In the opening sections of his funeral oration for Julius Caesar, Mark Antony quickly moves the hostile crowd from believing they are well rid of Caesar to questioning the assassination. Through language which suggests he is contrasting his concrete experience with the conspirators’ mere opinions, through phrasing which suggests that Brutus is wrong, and through a repetition of key words in contexts which reverse their meanings, Mark Antony sways the crowd to his opinion.
Antony uses language which contrasts concrete experience with Brutus‘ unsubstantiated opinion. Antony reminds the crowd that Caesar “did thrice refuse” the crown offered to him. Brutus “says” he was ambitious but Antony argues that an ambitious Caesar would have accepted the crown; he did not because Caesar truly possessed no lust for an increase in power. Antony also reminds the crowd how Caesar brought captives to Rome “whose ransoms did the general coffers fill.” Caesar was a generous man who cared not only for himself, but also for the welfare of his public. Generally a man in Caesar’s position would have become an ambitious miser, greedily keeping money away from his people. In addition, Brutus “said” Caesar’s ambition led to his

“yet” Brutus does. Antony wants the crowd to understand that the majority loves Caesar for his deeds, but the disdainful conspirators label his accomplishments as ambition. Therefore, they should annihilate the treacherous folk who have cruelly rid the world of such a great man, because the conspirators’ minority opinion is biased. Antony also disproves Brutus and urges the crowd to mutiny by asking rhetorical questions that imply a negative answer. Caesar brought riches to share with his people, leading Antony to query “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” Brutus’ error is that he has taken money from people that are already poor. He has exterminated a key component to the townspeople’s source of funds, who already lack an adequate salary. Antony has caused the crowd to further realize the error Brutus has made, adding more fire to their willingness to avenge the death of the hand that can no longer provide for them. Also, Caesar repudiated a kingly crown three times, causing Antony to ask “Was this ambition?” No this is not an act performed by someone accused of being an ambitious ruler who seeks augmented prosperity, but it is a modest gesture.. Antony prompts the crowd to attack those who have killed this humble man, because the conspirators’ reason to eliminate Caesar is unjustified. Finally, Antony interrogates this hostile crowd “What cause withholds [you] then, to mourn for him?” Antony plants this simple thought into the crowd’s head, with the expectation of a spiteful response of bloodshed, revulsion, and terror to be cast upon the conspirators. The crowd should feel guilty for quickly abandoning their love of Caesar; in order to eradicate this guilt, they must rid themselves of the reprehensible men who have decimated the being whom they love. Antony has prompted this type of response because he effectively suggests the errors in Brutus’ judgment.

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