Evaluation of Persuasive Speech (Marcus Brutus' funeral speech)
“Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony, who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth, as which of you shall not? With this I depart, that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.” Marcus Brutus’ funeral speech in “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”, was very impacting on the people of Rome. He made his speech successfully persuasive by using tactful techniques to win the crowd’s approval over. The techniques he used include: Getting audience’s attention by addressing them personally, proclaiming that he did indeed love Caesar, explaining his reason for assassinating Caesar, and ending the speech strongly and takes Caesar’s body out.
The very first technique Brutus used in his funeral speech was he addressed the people of Rome at the funeral, therefore getting their attention. This is shown in Brutus’ line 13-14, “Be patient till the last. Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear.” This is a excellent way to make a persuasive speech effective. A second thing Marcus Brutus says while giving his speech, is he proclaims over and over again that he did love Caesar, which changed the hearts of the audience.
Brutus’ love for Caesar is proven in many different lines, including line 18-20 “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.” Another line, 24-27, where Brutus declares the love he had for Caesar is: “As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy, for his ambition” This shows that Brutus truly did care about Caesar, which made the audience not angry with Brutus for killing Caesar. Another technique, that Brutus put into his speech at Caesar’s funeral, was he explained the reason Caesar had to die. He explains it in line 23-24: “Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men?” This line gets the people of Rome thinking, instead of just being angry about it and not knowing anything. Here is another line, 21-22, where Brutus strongly explains his reasoning: “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.
” By explaining his why Caesar had to be killed, the people of Rome are better persuaded because they understand the whole thing better. Lastly, Brutus ends his persuasive speech strongly, making the whole thing very passionate and effective. Brutus’ conclusion is shown in line 45-48: “With this I depart, that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.” This is a dramatic thing to say, but surly the peole of Rome in the audience prove his speech effective and persuasive in line 49, when the crowd says: “Live, Brutus! Live, live!” Line 50: “Bring him with triumph home unto his house.” line 51: “Give him a statue with his ancestors.” Line 52: “let him be Caesar!” And so on.
These different lines show how the views of the audience were moved greatly by Butus’ speech. In conclusion, Marcus Brutus’ funeral speech in “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” is successful because of his persuasive techniques. These effective techniques include: Brutus addressing the audience personally, therefor getting their attention, exclaiming over and over that he did love Caesar very much, explaining to the people of Rome the reason for Caesar’s death, and lastly, ending his speech strongly and effectively. Work Cited: Shakespeare, William. The dramatick works of William Shakespear.
… . Containing the Six following Plays, viz. I.
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, a Tragedy. II. Julius Caesar, a Tragedy. III. The Life and Death of King Richard III.
with the Landing of the Earl of Richmond, and th. London: printed by R. Walker, Printer of Shakespear’s, and all the other English Plays, at Shakespear’s Head in Turn-Again-Lane, Snowhill, 173435. Print.
