| Point | Brutus's speech | Antony's speech |
|---|---|---|
| form | prose — plain, balanced, logical | blank verse — rhythmic, poetic, passionate |
| appeal | to reason and to his own honour | to emotion, pity and self-interest |
| length | short | long, in stages, with pauses |
| method | balanced sentences (antithesis); rhetorical questions; "I pause for a reply" | irony ("honourable men"); repetition; rhetorical questions; pauses; props (will, mantle, body) |
| evidence | asks to be believed; gives no proof that Caesar was ambitious | gives facts: ransoms, tears for the poor, the crown refused thrice; then the will |
| attitude to the crowd | speaks above them, assumes they will understand his principles | speaks among them, comes down, makes them a ring, calls them "friends", "kind souls" |
| result | crowd cheers him but misunderstands: "Let him be Caesar" | crowd riots: "Revenge! … Burn! Fire! Kill!" |
| mistake / skill | leaves before Antony speaks | keeps every condition in words, yet destroys the conspirators |
Foundation first: how to compare
A comparison needs points of comparison, not two separate descriptions. Choose points such as form (prose or verse), method (reason or feeling), proof, attitude to the crowd, and result. For each point, write one clause about Brutus and one about Antony, joined by a word such as "whereas" or "while". The table above is your skeleton. In a long answer, pick four points and write one sentence on each.
Worked examples
Example 1 (MCQ with a twist, 1 mark). Brutus's speech to the citizens is best described as (a) emotional and moving (b) logical and well reasoned (c) rude and angry (d) full of falsehood.
Solution. (b). It is plain and argued, but it lacks proof of Caesar's ambition. The emotional speech is Antony's. (This is the pattern of ICSE 2026 Improvement, Q1(iv), solved in 8.1.)
Example 2 (short answer, 3 marks). How does Brutus's speech differ from Antony's in form and appeal?
Model answer. Brutus speaks in plain, balanced prose and appeals to reason and his own honour. Antony speaks in rhythmic blank verse and appeals to feeling and self-interest: pity for Caesar, anger against the killers and gratitude for the will.
Why this scores: form of each (1 mark), appeal of each (2 marks, one for each speaker).
Example 3 (long answer, 4 marks). Why does Antony's speech succeed where Brutus's fails?
Model answer. Antony studies his audience and Brutus does not. Brutus asks the citizens to trust him, while Antony shows them proof they can see: the ransoms, the refused crown, the cloak, the body and the will. Brutus speaks above the people; Antony comes down and stands among them. Brutus leaves before the end; Antony speaks last and so has the final word. Finally, Antony adds self-interest to emotion, which a crowd rarely resists.
Why this scores: four distinct reasons, each with evidence.
Example 4 (long answer, about 150 words). Compare the speeches of Brutus and Antony.
Model answer. Brutus speaks first, in prose. His speech is short, balanced and logical. He claims that he killed Caesar for the good of Rome, "not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more", and he asks the people to believe him for his honour. He gives no proof of Caesar's ambition. Antony speaks next, in blank verse. He appears humble, repeats "Brutus is an honourable man" until it is sarcastic, and gives three pieces of evidence the crowd has seen. He uses a will, a cloak and a body, comes down among the people and reads the will last. Brutus wins cheers; Antony wins action. The speeches show that feeling, backed by evidence, is more powerful than reason alone.
Why this scores: a clear point-by-point comparison, quotations, and a closing judgement.
Doubts cleared
Q. Was Brutus's speech bad? No. It was clear and sincere. It failed because it asked the people to share his ideas without giving proof, and because Antony followed it.
Q. Is Antony's speech honest? His facts are true within the play, but his purpose is hidden. He pretends to honour the conspirators, and uses their name as a weapon.
Q. Which speech is better? It depends on what you want. Brutus's argues better; Antony's persuades better. The play shows that a speaker must reach the heart of the audience as well as its head.
Mistakes to avoid
- Writing two separate character sketches instead of a comparison. Join the points with "whereas".
- Saying that Brutus gave no reason at all. He gave one reason (his love of Rome), but no proof of Caesar's ambition.
- Forgetting the result: Brutus's cheers turn to a riot after Antony speaks.
Check yourself
- In which form does each speaker speak?
- Which speaker uses props?
- Who has the last word, and why does it matter?
Answers: 1. Brutus in prose, Antony in blank verse. 2. Antony (the will, the cloak and the body). 3. Antony, because the last speaker leaves the strongest impression on the crowd.