Julius
Caesar
Analysis of
Arguments
Act One. Sc 2. 90-131
Cassius to Brutus
Caesar
needs to be
stopped.
Brutus
Cassius
Act Two. Sc. 1. 10-34
Brutus to Brutus (soliloquy)
Rome is more
important than
friendship.
Brutus
Brutus
Act Three. Sc. 2. 12-30
Brutus to Crowd
Caesar had to
die.
Brutus
Act Three. Sc. 2. 70-104
Antony to Crowd
The
assassins
should die.
Objective:
• Because arguments are so important to the
play, it is important to develop a strategy for
analyzing arguments in an organized fashion.
STEP ONE IS ALWAYS TO IDENTIFY THE
SPEAKER, AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE
•
• AUDIENCE
SPEAKER
PURPOSE
Once you have identified the parts of the
argument, PET AL the Chimpanzee can help you
focus on what makes the argument work.
P remise (What is the speaker trying to prove?)
E vidence (What kind of support does he give?)
T one
(Is this straightforward or sarcastic,
sympathetic or critical?)
A ppeals (logos, ethos, pathos)
L anguage (connotation of words, manipulation of
syntax, emotive impact of images)
C ounterargument ( How does the speaker deal with
real or perceived opposition to the
argument?)
Counterargument
88. (Brutus ) For let the gods so speed me as I
love
89.The name of honor more than I fear death.
90. (Cassius) I know that virtue to be in you,
Brutus,
91. As well as I do know your outward favor.
92. Well, honor is the subject of my story.
Premise:
93. I cannot tell what you and other men
94. Think of this life; but, for my single self,
95. I had as lief not be as live to be
96. In awe of such a thing as I myself.
Evidence
97.
98.
99.
100.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
110.
111.
I was born free as Caesar; so were you:
We both have fed as well, and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he:
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
Caesar said to me 'Darest thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point?' Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in
And bade him follow; so indeed he did.
The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controversy;
But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
Caesar cried 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink!'
Tone
112. I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,
113. Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
114. The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of
Tiber
115. Did I the tired Caesar. And this man
116. Is now become a god, and Cassius is
117. A wretched creature and must bend his body,
118. If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.
Appeals
Pathos:
116……And Cassius is
117. A wretched creature and must bend his
body
118. If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.
Appeals
Ethos:
112. I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,
113. Did from the flames of Troy upon his
shoulder
114. The old Anchises bear,
Appeals
Logos:
98. We both have fed as well, and we can both
99. Endure the winter’s cold as well as he.
Language (Circle every word or image that
shows Caesar’s weaknesses).
119. He had a fever when he was in Spain,
120. And when the fit was on him, I did mark
121. How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did
shake
122. His coward lips did from their colour fly,
123. And that same eye whose bend doth awe
the world
124. Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:
More language:
125. Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the
Romans
126. Mark him and write his speeches in their
books,
127. Alas, it cried 'Give me some drink, Titinius,'
128. As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me
129. A man of such a feeble temper should
130. So get the start of the majestic world
131. And bear the palm alone.
What do I do with this?
Cassius uses ______evidence
and an appeal to _______ in
order to convince Brutus
that_________. He reinforces
this idea with words such
as_______, ________, and
______ that support his
________tone.
Example
• Cassius uses anecdotal evidence and an
appeal to pathos in order to convince Brutus
that Caesar should not have as much power as
he does. He reinforces this idea with words
such as shake, coward and feeble that support
his bitter tone.