The Power of Persuasion
Main Characters Julius Caesar Calpurnia wife of Caesar Mark Antony Brutus Portia wife of Brutus Cassius Several conspirators
After reading Act II 1 What factors are controlling Brutus decision to kill Caesar? 2 Do you believe that Brutus has good reasons to murder Caesar, or would his actions be unjustifiable?
The Persuasive Appeals the modes of persuasion Ethos Logos Pathos Aristotle said that every persuasive argument, either in writing or in speech, should include all three.
Ethos A Greek word, is the basis for the English word ethics. Ethos relates to the writer. When writing a persuasive paper, the writer must appear trustworthy and honest. In order to have a reader consider an argument, the writer must be believable. An advertisement using ethos will convince you that the company is more reliable, honest, and credible; therefore, you should buy its product. A political campaign using ethos will convince you that the candidate is more reliable, honest, etc.; therefore, you should vote for this candidate.
Logos Logos is about logic. Logos is the part of the argument based on reason, solid facts, and sound information. You can t have ethos in an argument without good logos. The best way to include logos in your argument is by have three strong reasons why to back up your point of view. Next, support these reasons by including some of the following: facts, expert opinions, statistics, examples, etc. An advertisement using logos gives you the evidence and statistics you need to fully understand what the product does. The logos of an advertisement will be the straight facts about the product: One glass of Florida orange juice contains 75% of your daily Vitamin C needs.
Pathos Pathos stands for emotion. Every good argument appeals to the emotions. Facts and statistics can make a good argument, but they are dry and dull without pathos. An advertisement using pathos will attempt to evoke an emotional response in the consumer. Sometimes it is a positive emotion, such as happiness: an image of people enjoying themselves while drinking Pepsi. Pathos can also appeal to negative emotions, such as fear and guilt: images of a starving child persuade you to send money.
Practice pathos, logos, or ethos Tiger Woods endorses Nike. Sprite Zero is 100% sugar free. A 32 oz. bottle of Tide hold enough to wash 32 loads. A commercial shows an image of a happy couple riding in a Corvette. Taylor Swift appears in Cover Girl makeup advertisements. Subway has adults talking like children when discussing the product.
Beware the ides of March. Examine this statement using the modes of persuasion: Ethos Logos Pathos Is this an effective statement, in other words, does Caesar listen or care? Why or why not?
Fish for textual evidence: Act II 1 Calpurnia tries to convince Caesar to stay at home. Find examples of her use of ethos, pathos, or logos. 2 Decius tries to persuade Caesar to go to the capitol. Find examples of his use of ethos, pathos, or logos.
monologue Long, uninterrupted speech made by one character example: Mark Antony s funeral oration
aside Words spoken in an undertone not meant to be heard by everyone on stage
Soliloquy Long speech made by one character alone on stage> The audience may learn the thoughts of character (thinking out loud) example> Mark Antony alone with Caesar s body
What do you think honorable means? What do you think ambitious means?
honorable: admirable, praiseworthy, moral, principled, respectable, good ambitious: determined, ruthless, striving, pushy, motivated, aggressive
Funeral Speeches Act III Summary up to this point in the play: Brutus, a senator of Rome, has been convinced by another senator, Cassius, to help kill the popular Julius Caesar because they believe Rome, which has been a Republic ruled by the Senate, was in danger of becoming an empire ruled by one man. The people of Rome demand an explanation from the conspirators, and Brutus volunteers to speak. He has also promised Caesar s close friend, Marc Antony, the opportunity to speak, provided Antony does not say anything against those who killed Caesar.
Brutus a skilled orator His speech exhibits technical skill; As a speaker he has respectable ethos of a senator
Brutus Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me for my cause; and be silent, that you may hear: Believe me for mine honor, and have response to mine honor, that you may believe Censure me in your wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. 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. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer,-- Not that I love Caesar less, But that I loved Rome more
Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, Than that Caesar were dead, to live all freemen?
