Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Inquiry -- Excerpt from
Plato's Republic VI (493a ff):
Antony's Use of Rhetoric in the Funeral Oration
Mr. Steel
1.
What is a sophist? (Look it up yourself, and find the best definition!)
2.
What is a sophist really good at doing? What does he call this skill? Why?
3.
Explain in your own words the metaphor of the beast that is used to describe
what the sophist does when he speaks to a throng of people.
4.
Is the sophist concerned to know what is noble, good, and just? What is the
sophist's concern?
5.
What does the sophist call "just"? Why?
6.
Explain the relationship between the sophist and his audience, and why it is
not properly a form of education.
7.
Examine Antony's funeral oration (III.ii.75ff) for its rhetorical effect upon
his audience. What is the desired effect of Antony's speech? Does he achieve
this effect? If so, how is it achieved? (i.e.: By what devices does he lead his
audience?) What regard does Antony have for what is noble, good, or just in his
speech? Explain whether or not you think the speech is instructive or
manipulative. (3 paragraphs minimum)