How did Antony convince the crowd to seek revenge in his funeral oration in Julius Caesar?

Marc Antony's funeral oration is the emotional high point of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.  Brutus made the arrangements for the speeches and foolishly chose to let Antony speak after his speech. In addition, Brutus decides to leave the Senate area, so he does not hear Antony's speech. 

Antony has a mission. He wants to accomplish two things: prove that the assassination of the greatest Roman was a terrible wrong and then to move the crowd against the conspirators.  His oration accomplishes not only those things but elevates him to the status of the head of the government.

The crowd is still feeling the effects of Brutus's oration when Antony begins to speak.  Initially, he has to get the attention of the mob.

Antony begins by complimenting Brutus and calling him honorable.  His other strategy is to tell the crowd that his only purpose is to bury Caesar not to compliment him.

At every twist and turn, Antony will connect the killing of this great man to the name of Brutus.  The crowd will hear him saying it without prejudice but eventually they will not connect the two things together: assassination of the great Caesar and Brutus the assassin.

Antony lists all of the things that Caesar has done for Rome. He uses words of Brutus and twists them to show that Caesar was anything but ambitious.  He had refused the crown...did the crowd not see this happen. How is this ambition?

He asks important questions to the crowd:  Did you not once love Caesar? What has made you change your mind?

Antony uses his own emotions to show that he is a man that actually loved Caesar and is mourning his loss. Antony teases the crowd by showing them the will of Caesar.

You will compel me then to read the will?
Then make a ring about the corpse of Caesar,
And let me show you him that made the will.
Shall I descend? And will you give me leave?

He puts it away and instead brings out the body of Caesar. As he pulls away the cloak, he indicates where each of the conspirators has stabbed Caesar with special emphasis on the knife wound of Brutus.

His feigned humility comes to the forefront when he tells the audience that he is not the great orator that Brutus is. If he were, he would incite the crowd to seek revenge. Using reverse psychology, Antony reminds the crowd about the will and notes that they may not be interested in what Caesar’s will states. Of course, the crowd responds begging to hear the will. Antony tells the citizens all of the things that Caesar has left to the people of Rome. It is then that Antony’s oration sends the crowd out to find and seek vengeance for Caesar.

How does Antony use rhetorical strategies, figurative language, and tonal shifts in his funeral speech in Julius Caesar?

Arguably one of the most famous speeches in literature, Marc Antony's eulogy demonstrates strong rhetorical prowess, as Antony convinces the crowd to turn against Brutus and the conspirators. Antony does so masterfully, even while adhering to Brutus's guidelines. In the process, he manipulates the crowd, despite (initially) pretending to sympathize with the conspirators. Throughout the eulogy, Antony employs emotional appeals, repetition, and tonal shifts to achieve his desired result.

Antony establishes his own credibility (ethos) by projecting a false sense of humility. He claims that he is not a very persuasive speaker, lulling the audience into believing that he will not trick them. Antony appeals to pathos as he cites several instances of Caesar's excellent leadership and concludes with the reading of the will. Each example serves to counteract Brutus's claim that Caesar was a dangerous tyrant.

Antony employs repetition to undermine Brutus's character, repeating the phrase, "Brutus is an honorable man." At first, Antony appears conflicted: Was Caesar a good leader, or a foe? Is it possible to reconcile the facts to "honorable" Brutus's interpretation of Caesar?

As Antony continues to repeat the phrase, however, the words becomes almost mocking. They begin to take on the opposite meaning. Clearly, since Brutus and Caesar cannot both be honorable, Brutus is the dishonorable man.

Considered from start to finish, Antony's tonal shift is almost humorous. He begins the speech promising "to bury Caesar, not to praise him." By speech's end, Antony is praising Caesar strongly. The shift happens rather subtly. It starts with the repetition, as Antony begins to demonstrate that Brutus is not an honorable man. More markedly, the shift occurs when Antony begins telling the Romans about Caesar's will. After feigning reluctance to read it, Antony reveals Caesar's generous donation to the people. At this point, he speaks passionately on behalf of his deceased leader, and the people disperse to wreak vengeance on the conspirators.

In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, what rhetorical devices does Antony use in his funeral speech?

Antony uses a rich variety of rhetorical devices to make a powerful and effective speech. The ones I list here are used not only in his initial address, but throughout his other disquisitions to the crowd as well.

