Julius Caesar: Act 3, Scene 2 Summary

Plot Summary / Storyline

• At Caesar's funeral, Brutus addresses the Roman crowd first, saying he killed Caesar not because he hated him, but because he loved Rome more.
• He argues that Caesar was ambitious and would have made them slaves, so they had to kill him.
• The crowd agrees and calls for Brutus to be crowned.
• Then Antony speaks, repeatedly calling Brutus "an honourable man" while slowly proving Caesar was not ambitious.
• He shows Caesar's wounds, reminds them of his kindness, and reads the will, which gives money and public parks to the citizens.
• The crowd turns furious against the conspirators and rushes off to burn their houses.

Commentary on Act 3, Scene 2

Brutus' speech is logical and clear: he appeals to reason, to Roman ideals of liberty, and to his own reputation for honesty.

Antony's speech is emotional and manipulative in a clever way; by repeating "Brutus is an honourable man" while giving opposite evidence, he uses irony to make the crowd doubt Brutus.

Showing Caesar's torn cloak and wounded body, and reading the will, stirs pity, anger and greed in the listeners.

The crowd's quick shift from loving Brutus to wanting to kill him reveals how unstable and dangerous public opinion can be.

This scene proves that in this play, words are as powerful as weapons; speeches can completely change history.