Analysis of Brutus's Speech from William Shakespear's "Julius Caesar"

When Brutus speaks to the Romans, he has two purposes. His first and more important purpose is to persuade the audience that Caesar's murder was justified. His second purpose is to introduce Mark Antony. He accomplishes this second purpose better than the first. He implies that he is a "good guy" for letting Caesar's best friend speak, but he is naïve when he decides not to stay to listen to Antony. …

…Brutus is far less passionate and thus far less convincing to the mob than Antony is. Brutus doesn't use any of the persuasive devices that Antony uses. And he ignores one big rule of persuasive speaking: Nobody believes anybody without proof. Brutus is vague and illogical, and his rational appeal to patriotism is not enough to save his speech. Brutus may or may not be an honorable man, bur he is certainly a horrible orator.