Scene 2

Alright — let’s go step-by-step and deepen the analysis for Julius

Caesar, Act 3 Scene 2–3 (Brutus and Antony’s speeches) so you
have ICSE-ready notes that you can directly use.
I’ll include extra line-level analysis, figures of speech, dramatic
purpose, and a clear side-by-side comparison so you can see
exactly how Brutus and Antony differ in persuasion.

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Context Recap

Scene occurs right after Caesar’s assassination in the Capitol.

Brutus has allowed Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral but under

strict conditions: Antony cannot directly blame the conspirators
and must speak after Brutus.

This creates a perfect dramatic contrast:

Brutus → Logical, calm, patriotic justification.

Antony → Emotional, manipulative, ironic.

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Part 1 – Brutus’s Speech

Main Goal: Justify Caesar’s murder as an act of patriotism and

protect his own honour.

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Key Techniques (with explanation)

1. Direct Address – "Romans, countrymen, and lovers!"

Order of words puts Rome first, friendship second.

Signals that public duty is more important than private love.

2. Appeal to Honour – "Believe me for mine honour"

Asks them to trust his integrity as proof.

3. Antithesis – "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome
more"

Contrasts love for a friend with duty to country.

This balance makes the act seem noble.

4. Rhetorical Questions – "Who is here so base that would be a

bondman?"

Forces the crowd to agree that they would not choose slavery.

Creates an illusion of democratic consent.

5. Parallel Structure – Threefold repetition of "Who is here…",

building rhythm and emphasis.

6. Logical Appeal (Logos) –

Brutus offers clear reasoning:

If Caesar lived → slavery.
Caesar dead → freedom.

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Figures of Speech in Brutus’s Speech

Antithesis – “loved Caesar less… loved Rome more”

Repetition – “If any, speak—for him have I offended”

Rhetorical Question

Parallelism

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Dramatic Purpose

Wins initial trust and applause from the plebeians.

Positions Brutus as a selfless patriot.

Creates a calm, rational mood that Antony will later shatter.

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Part 2 – Antony’s Speech

Main Goal: Undermine the conspirators without breaking his

promise, and provoke the people to revolt.

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Key Techniques (with explanation)

1. Opening Reversal – "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me

your ears"

Friendship first → builds intimacy and unity before politics.

2. Irony – "Brutus is an honourable man"

Starts sincerely but repeats it with increasing sarcasm until the
crowd questions it.

3. Appeal to Pathos –

Antony weeps over Caesar’s body.

Uses grief to create emotional connection.

4. Refusal Technique –

Pretends "It is not meet you know how much Caesar loved you"

Crowd becomes desperate to hear the will.

5. Imagery & Props –

Caesar’s cloak: describes each stab wound and names the

conspirator responsible.

Shows body: wounds as “poor, dumb mouths” that speak for

justice.

6. Contradiction by Evidence –

Reminds them Caesar refused the crown three times →

contradicts claim of ambition.

7. Reverse Psychology – "I am no orator, as Brutus is"

Makes people think he’s sincere, not manipulative (though he is).

8. Climactic Outburst – "O judgment! thou art fled to brutish

beasts"

Metaphor for loss of reason → shames the crowd into action.

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Figures of Speech in Antony’s Speech

Irony – “Brutus is an honourable man”

Metaphor – “O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts”

Personification – Wounds as “dumb mouths”

Imagery – Bloody cloak, Caesar’s wounds

Anaphora – Repeated “And Brutus is an honourable man”

Rhetorical Questions – “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?”

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Dramatic Purpose

Changes the crowd’s mood step-by-step:

Calm → Curious → Doubtful → Sympathetic → Furious → Violent
mob.

Sets up the civil war to come.

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Part 3 – Mood Shift Timeline

Stage Crowd after Brutus Crowd after Antony’s stages

Start Supportive, calm Curious about Antony’s hints

Middle Proud of freedom Doubtful after crown refusal story
Later Loyal to Brutus Sympathetic after wounds shown
End Peaceful Violent and vengeful after will revealed

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Themes in the Scene

1. Power of Rhetoric – Logic vs. emotion in persuasion.

2. Public vs. Private Loyalty – Brutus sacrifices friend for Rome;

Antony uses friendship for revenge.

3. Manipulation of Honour – “Honourable” becomes a sarcastic

weapon.

4. Emotion Over Reason – Antony wins because he appeals to

feelings, not facts.

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Key Quotations (for ICSE answers)

1. "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more" –
Justification of murder.

2. "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears" – Appeal for

unity and attention.

3. "Brutus is an honourable man" – Irony to undermine Brutus.

4. "You all did love him once, not without cause" – Reminds them
of past affection.
5. "O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts" – Lament for loss
of reason.

6. "You are not wood, you are not stones, but men" – Appeal to
humanity.

