JULIUS CAESAR

Frank Zamudio Period 2 English Honors 2

TABLE

OF CONTENTS

Cassius: Persuasive Techniques Act 1, Scene 2....1 The Play's Fallacies: Brutus Act 2........................2 Protecting the Roman People.............................3 Modern Day Julius Caesar...................................4 Modern Day Cassius...........................................5 Modern Day Brutus............................................6 Modern Day Mark Antony...................................7 Analyzing the Oratory: Antony............................8

Cassius: Persuasive Techniques, Act 1, Scene 2

Cassius is an intelligent, quick in action man. Throughout the play he has surprised the audience with his shady mind and his ability to organize

the plans that lead to Caesar's death. Most importantly, however, Cassius's ability of persuasion was what constructed the whole mess, and it is time to analyze his tactics in one of the most important scenes, Act 1 Scene 2. To begin with, lets talk about how Cassius hooks up the conspirators, most significantly, Brutus. At the beginning of the scene (that is Act 1, Scene 2) Cassius begins his tricks by asking a simple question Will you go see the order of the course? After this Cassius starts building on more analytic questions and answers. You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand over your friend that loves you, this comment starts the chase towards information about the relationship between Brutus and Caesar. As Brutus neglects this thought, Cassius is persistent with his words and tries to prove his point. As Cassius delves further into his plan of a conspiracy, he tries to improve Brutus's personality and comparing Brutus to Caesar. Slight evidence of this is found in this quote by Cassius that you might see your shadow. I have heard where many of the best respect in Rome (except immortal Caesar), speaking of Brutus, and groaning underneath his ages yoke, have wished that noble Brutus had his eyes. As the conversation goes on Cassius achieves what he wants, not wanting Caesar as a king when Brutus says What means this shouting? I do fear the people choose Caesar for a king. This is the turning point of persuasion as Cassius will change his tactics. The conversation has gotten to the right point, and Cassius is not giving up. At this time Cassius begins criticizing that Rome should not become a dictatorship and thus implying that Caesar should not be the king. By using the following sentences, Cassius introduces that people can do what needs to be done to protect something or someone, in this case Rome (Roman People). Men at some time are masters of their fates... Cassius then begins bringing doubt to Brutus about Caesar and the good of Rome, and thus taking his next step, the forged letters. In conclusion, Cassius's persuasive techniques were discovered in Act 1, Scene 2, but still there's more. Now, it is known that Cassius began his trick with a simple conversation and building on to that. This introductory scene is what gets the play running, thus showing how persuasive Cassius is.

The Play's Fallacies: Brutus Act 2

In Act 2, Brutus exposes one of his greatest mistakes, making up his mind to assassinate Caesar. Although protecting Rome and the Roman people is something that every one should try to do, Brutus tries to protect Rome from the unknown. The fallacies of Brutus's speech are most seen at the beginning of Act 2. To start with, the first fallacy is a personal fallacy. At the beginning of his soliloquy It must be by his death, and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him., Brutus shows that he does not have anything against Caesar, nothing to try to kill him for. As he keeps talking Brutus comes up with He would be crowned. How that might change his nature. There's the question. which shows a fallacy in his thinking. Getting the crown would be something to change from, but is the change for the good or for the bad? Brutus keeps going back and forth trying to find something to kill Caesar for, but again he finds no evidence for the murder as suggested I have not known when his affections swayed more than his reason. Not only are Brutus's fallacies in the text, but in the analyzing of his speech. Summarized, Brutus alleges that his nature would only change for the worse, which contradicts his question, how might Caesar's nature change? Depicting Caesar as an ambitious man without evidence, Brutus starts to make generalizations about greatness. In short, there is no evidence, no cause, no nothing because as shown in the soliloquy, Brutus knows nothing about Cesar but still keeps alleging that the crowning of Cesar is for the bad of Rome. In conclusion Brutus's speech is full of fallacies. His generalizations are

turning him from a righteous person to a person that may take his life for mistakes. This is what happens at the end of Act 5. Brutus is one of the main characters and through his mistakes, all of what he has committed, he dies. The fallacy which starts in a simple conversation with Cassius as stated in the previous essay about Cassius's persuasive techniques.

