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| In one of the most famous lines of any speech, ever-"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar not to praise him (221)"-Mark Antony begins his strategy. The crowd at this point is pro-assassination and very volatile. Antony's advantage and motivation is the tremendous emotion of losing a good friend. He wants the mob to see the assassins for what they really are, 'killers'. When he praises the executioners as being noble and honourable, it is done with sarcasm. Gradually, these words go from meaning distinguished to meaning disreputable. As Antony progresses through the speech, his strategy begins to work. The mob's behavior gradually changes. What was, at first, a feeling of relief at having relinquished a dictator has turned into a sensation of revenge. Antony uses pathos to gain control of the masses because the crowd knew Antony loved Caesar, and believed every word he said. As he gained more power over the people, Antony uses other rhetorical devices to extend his command of the situation. He says, " I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke" (222), but that is exactly what he intends to accomplish. He pauses, feigning anguish, giving the people time to reflect on what Antony has said. The timing is impeccable. Another tool Antony uses flawlessly is the power of suggestion. Scattered throughout his speech are sentences like, "Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up to such a sudden flood of mutiny" (224), planting a seed that will grow as his speech intensifies. Antony is a respected man in his own right, and he uses his reputation to full advantage. Antony says " He was my friend, faithful, and just to me (221)," and the crowd knows that it is true. They begin to empathize with him. continue | ||