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The Ways That the Language and Imagery of the Speech Demonstrate Antony’s Manipulation of the Crowd? (Julius Caesar Act3:Scene2)

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In what ways does the language and imagery of the speech demonstrate Antony’s manipulation of the crowd? (Act3:Scene2)

In this scene, we again see the fickle nature of the Roman people, who follow whoever is the most powerful. Brutus make an error when he speaks first, and then leaves. Antony then manipulates the crowd to the point where they want to riot and take revenge.
At first, we see that Brutus thinks will be able to calm the crowd, so that a neat transition of power can happen. But Antony understands the strategies of gaining power, and sees that an angry mob who are against the conspirators will help him, and hinder Brutus.
Shakespeare writes Brutus’ speech in prose, so it is more down-to-earth for the crowd, with less ordered structure. He speaks to defend and explain the conspirators’ actions. It is all very formal, with complicated phrasing. He speaks about himself, his reasons, and how Caesar was never that great. He begins with “Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my cause”. He puts the country before friendship, as he is very patriotic, and wants all for the good of the Roman Empire. He continues this point when he says “If then that friend demand why Brutus/rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, / but that I loved Rome more”. He uses emotional blackmail in rhetorical questions to get the crowd on his side. He asks “Had you rather Caesar were living, and /die all slaves, than Caesar were dead, to live all freemen?...///// Who here is so base that would be a/ bondman? ...Who here is so rude/ that would not be a Roman?...Who here is so vile that will not love his country?”. He forces the crowd into agreeing with him, because if they do not, they are saying that they want to be slaves, that they do not want to be a Roman, and that they hate their country. Because none of the crowd want to be like that, they all

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