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In Mark Antony's Iuneral oration Ior Caesar, we have one oI Shakespeare's most well-
known opening lines and one oI his best examples oI rhetorical irony, the art oI persuasion and
an artiIice used to veil intent. In his speech, Antony sets the table Ior conIlict. He progressively
hits upon the notes oI ambition and honourable in a rhythm that bring both terms into question.
Antony's prime weapons at the beginning are his conspicuous ambiguity regarding Caesar ("II it
were so, it was a grievous Iault") and Brutus ("Yet Brutus says he was ambitious"), rhetorical
questions ("Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?") and Ieigned intent ("I speak not to disprove
what Brutus spoke"). Antony`s speech illustrates that the art oI persuasion is not Iar Irom the
craIt oI manipulation. The speech draws much oI its power Irom repetition. Each time Antony
cites Brutus`s claim that Caesar was 'ambitious, the claim loses Iorce and credibility. Similarly,
each time Antony declares how 'honourable a man Brutus is, the phrase accrues an
progressively sarcastic tone until, by the end oI the speech, its meaning has been completely
inverted. The speech wins over the crowd and turns public opinion against the conspirators.
Antony`s speech is a Iine example oI an Argumentum Ad Populum which is appeal to
popular sentiments rather than reason. This argument, generally considered a logical Iallacy is
based on widespread opinions, values, or prejudices and oIten delivered in an emotionally
charged way. The rhetoric oI Antony served to inIlame in his listeners Ieelings oI distrust against
Brutus. Anthony`s speech eIIicaciously integrates a host oI persuasive devices, most important oI
them being sarcasm and irony. He sets up an obviously Iaulty syllogism or logical series: Caesar
was not ambitious, Brutus says Caesar was ambitious, Brutus would not tell lies. Since these
three statements cannot all be true the speech edges the crowd towards believing that the third
statement ('Brutus would not tell lies) is Ialse. He then directly opposes two statements: 'I
speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke/ But here I am to speak what I do know. Antony is

getting closer to calling Brutus a liar; it is worth noting that he claims to 'know and 'speak are
linked with Antony, where only 'spoke is linked to Brutus` name. His sarcasm also makes use
oI epanalepsis, a Greek word meaning a taking up again`, which is a Iigure oI speech that
contains a repetition oI a word or words aIter other words have come between them ('Brutus is
an honourable man). The great skill oI rhetoric and oration utilized by Antony resulted in
triumph oI the task oI winning the audience and turning them against Brutus
All in all, Mark Antony`s oration is stirring, it inIlames the hearts and minds oI his Iellow
Romans in a time oI emotional upheaval but his sophistry would not be able to convince the
court. True, Brutus has admitted to the conspiracy and killing oI Julius Caesar, his justiIications
are not those that exempt him Irom liability under our law. But the oration oI Antony iI taken
solely as evidence would be sorely incompetent. It was peppered with innuendoes oI the truth as
he knows it. He uses a method oI argument that is seemingly plausible but is actually invalid and
misleading. He would be able Ior certain, to elicit sympathy Ior the deceased and indignation
against the killers but the beauty oI his words cannot make up Ior the lack oI substance oI his
speech. He intertwines collateral matters and what may be deemed as circumstantial evidence in
a rousing speech and combined with his skills oI rhetoric would inIlame and convince the public,
but not the courts oI justice who necessarily require a higher standard in order to impute liability
and convict by a Iinal judgment a person Ior a penal oIIense. As a legal argument, the oration by
Mark Antony, no matter how stirring or thought provoking it may be, cannot hold water.