans: Decius Brutus is a part of the conspiracy. He has been
deliberately sent to persuade Caesar to go to the Capitol. He
employs flattery conceit and temptation in persuading Caesar.
First he gives a flattering interpretation to Calpurnia’s dream.
Secondly he taunts that Caesar will become a stock of laughter
if he yields to his wife’s foolish fears. Lastly he tells Caesar that
the Senate has decided to offer him the crown that
[Link] is a devoted wife but her bad dream and ill-
omens fail to impress Caesar’s ego and arrogance.
Q3. The conspirators present a petition to Caesar, and his response to it is significant.
Explain.

All the leading conspirators Cimber Cassius and Brutus put a petition before Caesar.
They request him to revoke the order of Pubilus Cimber’s exile from Rome. Cimber’s
‘couchings’ and ‘low courtesies’ fail to influence Caesar. Even Cassius and Brutus fail to
convince him. Caesar boasts of being fixed and constant like the Pole Star. He warns
Cimber to stop these ‘low courtesies’ otherwise he will spurn him away like a dog.

[Link] Brutus Speech.


Brutus and Cassius enter the Forum with a crowd of plebeians. Cassius exits to
speak to another portion of the crowd. Brutus addresses the onstage crowd,
assuring them that they may trust in his honor. He did not kill Caesar out of a lack
of love for him, he says, but because his love for Rome outweighed his love of a
single man. He insists that Caesar was great but ambitious: it was for this reason
that he slew him. He feared that the Romans would live as slaves under Caesar’s
leadership.
He asks if any disagree with him, and none do. He thus concludes that he has
offended no one and asserts that now Caesar’s death has been accounted for,
with both his virtues and faults in life given due attention. Antony then enters with
Caesar’s body. Brutus explains to the crowd that Antony had no part in the
conspiracy but that he will now be part of the new commonwealth. The
plebeians cheer Brutus’s apparent kindness, declaring that Brutus should be
Caesar. He quiets them and asks them to listen to Antony, who has obtained
permission to give a funeral oration. Brutus exits.
Q5. Did Caesar’s will infuriate the Romans? Comment.
Answer:
Caeser’s will was the most powerful weapon is the hands of Antony against the
conspirators who were saying that they had assassinated Caesar as he was
ambitious. The revelation of the contents of the will proved to be a turning point in
the entire episode. According to the will, all the Romans were to get seventy-five
silver coins from the property of Caesar and the private arbours of Caesar were to
become a national property. So the Romans held the conspirators guilty of
assassinating a great patriot of Rome.

Q6. Mark Antony, with the help of his oratory, succeeded in winning the mob over to
his side. This led to the downfall of the conspirators. Explain.

Answer:
Antony being a great diplomat and orator proved Caesar’s innocence very
meticulously. He informed the Romans that Caesar refused to accept the crown
thrice when it was offered to him on the eve of Lupercal. If he had been ambitious, he
must have accepted it. He also told the Romans that Caesar had brought many
captives from the battlefield. Whatsoever amount, he got as ransom to set the
captives free, he put it in the national treasure. When the poor wept, Caesar also
wept. Reading the will of Caesar, Antony disclosed to the Romans that Caesar had
left seventy-five silver coins for every citizen and his personal arbours were o
became national property. These evidences were adequate to prove that Caesar was
not ambitious.

Q7. Not that I loved Caesar less, but I loved Rome more. ’
Brutus says this as he justifies to the Romans why Caesar was assassinated by
them. Do you agree with Brutus? Justify your answer in 120-150 words by giving
examples from the play.
What values does Brutus display as he says this line to the Romans?
Yes, I agree with Brutus. As a matter of fact, Brutus was a noble man. He possessed
a series of virtues. He was a very close friend of Caesar. He had a very good image in
the eyes of the Rom Cassius was very shrewd and manipulative. He knew that he
would be successful in implementing his conspiracy if he won the favour of Brutus.
So he poisoned the ears of Brutus saying that the growing power of Caesar would be
dangerous to the democracy of Rome. Brutus could not understand the real motive
of Cassius and believed his words blindly. He failed to see through the cunningness
of Cassius and supported him in the execution of his conspiracy.
Brutus displays that he has feeling of patriotism and loyalty to Roman democracy.

Q8. Brutus stab was ‘the most unkindest cut’ of all? Why was it called so?
Answer:
The cut caused by the dagger of Brutus was the most unkind. It was called so as
Brutus was a very close friend of Caesar. Caesar trusted him blindly. He regarded
Brutus as an angel. So Brutus was not supposed to think of harming Caesar. He was
supposed to assist Caesar when the conspirators attacked him. As Brutus joined
hands with the conspirators and stabbed Caesar, it was an act of treachery. Hence, it
was called the most unkind.

Q9 When beggars die, there are no comets seen; the heavens themselves
blaze forth the death of princes” .How did nature foretell Caesar’s death?
Answer:
For nature Caesar was a prominent person. So she gave a warning of danger in
Caesar’s life. Calpumia saw in her dream that blood was coming out of Caesar’s
statue and the lusty Romans with their smiling faces were washing their hands in it.
The watchman saw that a lioness was giving birth to its little ones in the street. Dead
bodies were coming out of the graveyards and warriors were fighting in the sky.
These ominous signs were the nature’s foretelling of Caesar’s death.