Repetition and anaphora:

Friends, Romans, countrymen,

Instead of using just any one of the three forms of address, Antony uses all three at once. This affirms not only his kinsmanship but also his loyalty and faith in those whom he speaks to. It is a powerful tool and is also referred to as 'the power of three.' The repetition immediately grabs the restless crowds' attention and affirms his position as a friend and a leader.

The repetition is also aptly employed in his consistent referral to Brutus and the other conspirators as 'honourable.'

Synecdoche: A part of something which is used to refer to the whole

...lend me your ears;

Antony wants the crowd to pay attention and listen to him. By referring to their ears, he is actually alluding to them in their entirety.

Antithesis: The creation of a contrast

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

By creating a contrast in stating his purpose in making a speech, Antony is making the crowd aware that his act is one of humility and reverence. He does not want to offend the crowd so early in his speech, especially after the cynical statements Brutus had made about Caesar concerning why he had to be killed. His words are still fresh in their memories and Antony is careful not to contradict Brutus and earn the crowds' resentment for trying to defend what they believe was an unscrupulously ambitious leader.  

Zeugma: The application of a word to two others in different contexts.

it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.

Antony cleverly uses the word grievous to, firstly, state that Caesar had made a terrible mistake and, secondly, that he had paid the ultimate price therefore. In the same instance, he also suggests his own grief that his friend had to suffer such harsh punishment. This, in itself, is a form of innuendo.

Sarcasm: meaning the opposite of what one actually says, in a bitter, resentful, or spiteful manner. 

For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men--

At first, the use of 'honourable' in Antony's references to Brutus and the other conspirators seems complimentary, but his repetitive use of the term after each moment in which he contradicts what Brutus has said, gives it a jarring and disturbing sense. The crowd gradually catch on to Antony's sarcastic tone and are soon swayed by his emotional rhetoric. 

Alliteration: A number of words which have the same initial consonant sound are used in a line or in a phrase or series.

He was my friend, faithful and just to me:

Antony utilises the repetition of the f-sound to emphasize the close relationship he had shared with Caesar, further suggesting that he trusted the murdered general and did not perceive him as a threat either as an individual or to Rome.

Fallacy by association or illogical conclusion: Stating that because someone has done something good or bad, implies that everything about him/her is the same. 

He hath brought many captives home to Rome
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?

It does not naturally follow that because Caesar had generated money for use by the general public, he was not also ambitious. The one does not necessarily exclude the other. 

Rhetorical questions: A question in which the answer is self-evident and, therefore, does not require a response.

I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?

Antony uses this device throughout his speech. It obviously sets the crowd wondering whether Caesar was really as bad as Brutus made him out to be. Antony creates doubt in their minds which finally turns into the conviction that the general had been wrongly accused and, therefore, his death was an act of murder. 

Apostrophe and metaphor:

O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,...

In apostrophe, Antony addresses judgment as if it is a real person. It is, however, an abstract concept. Using this device, he makes his speech sound more emotional and dramatic. The use of 'brutish beasts' is a direct reference to the horrific act performed by Brutus and his co-conspirators. It was a savage, malicious act all in the name of justice. He is questioning the conspirators' judgment and suggests that it was faulty.

The power of Antony's emotional speech drives the crowd into a frenzy and they later go out, thirsting for blood and revenge. Their desire to kill the conspirators is so overwhelming that they even kill innocents, such as the poet Cinna, who shares a name similar to one of the assassins. He is killed for his bad verses.

What does Antony convince the crowd of in his funeral speech in Julius Caesar?

Before Antony addresses the mob, he speaks an eloquent soliloquy ostensibly addressed to the dead Caesar. He reveals his intention of betraying Brutus and the others and causing a widespread riot which will drive all the conspirators out of Rome.

Over thy wounds now do I prophesy
.........................................................
A curse shall light upon the limbs of men;
.........................................................
And Caesar's spirit ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war,   III.1
                                                    

Antony is all alone, and his life is in danger. He feels that his best prospect is to start a general riot, using Caesar's wounds and Caesar's will as his best weapons. If the conspirators are forced to flee the city, that will not mean they are defeated. Brutus and Cassius will raise armies, and there will be chaos throughout Italy for years. Antony intends to try to start a mutiny by persuading the mob attending the funeral that they were all personally injured by the conspirators because Caesar was their best friend and the conspirators committed treason when they butchered him. Antony's thesis might be summed up in the following excerpt from his funeral speech.