protecting the roman people

Everyone wants the good of the people, the good of the state, the good of the economy, and good health. In the play Julius Caesar, Brutus wanted the good of the people, of the republic, he wanted to protect them. Julius Caesar was to be crowned king of Rome, and start a dictatorship. Brutus, on the other hand, wanted freedom (persuaded by Cassius) and thus committed an assassination, the assassination of Caesar, that was worth his life. But was this act driven for the good of the people? It is time to examine this. First of all, how did this mess start? Well at the beginning of the play Cassius came up with the idea of killing Caesar because Caesar would start a dictatorship of horror. Cassius then recruits the people that would actually play a role in the assassination of Caesar, one of them is Caesar's best friend Brutus. Brutus is resistant at first, he find nothing worth killing Caesar for, he doesn't find anything hurtful to the republic. After some meditation Brutus says that for the general good of Rome, he must protect Rome of what Caesar might do not for what he has done. Is this really a good reason to kill someone? No, everyone does things in the future, no one knows what they will do, no one knows if what they do will actually make benefit or harm to people. Not finding a good reason to kill someone is just unjust, obviously they didn't think this true, the assassination was disguised to be for the good of Rome, although there's no evidence that Caesar would actually cause harm. Brutus has been persuaded, Cassius and himself are ready to kill Caesar for no apparent reason. They commit this shenanigan and don't know what to do after that, they were actually chased by the people that they were trying to help. Is this really helping the people? It is not, Cassius and Brutus killed someone for an unknown reason that no one knows. Are people chased all the time for doing something good, no! So basically killing Caesar actually brought them problems, the assassination was not for the good or the state, or was it? Maybe Brutus and Cassius knew that if they killed Caesar, the Roman people would make a quick buck. Now, this problem gets bad enough to try to fight a war. Brutus and

Cassius both know that they will lose thus saying they will commit suicide before being defeated. Is this really the mind of someone that has done good? Also, Brutus dreams of Caesar showing up at Phyllipi, he feels guilty, how can someone feel guilty of something they have done good? This are not the minds of heroes, these are the minds of traitors to Rome, and thus the assassination of Caesar was unjustified and not really for the good of Rome. In conclusion, killing Caesar for the good of Rome is unjustified and it wasn't really for the good of Rome. This actually brought war to Rome, which lowers their resources, and they would have better things to do than fight. Brutus and Cassius are guilty no matter what.

Modern day Julius Caesar

Caesar was a man that wanted the good of the people. Although not proven in the play, it is said that Caesar was an ambitious man, a man that wanted power, land, a dictatorship. Caesar was also very conceded, which lead to his cruel death. A modern day Caesar would be known by everyone, he would be a famous person, probably running for presidential position or a position of high standards. Caesar would be like the United States greatest presidents because of his passion for the good of the people, good of the state, and as in modern days, the good of the country. Caesar would pass the laws that are needed to run a government smoothly, to help the people that really need help. Caesar would be there with the economy growing, strong and still standing, and never letting it fall down. Still Caesar in modern days would probably still want dictatorship, would still want to rule in absolute. Besides his governmental abilities, Caesar would also wear the most stylish clothes, expensive, and always fitting the right place. Caesar in a modern age would think smart, come up with the greatest ideas, and also have a laugh or two. He would be one of the most popular people during his school life, always conceded about himself. Also, Caesar would really be a helpful person, helping other students do their homework and participating in extra-

curricular activities while keeping his grades up. This would be trying to be the best, not look down, and want more and more. His dedication in school and school activities would lead Caesar to be the best, people striving for the better of other people, trying to better themselves and the whole world. He would receive the highest awards possible and always study, study, study until the end. Growing up he would have the greatest commodities and friends, achieving his goals without having to look back at mistakes, but still try to better himself. During his college life, Caesar would be persistent, always there when needed, always available to help. Also, Caesar would still continue with his popularity and conceded self, as he would never change. But as any great man, and every person in the world, Caesar would have his fallacies and mistakes. He would be challenged by his inability to hear in one of his ears, but as persistent as he can be and he always would be. Also, Caesar would leave throughout his life with his epilepsy, but still noble and able to fight, trying to better people, and always accomplishing his dreams. Caesar would be unstoppable, not because of he being ambitious, but because Caesar would have a bright future. Other people would be jealous of Caesar, trying to find excuses to be with him, or defame him in any way, shape, or form. This would be the Caesar of modern days, as different as he can be, but he would continue to be the same except for the carrying of technology throughout the 21st century. Also like any other human, Caesar's death would come, probably by someone like Cassius trying to kill Caesar because of his popularity or position in today's world.

