Thanks for this deft exploration, which occurs at the unsteady border between drama, psychology and philosophy...apparently, Shakespeare was fine w/ that terrain. It prompted me to look up an earlier soliloquy by Brutus, in which he compares Caesar to a serpent's egg. Still looking for the best video deliveries of the Antony and Brutus speeches. Suggestions, anyone?
Antony thinks of the crowd as a jury with power to decide. Brutus doesn't give them that agency.
Brutus's argument contains no evidence of Caesar's ambition. He just assumes they will believe him because he's Brutus and, as you say, the coolest kid.
Antony starts by casting doubt on the charge of ambition with "if" and then gives specific evidence of the lack of ambition.
Yes! The difference between prose and verse in Shakespeare is always quite telling. Elevated speech usually indicates something that he wants us to remember.
Love this. I will be mentioning this in my own post soon. But I wanted to say that ides are the 15th day of March, May, July, or October or the 13th day of any other month in the ancient Roman calendar. Not every month.
Thanks for this deft exploration, which occurs at the unsteady border between drama, psychology and philosophy...apparently, Shakespeare was fine w/ that terrain. It prompted me to look up an earlier soliloquy by Brutus, in which he compares Caesar to a serpent's egg. Still looking for the best video deliveries of the Antony and Brutus speeches. Suggestions, anyone?
Anything the BBC/RSC does will serve you well, btw.
Oh man and there’s a later speech in this same scene where Antony fully manipulates the crowd into revolt and it’s glorious. Thanks Poesch!
Great post, Jenn.
Antony thinks of the crowd as a jury with power to decide. Brutus doesn't give them that agency.
Brutus's argument contains no evidence of Caesar's ambition. He just assumes they will believe him because he's Brutus and, as you say, the coolest kid.
Antony starts by casting doubt on the charge of ambition with "if" and then gives specific evidence of the lack of ambition.
J
I also was just noticing that Brutus’ speech is in prose, and Antony’s is in verse.
Yes! The difference between prose and verse in Shakespeare is always quite telling. Elevated speech usually indicates something that he wants us to remember.
And of course that it’s heightened, emotionally.
Okay, the post is out and calling you out on your awesomeness. https://open.substack.com/pub/zinagomezliss/p/a-fulsome-ides?r=fjyz7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
But not on my mistake? 😬
Nope! I actually made a big mistake on my Edna St. Vincent Millay piece and had to correct it. It happens.
Love this. I will be mentioning this in my own post soon. But I wanted to say that ides are the 15th day of March, May, July, or October or the 13th day of any other month in the ancient Roman calendar. Not every month.
Yes! Omg I stand corrected, you are right about that.
I mean mentioning this post. I really like looking at the speeches side by side.