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Side-by-Side Comparison: Brutus vs. Antony

Aspect Brutus Antony

Opening Address “Romans, countrymen, and lovers” (logic first)

“Friends, Romans, countrymen” (emotion first)
Main Appeal Logic, patriotism (logos) Emotion, irony (pathos)
Tone Sincere, calm Pretended humility, emotional, manipulative
Figures of Speech Antithesis, parallelism, rhetorical questions
Irony, metaphor, personification, imagery, anaphora
Use of Props None Caesar’s cloak, wounds, will
Effect on Crowd Peaceful support Violent uprising
End Result Brutus leaves satisfied Antony stirs rebellion

Perfect — I’ll make you an ICSE-style Q&A set on Julius Caesar, Act
3, Scene 2–3 (Brutus & Antony’s speeches).
We’ll have:

1. Short-answer questions (2–3 marks)

2. Figure of speech identification

3. Long-answer questions (4–6 marks, with analysis)

4. Extra “explain with reference to context” (RTC) passages

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SECTION A — Short-Answer Questions (2–3 Marks)

Q1. Why does Brutus say “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I
loved Rome more”?
A: Brutus uses antithesis to explain that his decision to kill Caesar
was not out of hatred for Caesar, but because his loyalty to Rome
was greater. He feared Caesar’s ambition would make Rome a
dictatorship, so he acted to preserve the Republic.

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Q2. What is Antony’s purpose in repeatedly calling Brutus “an

honourable man”?
A: At first, Antony seems to praise Brutus, but the repetition
gradually turns sarcastic. This verbal irony makes the crowd
question Brutus’s true honour.

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Q3. Why does Antony mention Caesar’s refusal of the crown?

A: Antony uses this to disprove the conspirators’ claim that
Caesar was ambitious. By showing Caesar rejected kingship
thrice, Antony plants doubt about the justification for his murder.

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Q4. What is the crowd’s mood immediately after Brutus’s speech?

A: They are calm, respectful, and supportive of Brutus. Many even
say they will crown him Caesar, showing their acceptance of his
reasoning.

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Q5. What is Antony’s “refusal technique” when talking about the

will?
A: Antony pretends it is not right to read the will, which makes the
crowd more eager to hear it. This manipulative tactic builds
suspense and interest.

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SECTION B — Figures of Speech Identification

Q6. Identify and explain the figure of speech in:

(a) “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.”
→ Antithesis – Contrasts love for Caesar with love for Rome to
show balanced reasoning.

(b) “O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts.”

→ Metaphor & Personification – Judgment is compared to a living
thing that has fled; beasts symbolise irrationality.

(c) “Brutus is an honourable man.” (repeated)

→ Irony & Anaphora – The repeated phrase is meant sarcastically
to cast doubt.

(d) “You are not wood, you are not stones, but men.”
→ Metaphor – Compares unfeeling things (wood, stones) to
suggest the crowd should feel emotion.

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SECTION C — Long-Answer Questions (4–6 Marks)

Q7. Compare Brutus’s and Antony’s rhetorical strategies in their

funeral speeches.
A:

Brutus: Appeals to logic (logos), patriotism, and honour. Uses

antithesis, parallelism, and rhetorical questions. Tone is calm and
sincere.

Antony: Appeals to emotion (pathos) and irony. Uses props (cloak,

wounds, will), vivid imagery, personification, and repetition. Tone
shifts from respectful to sarcastic and passionate.

Effect: Brutus leaves the crowd peaceful; Antony transforms them

into a violent mob.

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Q8. How does Antony turn the crowd against the conspirators
without openly breaking his agreement with them?
A: Antony carefully follows the rule of not blaming the
conspirators directly. Instead, he:

1. Calls them “honourable” with growing sarcasm.

2. Brings up facts that contradict their claims (Caesar refused the

crown).

3. Shows Caesar’s wounds and cloak to evoke pity and anger.

4. Tempts the crowd with the will but pretends reluctance to read
it.
This indirect attack makes the crowd reach its own conclusion —
to revolt.

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SECTION D — RTC (Reference to Context) Practice

Q9. Read the extract and answer:

> “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to

bury Caesar, not to praise him.”
(a) Who is the speaker?
(b) Why does he say he comes “not to praise” Caesar?
(c) How does this statement help his persuasion?
A:
(a) Antony.
(b) He pretends his purpose is only to perform funeral rites, not to
glorify Caesar, to appear impartial.
(c) This creates trust in the crowd, making them more open to his
later emotional appeals.

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Q10. Read the extract and answer:

> “Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak;

for him have I offended.”
(a) Who is the speaker?
(b) What does “bondman” mean?
(c) How does the rhetorical question work here?

A:
(a) Brutus.
(b) A slave.
(c) The question forces the crowd to agree they are not slaves,
making them accept Brutus’s justification for Caesar’s death.

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If you want, I can also make you a two-page condensed revision

chart with:

Speech flow diagrams

Mood shift graph

All figures of speech in bullet form

Common exam questions with key points

That would make last-minute prep very quick.
Do you want me to prepare that next?