Q10. In the play Julius Caesar, why does Cassius want to kill Caesar?

Cassius is primarily motivated by ambition. He wishes to claim more influence, and Caesar is
standing in his way. He is jealous of Caesar's position and the respect which is afforded to
him by the people because of his status. Cassius is power-hungry to the point where he is
willing to commit treason in order to achieve a higher place in society.

Unlike Caesar, Cassius is clever and an adept judge of character. He knows how to
manipulate people to achieve his own ends. He recognizes that Brutus will never join his
side out of pure ambition; Brutus is a loyal follower of Caesar's and a true patriot. Instead,
Cassius convinces him to help assassinate Caesar by appealing to his civic duty. He warns
Brutus that Caesar is on his way to becoming a tyrant, and that he will destroy Rome in the
end. Cassius overthrows Caesar because he is able to read other people and influence their
decisions accordingly.

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Brutus's decision to join the conspiracy was heavily influenced by Cassius's cunning manipulation, demonstrating Brutus's naivety and susceptibility to persuasive rhetoric. Cassius exploits Brutus's sense of duty and patriotism by convincing him that Caesar's rise threatens Roman democracy. Although Brutus's intentions are noble, rooted in a desire to protect Rome, his inability to discern Cassius's true motives reveals his flawed judgment and tragic idealism .

The contrast between Brutus and Antony's speeches highlights themes of rhetoric versus power and the manipulative potential of language. Brutus relies on ideological reasoning and his reputation for virtue to justify Caesar's death, appealing to rationality and civic responsibility. Antony, on the other hand, uses emotional appeal and strategic rhetoric to influence public perception. While Brutus speaks to reason, Antony appeals to the crowd's emotions, ultimately inciting them to revolt against the conspirators .

Decius was more effective than Calpurnia because he appealed directly to Caesar's ego and fear of public mockery. While Calpurnia's warnings were based on ominous signs and concern, Decius used flattery by giving a positive interpretation to Calpurnia's dream and suggested the Senate planned to offer Caesar the crown, triggering Caesar's ambition and pride to go to the Capitol despite earlier hesitations .

Betrayal is a recurring and significant theme in the relationship between Caesar and Brutus, epitomized by Brutus's role in Caesar's assassination. Despite their close friendship and mutual respect, Brutus's participation in the conspiracy represents the ultimate betrayal, deeply wounding Caesar. This theme is encapsulated in the phrase "Et tu, Brute?" reflecting Caesar's shock and sense of betrayal. The personal and political dimensions of this betrayal underscore the tragic nature of Brutus's character and the broader theme of loyalty versus duty to the state .

Omens and supernatural events play a significant role in foreshadowing Caesar's fate, symbolizing nature's response to the perturbation of the natural order. Calpurnia's dream, the lioness giving birth in the streets, and reports of warriors fighting in the sky are ominous warnings of impending doom. These unnatural events highlight the disruption in the political world and the serious consequences of Caesar's imminent assassination .

The varied motives of the conspirators significantly impact the ethical perception of their actions. While Cassius is driven by jealousy and ambition, Brutus acts out of misguided patriotism. This juxtaposition highlights ethical complexities, as Brutus's honorable motives clash with the deceptive intentions of others. The ethical ambiguity reflects the play's exploration of power, betrayal, and moral integrity, leaving audiences to interpret the morality of political assassination within the context of intention versus action .

Caesar's unyielding response to the petition regarding Publius Cimber reveals a leadership style that values firmness and constancy. He likens himself to the Pole Star, suggesting that his decisions are fixed and not swayed by flattery or manipulation. This characteristic of rigid constancy is portrayed as both a virtue and a flaw, as it demonstrates steadfastness yet also a potential for inflexibility and arrogance .

Caesar's will was pivotal in shifting public opinion against the conspirators. By leaving seventy-five silver coins to each Roman and declaring his private arbours as public property, Caesar's will directly contradicted the conspirators' claims of his ambition. Antony's reading of the will incited public outrage and guilt towards the conspirators, portraying Caesar as a selfless patriot and martyr betrayed by those he trusted .

Antony skillfully uses rhetoric to alter the crowd's perception of Caesar's assassination by presenting evidence which contradicts the conspirators' claims of Caesar's ambition. He reminds the public of Caesar's actions, such as refusing the crown and contributing to the national treasury from ransoms, to demonstrate Caesar's lack of ambition and highlight his patriotism. Antony strategically reads Caesar's will to reveal Caesar's benevolence, stating that every Roman was left seventy-five silver coins, thus inciting the people's anger against the conspirators by proving Caesar's dedication to Rome .

Brutus's speech shapes the crowd's initial reaction by appealing to their sense of rationality and liberty. He emphasizes his honor and portrays his participation in Caesar's assassination as a necessary act for the greater good of Rome, rather than personal malice. His claim that Caesar was ambitious resonates with the crowd, calming their potential unrest and gaining their support for the conspirators, as none disagree with his actions .

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