I'm no genius at english but I can help you a little on the conflicting perspectives part. Heres an ideas where you can start
- They both have conflicting perspectives on the death of caesar. Brutus in his speech outlines how Caesar was this great leader that was hungry for power. He justifies that it was necessary to kill him, despite his love for him as a person.
- Antony on other hand sees his death as a tragedy, and that it was simply a butchery. He justifies the innocence of caesar (with the body etc) and basically labels the conspirators (brutus cassius etc) as jealous slaughterers.
As for your reflection, you might find it difficult to infer how each character is feeling at a particular point in time. You might have had to read a few pages before/after to establish the context of the speech and clearly establish the perspective of each character.
But thats just me. Once you do that task, Im sure you'll find something to reflect on.
That was really helpful. Thanks.
I think its also important to add how both brutus and antony create these perspectives.
In the fineral speeches, brutus starts off first with his speech, thinking this would give him the upper hand towards the crowd (infact it does the opposite). Brutus is not a skilled orator (speaker - persuasive speaker) and in his speech he only justifies his actions and says how it was a nessessary deed for him to do. He begins his speach with 'romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my cause, and be silent that you may hear', compared to antony's first address 'friends, romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!', brutus' starts his speach being disconnected from his audience. he has not started off powerfully and has not yt drawn his audience in as antony has.
Brutus goes on to say that he did if for rome and for the greater good of the roman people. he tries to persuade his audience by saying he did it for them and says 'had you rather caesar were living, and die all slaves, then caesar were dead and to live all free men'. he says this to draw the crowd over. He states how caesars ambition had taken him over and goes on to say that anyone who is ambitious should not rule and if brutus ever came ambitious he must be slayed too. This self sacrificial statement makes him seem sincere to his audience.
Antony on the other hand works the crowd through emotion and connects with his audience. He uses intense irony and the repetition of 'brutus is an honourable man'. by repeating this, antony causes it to loose any meaning and cause the audience to reflect if he truely is an honourable man. there is irony that brutus betrayed caesar as he was his closest friend yet he did the worst deed and is still seen as honourable. Antony starts his speach aware that the crowd is already against him, but by then end of his speach this has all turned around and they call antony 'peace ho, hear antony, oh nobel antony'.
antony is a skill orator and he uses this to his great advantage. he also has the advantage that brutus spoke first and he had a clear chance at a 'rebutle' reply toward brutus' speach and his speach was the last to remain in the crowds mind.
I hope this helped. I have just done some study on this tonight for my trail exam tomorrow. I hope i makes sense.