Even at the base of Pompey's statue,
Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.
O, what a fall was there, my countrymen!
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us.    III.2

Shakespeare has Antony speak the soliloquy beginning with 

O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers...

in order to show the audience that Antony is not just an athlete and an ignorant soldier, but also a highly intelligent and eloquent man. Otherwise his funeral speech would come as a big surprise. The audience knows that Antony is eloquent, but Brutus does not, or he would not have let Antony speak. Antony's funeral speech is probably the best thing Shakespeare ever wrote. It completely turns the tables on Brutus and Cassius. They are forced to ride out of Rome "like madmen." Antony is successful in triggering a city-wide riot involving arson, looting, and murders. He shows that he has accomplished what he intended when he says:

Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot,
Take thou what course thou wilt.

We have seen instances of urban mob rioting in America in recent times. Mobs always behave the same way. The first thing they think of is setting fires. This is what first occurs to the Roman mob.

We'll burn his body in the holy place
And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.

Since they are leaderless, they are capable of all kinds of senseless acts of destruction and violence. Shakespeare illustrates this mob-madness in Act III, Scene 3, in which a group of rioters encounter Cinna the Poet and tear him to pieces for no reason. The people at the bottom of society are chronically discontented. Men like Antony have always used the lowest class for their own purposes. Antony doesn't tell the mob what to do. He doesn't care what they do as long as they create total chaos. Eventually Antony, Octavius and Lepidus will take control and quell the worst disorder. But they themselves are in jeopardy. Their triumvirate is unpopular and unstable. In Act IV, Scene 2, Antony tells Octavius:

Brutus and Cassius
Are levying powers; we must straight make head;
Therefore let our alliance be combined,
Our best friends made, our means stretch'd;
And let us presently go sit in council,
How covert matters may be best disclosed,
And open perils surest answered.

To which Octavius replies:

Let us do so, for we are at the stake,
And bay'd about with many enemies;
And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear,
Millions of mischiefs.

Antony fully intended to start a riot by convincing the crowd that they had been betrayed and victimized by Brutus, Cassius and all the other envious conspirators. Antony had no alternative. He could not foresee how such a mob riot would end, only how it would begin. The men who were listening to his speech carried their outrage to others who had not heard Antony's speech. The rioting spread from quarter to quarter like a fire. Order would not be restored until some time after Brutus and Cassius were defeated at the Battle of Philippi, which is dramatized in Act V. 

How does Mark Antony's sarcasm in his funeral oration from Julius Caesar persuade the audience?

According to historians, Marc Antony actually spoke in 44 B. C. on behalf of Caesar and against the assassins.  In Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, Marc Antony’s funeral oration stands as one of the great dramatic monologues in literature. Antony’s speech dooms the conspirators.

From beginning to end, Antony uses many rhetorical devices to win the hearts and minds of the common people.

The oration can be divided into five parts:

The introduction

In this movement, Antony must get the attention of the crowd.  He calls them his friends, fellow countrymen, and patriots.  He tells the audience that his purpose  as Caesar’s friend is not to attack anyone.  In addition, he establishes that usually the good things that are done by a person are forgotten only the bad things are remembered.  Cleverly, Antony begins to name off all the good things that Caesar has done.

• Caesar gave all of this money to Rome.
• He was humble.
• He longed to help the citizens of Rome.
• He refused the crown.
• Repetition and argument

In this aspect of the speech, Antony establishes a pattern of repetition.  By repeating words that Brutus used in his speech, Antony will begin with the words honorable and ambition in a non-threatening way; the he will move to sarcasm to prove that the conspirators were not honorable and Caesar was not ambitious. 

The argument established by Antony portrays Caesar as the greatest Roman of all times.  By pointing all of the things that Caesar did for Rome, he disproves everything that Brutus tried to explain.  Whereas Brutus killed Caesar for his desire for power, Antony will denote that everything that Caesar did was for the Roman people.

Pathos

Antony cries.  As one of the great generals and athletes of his time, this was an appeal to the emotions of the mob.  A hulking specimen of a man actually having to stop in the middle of his speech and move off to the side to shed tears for Caesar.  Every Roman in the crowd would have been weeping alongside of Antony.  Of course, Antony did feel sadness for Caesar’s death, but this was another ploy to gain support from the common man.