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 fortune; Honor for his valor; And death for his ambition.
Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.
Rhetorical Devices Anaphora- repetition of the beginning of sentences; As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; As he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; Antithesis (contrasts) with climatic (building) parallelism (for effect) As he was valiant, I honor him; But, as he was ambitious, I slew him. Chiasmus ABBA structure; reversal of order of words in two parallel phrases; doesn t have to be same words: Hear me for my cause; and be silent, that you may hear: Rhetorical questions Asking a question when the audience knows the answer already the question is asked for effect: Who is here so vile that will not love his country?
Analysis Brutus wants the crowd to know that he loved Caesar, and he repeats this concept in nearly every line He changes up the order but always pairs Caesar s positive traits with his own sympathetic reactions, Caesar s negative traits with his own righteous actions his own honor, in effect. Overall, the lasting impression he wants his audience to carry away is that it is not enough to love only one man: one s primary duty as a Roman is to love Rome The Romans value patriotism; all other emotions aside, killing Caesar was good for Rome. Brutus knows this and plays on it.
However, The weakest element in Brutus s speech is his ineffective use of pathos his inability to connect emotionally with the crowd. Brutus uses all the right words but the calculated artistry of the speech seems insincere to his audience It is hard to explain this insincerity until Brutus s speech is compared to Antony s.
Antony s turn: Introduction Part 1: Refuting Caesar s Ambition Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them, The good is oft interred with their bones; So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious.
Notice the repetition and sarcasm! If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answered it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest (For Brutus is an honorable man, So are they all, honorable men), Come I to speak in Caesar s funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me; But Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honorable man.
Notice the parallelism He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill; Did this is Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept; Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honorable man.
You all did see that on the Luperal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And sure he is an honorable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love him once, not without cause; What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?
O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason! Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me.
Part 2: First Mention of Caesar s Will The crowd - wants to know the contents of Caesar s will Antony descends from pulpit, and crowd forms a ring around body of Caesar.
Part 3: Description of Caesar s Corpse 1 Description of mantle 2 Names of conspirators involved 3 Effects of Brutus s stabbing 4 Citizen s reactions to Antony s words 5 Antony s self-deprecation
Part 4: Contents of Caesar s Will 1 Each Roman Citizen 2 Citizen s private estate
Conclusion Antony: Here was a Caesar! When comes such another? (Rhetorical question)
Context The purpose of any given type of text can vary tremendously. The eulogy provided by Marc Antony is not to honor Brutus but instead to shed considerable doubt on Brutus s reputation and to stir the subjects of the murdered Caesar to revolt. When considering the notion of context, you need to consider 1)time period text is written, 2)the significant events occurring during the time period, 3)the cultural climate, physical place, and features of that place set, and the primary methods of communication during that time oral speeches were the primary methods in Ancient Rome
In the remaining lines, Antony stops to gather his emotions, mentions Caesar s will, but delays until the end of the speech revealing its contents, asks the listeners to examine Caesar s wounds with him, and finally reads the will, which leave money to each citizen and bequeaths Caesar s private gardens to the public. I am no orator, as Brutus is, Antony tells them, but the crowd s reaction and the response of readers and audiences suggest how powerful a speaker Antony is, how much he has understood and used rhetoric effectively. rhetoric = the art of persuasion
Assignments: On an index card and in one sentence, express the differences in purpose and methods between Brutus s and Antony s speeches. Then, In groups, analyze Antony s speech on the SMELL chart (include his use of the persuasive appeals: ethos, logos, and pathos.) Be sure to support your claims with text from the play.
This section starts the study guide Take notes! The next slides give the chronological order of events that occur in the play.
Act I 1 Cassius heads a plot to. 2 Cassius needs Brutus to.
Act II 3 Cassius persuades Brutus to. 4 Brutus views Caesar s death as. 5 Caesar s wife begs him.