Modern Day Cassius

In the play, Cassius has been the person that started the whole conspiracy. Since the beginning, Cassius has found a way to manage the conspiracy as well as a way to persuasive Brutus into killing Caesar. He also was an intelligent person that was quick to think. A modern day Cassius would be one of those quiet students in the classroom. Cassius would also be one of the people that get in trouble for stinking up the bathroom, throwing eggs at the school, or writing graffiti on the school. Cassius would also be someone that does not like to do school work, although if he actually tried Cassius would be one of the persons with the highest grades. The best and favorite subject of Cassius would be language arts. Good at writing essays and persuading people through writing, trying to get people to think his way. As young Cassius grows up, he will become someone to fight for the rights of the people (against the president of course) and also would be someone shady about his decisions, as he is in the play. As time goes on, Cassius would pass from a quiet student to a man with shady intentions, no one

would know his real intentions, whether good or bad. At some time in the life of a modern citizen of the United States, Cassius will find something to try to kill the president for. Also, whatever Cassius thinks, he will not do it alone, he will convince people to help him, to be the leaders, to take over, to be involved as much as he is. Furthermore, Cassius would be a man that hates to lose a battle or something in the modern age. He would have the most advanced technology to try to kill people. But as any other man that did the wrong thing at the wrong time, like killing Caesar before being crowd and starting the whole ruckus where they have to run away and fight at Phyllipi, Cassius will again try to kill the president. Having done this task with the help of the president's best friend they will run away, try to persuasive people which are easily swayed, and fight a war against the United States. Before Cassius and the president's best friend, which now they have killed, they will commit suicide before losing the battle against the United States. Cassius will have now mistaken that the President's best friend lost and of course, shoot himself or take a pill. In short, Cassius would be the same man as he was during the Roman times. The only difference would be the clothes, location, language, school, education, and killing the president-elect instead of the king. Also instead of using primitive weapons he would use high technology to kill people. Cassius as said would be quiet, able to do things, able to persuade, able to do what he wanted, also lazy (a bit). And finally this is Cassius in the modern days, in the United States, during the beginnings of a new century, the 21st century.

Modern Day Brutus

Since the beginning of the play, Brutus has surprised us with his mistakes, the mistakes that take his life, the mistakes that take everything and anything from him. Brutus was a great friend and a great official, always doing everything for the good of the people, good of the state, good of the republic, the good of Rome. Brutus would strive to be the best in class like Caesar bu as always doubtful of his abilities and always making a mistake or two. Brutus's worst subject would be mathematics, he would make something easy difficult, trying to find a way unknown to man to solve a simple addition equation, trying to solve the unknown, trying to solve something that has not been discovered, furthermore he would be a person with quick action. Because of this, English would be a bad subject for him, trying to finish the

work fast would make him to make some of the mistakes that would lead his papers to get lower grades, although he strives for the highest. As any people of economic position as Brutus, such as Caesar the president-elect and Cassius the modern conspirator, he would have the greatest commodities. Before the time of assassination of the president-elect, before the time Caesar was even running for presidency, Brutus would have been a loyal friend. Brutus and Caesar would have the greatest relationship of all relationships, always taking care of each other and helping one another. Brutus would then would be easily swayed by one of the most persuasive people alive, Cassius, they will both then try to kill Caesar as always any time, any time period, a month from thinking of the assassination. Throughout, Brutus will gain insightful experience about the modern world and always loyal to the people. But as man make mistakes, one of his greatest mistakes is not finishing what was started. Brutus would still forget to think of what to do after killing the president-elect and at the end commit suicide. Brutus will have the most advanced technology as any other man of the high class of society, use it as anyone would, and he would hate to watch TV. He also would wear his stylish clothing like any other Roman that becomes an American at differing time periods. And thus, here is the man that betrayed his best friend to prevent what Caesar might do, although he has no evidence that Caesar would actually do something bad.

Modern day Mark Antony

Although not the greatest man alive, Antony will be someone in life, someone important to the United States, and also someone important to Caesar. Antony at this point and time would be like any other American, trying to be someone in life, trying to get good grades and trying to be someone helpful. He wouldn't be a people person but still gave some friends, talk, and hang out with them. It would be during his 20s that he will actually be noticed and be one of the people that fight for revenge, that fight for someone, that fight for actually the good of people.