Feelings and emotions were running high during the speech.  When Antony brings out the body of Caesar covered with a bloody sheet, the crowd is mesmerized.  Then, he dramatically pulls back the sheet.  Antony was not present when Caesar was stabbed, yet he knows where each one of the conspirators stabbed Caesar.  When he mentions the wound made by Brutus, the crowd is ready to tear down the houses of the conspirators.

The Will

Antony brings out the will of Caesar twice.  The first time is a “teaser.” The second time the crowd begs to hear what Caesar has given them. The money was needed by the commoners. The added bonus of the recreational parks and land sealed the fate of the conspirators. 

But were I Brutus, 
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony 
Would ruffle up your spirits and put a tongue 
In every wound of Caesar that should move 
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.

The Closing

The crowd is poised to be a murderous mob.  The last sarcastic remarks  tell the people  the assassins have killed the greatest Roman who has lived.  Here is his dead body.  When will there ever be another man as great as Caesar?  Then, Antony steps down into the crowd as though he is their equal.  The crowd breaks up to go to the assassins’ houses and kill them.

Marc Antony used rhetoric to manipulate the commoners to help him to punish the assassins.

How does Mark Antony make citizens sympathize with Caesar in his funeral oration?

Mark Antony is a loyal lieutenant of Julius Caesar, so after Caesar is stabbed to death in the senate house, Antony vows to avenge Caesar's death by forcing destruction and war upon the conspirators. In order to do this, Antony must attain permission to speak at Caesar's funeral, and Brutus, the leader of the conspirators, grants permission under two conditions: Antony must speak no ill of the conspirators, and Antony must speak only good about Caesar.

Brutus believes that allowing Antony to speak will make the conspirators appear as fair-minded, loving men who "purged" Rome in order to purify its leadership and improve the lives of the people. However, Antony's oratory proves to do the exact opposite, revealing the men to be traitors and murderers.

In the funeral oration given by Brutus, which takes place at the beginning of the funeral, Brutus asks the crowd three questions which were meant to appeal to their logic:

Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended.
I pause for a reply (act 3, scene 2).

Brutus is asking the plebeians to consider Caesar as a tyrant who would have restricted their freedoms and rights. At first, the people agree and praise Brutus as an honorable man and as a Roman hero.

Antony speaks directly after Brutus. During his speech, the people are already set against him. Their minds are made up, so he must instead appeal to their hearts. In order to create sympathy for Caesar, Antony must refute the claim that Caesar had the personality of a tyrant. Just as Brutus had three questions for the crowd, Antony uses three pieces of evidence to reveal Caesar as a good man. In the passage below, Antony tells of instances in which he witnessed Caesar behaving generously:

He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man (act 3, scene 2).

By listing these instances, Antony is honoring his promise to Brutus, but he is also forcing the audience to question how honorable Brutus is. Caesar cannot be both generous and ambitious, so either Brutus or Antony is not telling the truth. These pieces of evidence are more convincing to the audience than the three leading questions from the earlier oration, and from there, Antony creates sympathy for Caesar by narrating an examination of Caesar's wounds, by revealing Caesar's marred body to the people, and by reading Caesar's very generous will which contains gifts for the people of Rome:

O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel
The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.
Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold
Our Caesar’s vesture wounded? Look you here,
Here is himself, marr’d, as you see, with traitors. . . .

Here is the will, and under Caesar’s seal.
To every Roman citizen he gives,
To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.

With these lines, the people have now changed their minds and their hearts, and Antony has created an angry mob. The people vow to burn down the houses of the conspirators, and Caesar becomes a martyred, godlike figure to them. Ultimately, it is the miscalculation of Brutus that allows Antony to set the people against him and the other conspirators.

What was Antony's speech at the funeral?

Marc Anotny's speech at Caesar's funeral contains some of the most well-known and frequently-quoted lines Shakespeare has written. The speech occurs in Act III, Scene II and begins:

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones;

So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault and grievously has Caesar answered it.

The speech is an example of persuasive rhetoric, designed to stir the emotions of the crowd and inflame their imaginations; in particular, to get them to remember Caesar as a good man and noble ruler, which they are initially not predisposed to do.