Julias Ceasar

In the Roman Republic, the force with the most power was the most easily influenced as well. First Brutus sways the people with his moving speech, only to be outdone by Anthony who changes their opinion once again. Initially, they were furious at Caesar’s death but after listening to Brutus’ justification, they change their mindset completely and want him to take Caesar’s place. At this point, the commoners have successfully been swayed to the side of Anthony and their sudden contempt for Brutus and the conspirators further shows just how quickly the mob can change their opinion on something they recently felt very strongly about. This goes to show just how drastically the commoners can change their viewpoint. Shakespeare never once undermines the role of the malleable mob in the Republic, but his opinion of their ineffectiveness surfaces through their arbitrarily impulsive actions. This is how Shakespeare begins to question the fundamentals of the republic.

To sum up, it is clear that the orators take advantage of the indecisive nature of the crowd and although the commoners play an obviously essential role in the Roman government of 44 BC, Shakespeare’s portrayal of them shows us just how ineffective he thought the institution was. However, they are not consistent about their opinions and can easily be influenced by powerful orations. This invokes the mob’s curiosity as they beg Anthony to read aloud the will.

Mark Anthony’s speech uses mockery and exploits the conscience of the mob to make them feel guilty. The mob’s feelings about any side are fueled with emotion and they seem ready to go to extreme measures to express them.