TEACHER’S GUIDE FOR JULIUS CAESAR SPEECHES #1–3

In this activity, students will be assigned one of the three speeches, all of which are found in Act
3, Scene 2 of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Students will need to identify and highlight
different modes of persuasion used by Brutus and Mark Antony. Depending on your classroom
needs, you can have students use the Why-Lighting or Categorical Highlighting learning
strategy.
With the Why-Lighting strategy, students use one highlighter. If you have three colors of
highlighter available for each student, consider implementing the Categorical Highlighting
activity instead as this allows students to use three different colors to visually distinguish
between each type of appeal.
In the below guides, each line is color-coded to show which mode of persuasion has been used.
In this guide, green represents ethos (based on credibility and ethics); red represents pathos
(meant to elicit emotions); and blue represents logos (grounded in logic and reasoning). Note
that students do not need to highlight every single line.
For both Why-Lighting and Categorical Highlighting, students will need to annotate any
highlighted text, noting why they believe the line is an example of ethos, pathos, or logos. If
they identify a line as a different mode of persuasion than this guide indicates, they are not
necessarily wrong, as many parts of these speeches are subject to interpretation. However,
students will need to justify their decision in their notes.

Speech #1

Brutus
Be patient till the last. PATHOS: Brutus urges the crowd of plebeians
Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for to stay calm. He addresses them as his fellow
my cause, countrymen in order to gain their trust. He
urges them to understand the reasoning
and be silent, that you may hear. Believe me behind the assassination.
for mine
ETHOS: Brutus reminds the crowd of his
honor, and have respect to mine honor, that honor.
you may
PATHOS: Brutus instills in the crowd feelings
believe. Censure me in your wisdom, and of love for Caesar and Roman patriotism. He
awake your further suggests that he loved Caesar as much
senses, that you may the better judge. If there as the crowd did, but he had to kill Caesar for
be any in the sake of Rome.

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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 loved Caesar less, but
that I loved
Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were LOGOS: Brutus explains why Caesar’s death
living, and die was necessary.
all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live
all free men?
As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was
fortunate, ETHOS: Brutus emphasizes his friendship with
Caesar before justifying the murder, as he
I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; implies that Caesar had turned into a tyrant.
but as he
was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for
his love; joy PATHOS: Brutus asks a series of questions
meant to convince the audience that, as
for his fortune; honor for his valor; and death people who love their country and oppose
for his slavery, they would have killed Caesar too if
ambition. Who is here so base that would be a they had been in the same position as Brutus.
bondman? He wants to make sure the plebeians feel as
though he is one of them.
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.

All
None, Brutus, none.

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Brutus
Then none have I offended. I have done no LOGOS: With the support of the crowd behind
more to him, Brutus makes one more attempt to
Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The emphasize that his actions were justified. As
question of his Mark Antony enters, Brutus explains that
Caesar’s death has benefitted Antony along
death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not with all the members of the crowd.
extenuated,
wherein he was worthy; nor his offenses
enforced, for
which he suffered death.
[Enter Antony and others, with Caesar’s body.]
Here comes his body, mourned by Mark
Antony, who,
though he had no hand in his death, shall
receive the
benefit of his dying, a place in the
commonwealth, as
which of you shall not? With this I depart –
that, as I slew ETHOS: Brutus reminds the crowd again of his
friendship with Caesar and vows that he will
my best lover for the good of Rome, I have end his own life if it is in the country’s best
the same interests. (This is an excellent example of
dagger for myself, when it shall please my foreshadowing.)
country to need
my death.
[…]
Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
PATHOS: Brutus urges the crowd to mourn
And, for my sake, stay here with Antony. with Antony and asks them to listen to
Do grace to Caesar’s corpse, and grace his Antony’s speech.
speech
Tending to Caesar’s glories, which Mark
Antony,
By our permission, is allowed to make.
I do entreat you not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

FRIENDS, ROMANS, COUNRYMEN, LEND ME YOUR EMOTIONS

 Speech #2

Antony
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your PATHOS: In asking for their attention, Mark
ears. Antony tries to ally himself with the crowd by
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. labelling them as friends and fellow Romans.

The evil that men do lives after them; LOGOS: Antony acknowledges that Caesar
may have been ambitious, but he urges the
The good is oft interred with their bones – crowd to consider the good that Caesar did.
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious.
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest – ETHOS: Antony labels Brutus and the assassins
For Brutus is an honorable man; as honorable men and establishes himself as a
friend of Caesar’s. However, his use of the
So are they all, all honorable men – word honorable throughout the speech is
Come I speak in Caesar’s funeral. sarcastic.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me.
But Brutus says he was ambitious, LOGOS: Antony asserts that Caesar was not
the “ambitious” man Brutus and the assassins
And Brutus is an honorable man.
believed him to be. His story about Caesar
He hath brought many captives home to turning down the crown three times is meant
Rome, to remind the crowd that Caesar was a
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill. humble leader.

