7/31/2019 General Essay- Antony

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Discuss the role and the presentation of Antony.

Mark Antony is portrayed as a loyal and intelligent friend of Julius Caesar and he has a large

impact in the defeat of the conspirators. In this play, Antony is presented as an extremely

cunning man, who is an outstanding orator and due to these qualities plays a major role in

the civil war and in the revenge of Caesar.

Initially, Antony is shown to be a weak, servile character, but as the play progresses he

changes into a strong-willed, intelligent man. During the beginning of the play, Shakespeare

immediately introduces Antony as a follower of Caesar when he says when Caesar says Do

this, it is performd. This seemingly uncompromising obedience of Caesars wishes conveys

to the audience that Antony is merely a limb of Caesar , a view shared by Brutus who is the

leader of the conspiracy. Another incident which shows Antonys naivety is when he

dismisses Caesars accurate concerns about Cassius. Brutus therefore severely

underestimates Antony, who however exhibits great cunning to ensure he may speak at

Caesars fun eral, where his skill as an orator shines and due to his rhetoric he plays a major

role in the civil war as he stirs the Plebeians , Well burn the house of Brutus! against

Brutus and the conspirators. With this spee ch, Antonys use of rhetorical devices such as

irony and antistrophe coupled with his speech being in verse, rather than in prose as is

Brutus, gives a sense of nobility to Antony. This nobility increases the effect of his words on

the ordinary citizens of Rome, and greatly contributes to the creation of the mob against

Brutus and Cassius. As well as this, the funeral speech shows Antonys role as one of the

leaders against Brutus which firmly eradicates the first impression the audience has of

Antony being a weak, inferior character.

However while Antony is shown to be noble and strong, another side of him is shown

through his ruthlessness as well as his pettiness. In stark contrast to his rousing speech to

the citizens of Rome, his callousness is shown when he condemns his own nephew to death,

he shall not live . Antonys savage streak is shown to the audience for the first time, a

characteristic seemingly dormant until the death of Caesar. Even in his eulogy, Antony is

seemingly only intent on creating a frenzy, seemingly not caring about the consequences of

a violent mob. Mischief, thou are afoot, take what course thou wilt! This unleashing of

mob destructiveness and the desire to only achieve his goal of revenge at any cost shattersthe view of him as the avenging hero. However, as well as his ruthlessness, Antony is also

shown to be extremely rude and dismissive, with Lepidus, the third member of the

triumvirate in particular. Antony accepts the leadership of Octavius, due to his loyalty to

Caesar, but he has no such loyalty to Lepidus, whom he claims must be taught and train'dand bid go forth and is not fit to be in their group. Antony feels that Lepidus is only fit to be

sent on errands. Although Antony may have this dislike due to Lepidus insisting Antonys

nephew must die, it is more likely that Antony simply did not want to share power with

anyone, let alone someone like Lepidus, who he did not respect. Again, this power-hungry,

ruthless Antony is a completely different perspective on his character.

7/31/2019 General Essay- Antony

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Antony is also presented as a great military leader, but his role in the war effort is

diminished by O ctavius, causing tension between them. After Caesars death, Antony

accepts Octavius as leader due to his love and loyalty to Caesar; however it is clear he thinks

Octavius too young and inexperienced. Octavius, I have seen more days then you, here

Antony is trying to assert his experience and knowledge, but while he may consider Octaviusundeserving or being the overall commander of the war, he allows himself to be overruled

by Octa vius. Once again, Antonys loyalty to his friend is shown, as he follows Caesars

named heir. Although he follows Octavius, he is exasperated by the refusal of Octavius to

accept his battle plan, Why do you cross me in this exigent? Here, Antony is forced to take

the inferior side of the battlefield, much to his dislike. But, Antonys intelligence ensures he

does not split the Roman forces with an argument and again, Antony is shown as a capable

leader and soldier who can take orders.

Throughout the play, Antony is shown to have many different characteristics. Until thedeath of Caesar, he is not much more than a mere follower. However, after Caesars death,

he evolves into a great leader, public speaker and a cunning politician. Although he is also

shown to be ruthless and power-hungry, Antony is a great military leader and due to his

oratory skills and military experience he plays a major role in the defeat of the conspirators.