Mark Antony is a fictional character in William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar. Mark Antony was a general who fought alongside Julius Caesar and was his close friend. After Caesar’s assassination, Mark Antony takes over as one of the leaders of Rome. He eventually goes to war with Octavian, Caesar’s nephew, and is defeated. Mark Antony is a brave and ambitious man but he can also be impulsive and reckless.
Mark Antony is first introduced in Act I, Scene ii when he arrives in Rome with Julius Caesar and his army. Mark Antony is a loyal and trusted friend to Julius Caesar and he helps him to gain power in Rome. Mark Antony is a skilled military leader and he proves this when he defeats Pompey’s army in Egypt.
Mark Antony is a complex character and he is torn between his loyalty to Julius Caesar and his love for Cleopatra. Mark Antony is a brave and noble man but he can also be impulsive and reckless. In the end, Mark Antony chooses Cleopatra over Rome and he dies with her in Egypt.
The proud and loyal supporter of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony from Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar may be seen as simply the outspoken and devoted fan of Julius Caesar. On the other hand, Antony exhibits the characteristics of a crafty flatterer, a ruthless dictator, and a steadfast follower. As the story advances, Antony’s qualities will vary. He’ll initially rely on flattery to get what he wants, but he’ll ultimately lean on his overpowering relentlessness. Furthermore, Antony makes use of these distinct features to help him achieve success.
Flattery is one of the first qualities that Mark Antony demonstrates. For example, after Julius Caesar has died and Mark Antony is delivering his funeral speech, he constantly flatters the crowd by calling them “honorable men” (III. ii. 13), “gentlemen” (III. ii. 20), and “friends” (III. ii. 22). By doing this, Mark Antony gains the trust of the people, which he will later use to his advantage.
In addition, Mark Antony also uses flattery when he is talking to Brutus and Cassius. He tells them that their reasons for killing Julius Caesar are “wise and honorable” (III. i. 73), even though he knows that they are not. Mark Antony knows that by flattering Brutus and Cassius, he will make them feel good about themselves and, as a result, they will be more likely to listen to him.
Ruthlessness is another characteristic that Mark Antony possesses. For instance, after the funeral speech, Mark Antony goes to the Capitol with Lepidus and Octavius Caesar. When they get there, they see that the people are angry and want to kill them. However, Mark Antony does not back down; instead, he orders his men to kill all of the people in the Capitol. This shows how ruthless Mark Antony can be when it comes to getting what he wants.
Throughout the play, Antony employs flattery to achieve his aims. Antony understands that he must deal with Brutus following Caesar’s assassination, and he has the wisdom to take advantage of Brutus’ gullibility. “Brutus is noble, wise, brave,” says one of Antony’s servants (III i 126). It is now apparent that Antony intends to flatter Brutus and work on those particular qualities in him which represent his fundamental flaws.
Brutus is easily flattered and Antony knows this. For instance, after Brutus agrees to read the letter from the Senate, Antony says, “This is aDirectory Caesar hath writ for Mark Antony” (III ii 215). In other words, Brutus is being used by Antony as if he were a tool. This becomes more explicit as the play progresses. When Antony arrives in Athens, he finds that the people are on his side.
He asks them, “You all do know this mantle?” The people reply, “We know the garment well” (IV i 139-140). Here, Antony is playing upon the sense of patriotism which stirs in all Romans. He reminds them that Brutus killed Caesar, who was their friend, and he asks them, “Shall we be taken by the politique accord of our countrymen?” (IV i 158-159). The people are easily swayed by Antony’s rhetoric and they declare that they will follow him.
It is clear, then, that Mark Antony is a very cunning individual. He knows how to manipulate people and he does so in order to achieve his own ends. While he may not be the most noble or honorable character in Julius Caesar, he is certainly one of the most interesting.
When Antony arrives at the Capitol, he praises the conspirators by shaking their hands and declaring, “I am your friend; I love you all … ” (III i 220). This act represents Antony’s formation of a new friendship with the conspirators, but in reality he is planning to seek revenge so he can take over Rome. Antony is also able to flatter the large angry mob in order to get his way. He is first able to elicit feelings of compassion from the crowd. The second plebeian remarks that poor soul’s eyes are red as fire with weeping , indicating that Antony has managed to persuade them.
Antony then proceeds to speak about Brutus’s goodness in order to make the crowd realize how great of a man he was and how much they should trust him. He also tells the crowd that Brutus only killed Caesar for the good of Rome and not for his own personal gain. This is evident when he states, “For Brutus is an honorable man; So are they all, all honorable men” (III ii 18-19).
By saying this, Antony is able to get the crowd to feel as if they can trust him because he is being completely honest with them. Lastly, Antony speaks about Caesar’s will in order to get the crowd even more riled up. He knows that he needs the crowd on his side so that he can take down the conspirators. Antony tells the crowd that Caesar wanted them to be free and that they should not let anyone take that away from them.
This is evident when he says, “He hath left you all his walks, His public halls, His private chambers, and his crown” (III ii 176-177). By doing this, Antony is able to get the crowd to want to fight for their freedom and overthrow the conspirators. Mark Antony is a very cunning politician who knows how to get what he wants. He uses his words and his charisma to manipulate people into doing what he wants.