Sorrow of Mark Antony in play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Sorrow is something that all humans feel. Not everything goes your way in life, so it is natural for all of us to experience this grieving. Mark Antony was one of Caesar’s best friends, so it was expected that he would feel intense sadness. He is a great example of someone feeling not just sad, but sorrow. In Julius Caesar written by William Shakespeare, Mark Antony displays sorrow all through Act 3 where Caesar dies.
When Antony stumbles upon the conspirators after they stab Caesar, he made clear that he was mourning for him, especially when he realized that Brutus also contributed to the murder. He said, “O mighty Caesar! Dost thou lie so low? Are all thy… The choice and master spirits of this age,”. This is a great example of how sorrow played a big part in Antony’s life. Since he was very good friends with Caesar, his death had a profound impact in his life, and left a big gap in his heart. Another example of when Antony displayed sorrow in Act 3 Scene 1 was when after he acknowledged the conspirators and talked to them, he goes on to tell them about how much he loved him, and this action demonstrates his true feelings towards Caesar. The dialogue is in Act 3, Scene 1, and lines 198 to 225. This conveys to the reader that he felt melancholy when he grasped the fact that Caesar was dead, which in turn reinforces the theme of sorrow in this play. But, that was not the only time he shows sorrow. He also made it public during his speech, and it turned out to be a vital player in trying to convince the public to turn against Brutus and the other conspirators.
During his speech to the citizens of Rome, he demonstrated a considerable amount of grieving. He even made it public because he wanted to turn the crowd against the conspirators. As he started crying during his speech, the second citizen said, “Poor soul, his eyes are red as fire with weeping,”. This showed that the crowd was sympathizing with Antony, which was an exceptional example of when Antony was lamenting for Caesar in the play. He also utilized the rhetoric technique repetition in his speech to the people. He repeated the main idea that he loves Caesar, which implanted that idea in the minds of the people. This technique proved to be very handy in persuading the crowd. He was trying to create empathy for himself in the crowd.
Antony displayed a lot of sorrow all through Act 3. He loved Caesar a lot, and his absence hurt him. Sorrow and misery is not as simple as sadness. It is something much stronger. It is something that can make you do things that you could or would not normally do. In this case, he turned most of Rome against the conspirators and ultimately went to war against them. He would not have done that under normal circumstances. Everyone has or will experience sorrow, whether it is the loss of a loved one, a missed opportunity, or anything else. It will hit you out of nowhere, and it will definitely leave a mark on you whether it is physical or mental. Life is like a rollercoaster, and sorrow is the low points. Sorrow could change a lot of things in your seemingly good life; it could change your day, week, month, or even your life.