Act III 6 At the Capitol, Caesar is. 7 Brutus speaks first at. 8 But he permits Antony to make. 9 Antony turns the crowd. 10 The conspirators must.
Act IV 11 After Caesar s death, Rome is ruled by. 12 At Sardis, Brutus and Cassius. 13 Brutus concludes that Caesar s murder was. 14 Brutus reveals that Portia. 15 Brutus has a vision of.
Act V 16 The battle is won by. 17 Cassius and Brutus. 18 Antony admits that Brutus s motives.
Iambic pentameter The evil that men do lives after them, The good is oft interred with their bones; Short accent, long accent (5 sets in a line) This mimics human speech da dum, da dum, da dum, da dum, da dum
Turning point of play Antony is successful in changing the minds of Roman citizens about the character both of Caesar and of Brutus and Brutus s companions. By the end of his oration, which continues for several more pages, the crowd is inflamed with the desire to find and kill Brutus We ll burn the house of Brutus! Before the speech Brutus is a hero and after Antony s speech Brutus is a villain
Marc Antony s manipulation of the audience through rhetorical appeals shows how speakers who understand their listeners can move them to belief and action. Antony understands his audience, perhaps because he understands himself. By the end of the scene, his voice and the voice of the people become one.
Five-Part Dramatic Structure Act II Rising Action/ Complications Act III Turning Point/ Climax Act IV Falling Action Act I Exposition Act V Resolution/ Denouement
Exposition The beginning of the play that establishes time, place, characters Feast of Luprical fertility feast/celebration with races and games (men would run through streets wrapped in goatskins and strike young women with the skin to make them fertile; Caesar and his wife had no children) Caesar returning victoriously to Rome after defeating Pompey s sons in Spain Soothsayer Beware the Ides of March
Rising Action Complications Julius Caesar> Brutus joins the conspiracy planning of the assassination
Climax Highest point of interest > everything begins to unravel from here Assassination of Caesar Mark Antony s funeral speech
Falling Action Events continue to unravel and begin to move towards a resolution Mark Antony and Octavius vs. Brutus and Cassius Armies established
Resolution/Denouement Things are tied together. All pieces of the puzzle are put together. May NOT be a happy ending. Mark Antony avenges Caesar Brutus dies Cassius dies Brutus honored
History Lesson Octavius is a distant relative of Julius Caesar, who adopts him as a son. Octavius later goes on to defeat Marc Antony to become Emperor of the Roman Empire. His name is changed to Caesar Augustus. Yes, he is the Caesar Augustus of the New Testament (Luke 2:1) in the Bible who required the census the year Jesus was born.
Tragedy This play is a tragedy in that it ends with the downfall of the protagonist (tragic hero) who has a tragic flaw in his personality that brings about this downfall The question is: Who is the tragic hero in this play? We discuss this more in a few minutes.
aside Words spoken in an undertone not meant to be heard by everyone on stage
Soliloquy Long speech made by one character alone on stage> The audience may learn the thoughts of character (thinking out loud) example> Mark Antony alone with Caesar s body
monologue Long, uninterrupted speech made by one character example: Mark Antony s funeral oration
anachronism Chrono means time an error in chronology, or placing an event, person, item, or language expression in the wrong period In Shakespeare s Julius Caesar, an anachronism is used: Brutus: Peace! count the clock. Cassius: The clock has stricken three. Act II, scene i : lines 193 194 There were no clocks during Roman times, and the striking clock was not invented until 1,400 years after Caesar s death.
Possible test questions: Support your response with examples and details from the text. Was Shakespeare correct to title the play Julius Caesar? What might have happened to Rome if Caesar had lived? Compare/contrast the 4 main characters. How are women treated in the play? Who is the tragic hero of this play? Do you think Brutus is an honorable man? Was it necessary for the conspirators to kill Caesar? Why do you think this play is a political thriller?
Matching: Vocabulary from the play apparition impart apt massive augment bestow colossal ghost appropriate increase
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