In William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, persuasion and rhetoric play a crucial role in the myriad of events and outcomes that occur. In the first act, Cassius attempts to convince Brutus to turn against Caesar and join the conspiracy. Later, in the third act, Brutus and Antony speak at Caesar's funeral. Brutus convinces the Roman people that what he and the conspirators did was for the good of Rome. Antony then persuades the plebeians that the conspirators had no reasonable judgment in killing Caesar and that all of Caesar's future plans were to help Rome. Although many characters seem rhetorical, Antoine could be considered the most important. Persuasion and rhetoric are used throughout Julius Caesar when Cassius attempts to coax Brutus into joining the conspiracy, and when Brutus and Antony convince the crowd at Caesar's funeral. Brutus is considered an honorable and noble man in Rome and it is important to Cassius that he becomes part of the plot. In Act 1, Cassius and Brutus agree that Caesar becoming king would be detrimental to Rome. Cassius begins by persuading Brutus by describing how weak Caesar is. He says: “He had a fever when he was in Spain, and when the attack came upon him, I noticed how much he was trembling; it is true, this god trembled” (I.ii.119-121). Cassius tries to show Brutus that Caesar is not perfect or better than everyone else. In fact, he is weak and crippled. Next, Cassius argues that Caesar is too powerful and that if he becomes king, he will rule over the people "like a colossus" (I.ii.136). Brutus says he will consider joining the conspiracy if it is Hettwer 2 for the better of the people of Rome. Cassius claims that Brutus is already three-quarters of the way to turning against Caesar and asks the question: "for... in the middle of a paper... it's a totally different story." Cassius tries to turn Brutus against Caesar and succeeds. Later, Brutus and Antony speak at Caesar's funeral. Brutus appeals to logic and the crowd is initially on his side. Antony appeals more to emotion, and the crowd agrees with him much more than Brutus. This leads to havoc and a mutiny against the conspirators. It is evident that Antoine is the most compelling character in the play because of his use of appealing to the mental states of others. He is also humble, but deceptive. In conclusion, persuasion and rhetoric are essential factors in the death of Julius Caesar and the events that followed the tragedy. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. “The Death and Life of Julius Caesar.” www.shakespeare.mit.edu. NP, and Web. February 22 2016. ;.