Did this in 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 Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse. Was this
ambition?

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Yet Brutus says he was ambitious,
And sure he is an honorable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, ETHOS: Antony makes a point of declaring
But here I am to speak what I do know. that the crowd can trust his own judgment.

You all did love him once, not without cause; PATHOS: Antony urges the crowd to join him
in mourning Caesar, and eventually, he is
What cause withholds you then to mourn for overcome with grief. After composing himself,
him? he goes on to lament that Caesar has been
O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beasts, silenced, and he expresses disappointment
that the crowd has not mourned along with
And men have lost their reason! Bear with him. He plants the seed of rebellion in the
me; minds of his listeners, but he urges them to
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, refrain from rebelling.
And I must pause till it come back to me.
[…]
But yesterday the word of Caesar might
Have stood against the world. Now lies he
there,
And none so poor to do him reverence.
O masters, if I were disposed to stir
Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong,
Who – you all know – are honorable men.
I will not do them wrong. I rather choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,
Than I will wrong such honorable men.
But here’s a parchment, with the seal of LOGOS: Antony draws the plebeians’
Caesar; attention to Caesar’s will.
I found it in his closet – ‘tis his will.
Let but the commons hear this testament – PATHOS: Antony uses imagery of mourners
Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read – collecting the dead Caesar’s blood and hair in
order to elicit feelings of pity from the crowd.
And they would go and kiss dead Caesar’s
wounds
And dip their napkins in his sacred blood,

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Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
And dying, mention it within their wills,
Bequeathing it as a rich legacy
Unto their issue.

Speech #3

Antony
If you have tears, prepare to shed them now. PATHOS: Antony implores the crowd to share
You all do know this mantle. I remember in his grief as he shows them Caesar’s cloak.

The first time ever Caesar put it on. ETHOS: Antony reminds the crowd that he
served with Caesar in battle and was one of
‘Twas on a summer’s evening in his tent, his trusted friends.
That day he overcame the Nervii.
Look, in this place ran Cassius’ dagger PATHOS: Antony demands that the crowd
through. look closely at the ruined cloak, as it shows
See what a rent the envious Casca made. evidence of the gruesome injuries Caesar
sustained. He hopes they will be infuriated by
Through this, the well-beloved Brutus Caesar’s murder.
stabbed;
And as he plucked his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Caesar followed it,
As rushing out of doors to be resolved
If Brutus so unkindly knocked or no –
For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar’s angel.
LOGOS: Antony reminds the crowd that
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved
Brutus and Caesar were good friends, which
him!
made Brutus’ violent act all the more
This was the most unkindest cut of all, shocking.
For when the noble Caesar saw him stab, PATHOS: Antony continues describing
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors’ arms, Caesar’s murder in graphic detail. He uses
words and phrases that are especially laden
Quite vanquished him. Then burst his mighty with emotion (e.g. most unkindest cut of all,
heart, traitors, vanquished, mighty, great Caesar,
And in his mantle muffling up his face, these are gracious drops). Antony suggests
that, in a way, he and his countrymen have
Even at the base of Pompey’s statue,
been murdered along with Caesar. Once his
words have brought many in the crowd to

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Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar tears, Antony shows Caesar’s corpse to the
fell. crowd in order to instill in them even more
O, what a fall was there, my countrymen! grief and pity. Still, he urges them not to
rebel.
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilst bloody treason flourished over us.
O, now you weep, and I perceive you feel
The dint of pity – these are gracious drops.
Kind souls, what weep you when you but
behold
Our Caesar’s vesture wounded? Look you
here!
[He removes the mantle.]
Here is himself, marred as you see with
traitors.
[…]
Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir
you up
To such a sudden flood of mutiny.
They that have done this deed are honorable.
LOGOS: Antony tries to convince the crowd
What private griefs they have, alas, I know that the assassins are honorable men, though
not, he clearly despises them.
That made them do it. They are wise and
honorable,
And will no doubt with reasons answer you.
I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts.
ETHOS: Antony allies himself with the crowd
I am no orator, as Brutus is, by insisting that he is only an ordinary man
But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man who loves his friend Caesar. He proves himself
That love my friend; and that they know full to be modest.
well
That gave me public leave to speak of him.
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of
speech

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To stir men’s blood; I only speak right on.
I tell you that which you yourselves do know,
Show you sweet Caesar’s wounds, poor poor
dumb mouths,
And bid them speak for me. But were I Brutus,
PATHOS: He suggests that, if Brutus were in
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony his position, Brutus would incite the crowd to
Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue commit mutiny.

In every wound of Caesar that should move

The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.

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