Question

How did Mark Antony turn the crowd against the conspirators?

Answer 1

The funeral oration of Mark Antony.
Introduction: Mark Antony's funeral oration, one
of Shakespeare's best orations is an extract from
'Julius Caesar'. Caesar's victory and power brings
him popularity. But this rouses jealously and fear in
Brutus whose conspiracy leads to his assassination.
His Humility: Brutus had wiped away every
suspicion of the mob when he said that he had killed
Caesar for their sake, to set them free from Caesar's
dictatorship. Antony knew he could win them over
slowly. He humbles himself with the opening lines "I
have come to bury Caesar, not to praise him".
His Witty Words: Gradually he praises the conspirators
as ' honorable men'. They declared the ambitious
nature of Caesar, who, to Antony had always been a
'friend, faithful and just'. To convince them, he brings
up Caesar's good deeds to the Romans. Yet they had
failed to judge him and mourn for him.
His Emotional Oration: Antony was upset that none
came forward to pay reverence to Caesar. Yet he did
not aim at stirring their 'hearts and mind to mutiny
and rage' against the 'honorable men'. Antony's key
to unlock the hearts of the mob was Caesar's will. He
did not mean to read it for they would become very
emotional and beg his hair or rush to dip their napkins
in his blood to bequeath it as their rich legacy. The
blood soaked opened their eyes and played
upon their emotions.
His speech revealed his hurt, his anger and pain that
injustice should not be done to one who had done no
harm.
An Indirect Instigation: Antony did not rouse the
fury of the mob directly. He humbled himself as 'a
plain blunt man' who lacked the 'wit, words and worth'
of Brutus. But if only he had possessed the oratorical
skill of Brutus, he would have "put a tongue in every
wound of Caesar" to ruffle up their spirits to rise in
mutiny. This was enough to instigate the mob against
the assassins. Justice is truth in action.