Question

Eloquence is the essence of public speaking. explain with the help of orations of Mark Antony and Brutus

Answer 1

A public speaker when eloquent, plays on the emotions of his audience and brings home the significance of what he speaks about with clarity, couched in impressive language. A plain speaker without eloquence will not be able to sway the crowd as an eloquent speaker can. Brutus speaks in plain terms giving the reasons for the assassination of Caesar. His love for Rome and his fear of Caesar's ambition and growing power that could turn him into a dictator, prompted the deed of killing of Caesar.

While the crowd understood the reasons for the killing of Caesar, it was Mark Anthony's brilliant rhetoric that swayed them. He spoke to them of Caesar's virtues, but at the same time he did not denigrate Brutus. He praised him in ironical terms and proceeded slowly to paint him as a villain. There was no self-glorification on his part. All this impressed the crowd and they saw the matter in an entirely new light and broke into rebellion against Brutus. It was sheer eloquence on the part of Mark Anthony that turned the crowd in his favour.