Julius Caesar: "Friends, Romans, Countrymen.."

Royal Shakespeare Company

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In Act 3, Scene 2 of Julius Caesar, Brutus, drenched in Caesar's blood, convinces the public that Caesar's murder was honorable, and driven by his love for Rome. He had to prevent Caesar's ambitious tyranny. However, Antony enters with Caesar's corpse, determined to challenge Brutus' narrative and ensure justice is served.

Antony's speech is a masterclass in persuasion. He employs pathos (an emotional appeal), logos (a logical appeal), and ethos (an appeal based on the authority of the speaker) to manipulate the crowd's emotions, undermine Brutus's credibility, and shift public opinion against the conspirators. Starting with the iconic line, "Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him," Antony immediately aligns himself with the public, but by the end, it's the public who rallies behind him.

This pivotal scene, expertly directed by Angus Jackson in the 2017 Royal Shakespeare Company production, features James Corrigan as Antony, whose compelling delivery captures the strategic manipulation and raw emotional power of the speech. This performance not only highlights the scene's significance in escalating the drama towards civil strife but also underscores the themes of ambition and public influence in Shakespeare’s celebrated Roman tragedy.