Parallelism or parallel structure is a figure of speech or literary device that gives a pattern or rhythm to various genres of literature. By the repetition of a word or phrase within a group of sentences with the same or similar grammatical structure, writers give their works clarity, balance, and organization. Parallelism is a technique that makes the meaning of information dispensed to an audience easier to understand. The use of repetition attached to this device allows authors to express their ideas evenly and makes those ideas memorable for readers and audiences.

Authors use the device for two major purposes. First, writers can create contrasting images or ideas to point out their stark differences. Secondly, parallelism joins similar images or ideas making them easier for readers and audiences to see the connection between them. Writers often use additional literary devices such as antithesis, anaphora, or epistrophe to create parallelism. William Shakespeare employs several of these techniques in Mark Antony’s funeral speech in Julius Caesar.

In its essence, Julius Caesar is a tale of ambition and political manipulation. To highlight this theme for his audience, Shakespeare employs parallelism very effectively through the Mark Antony speech. Conspirators have killed Caesar, and Brutus convinces the Roman citizens that his death was necessary and justified. Antony disagrees, but a simple denial would be poor persuasion and ineffective. Antony gets Brutus to agree to allow him to address the crowd, and Shakespeare gives him the tool of parallelism to convince them otherwise:

The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest-

For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men—
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
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. (emphasis added)

Without attacking Brutus directly, Antony presents Caesar’s ambition and Brutus’s honor in such a way that the crowd begins to question whether Brutus is really honorable and whether Caesar was really ambitious. Shakespeare demonstrates this through the repetition of parallelism. Antony actually proves that Brutus who assassinated his best friend is not at all honorable. As a result, the Romans are convinced, and Brutus is ultimately challenged and defeated.

The juxtaposition of the ideas of honor and ambition is a prime example of the effective use of parallelism.

What is an example of parallelism in Brutus' speech in Julius Caesar?

Parallelism involves the use of constructs in a sentence that are similar grammatically. This literary tool is used to enhance rhythm and balance in statements in order to make them persuasive and easily understood.

Brutus had to use parallelism to provide comfort to the people and persuade them of the reasoning behind Caesar's death. He tried to boost his personal credibility given his position in the society. An example of parallelism occurs when Brutus states,

Believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor that you may believe.

He made this statement appealing to the people to listen to him given his character as an honorable man with Rome’s best interests at heart. To convince the people Brutus had to enhance his speech in order to justify the weighty situation of Caesar’s death.

In Act III, scene ii of Julius Caesar, Brutus uses much parallelism (parallel construction: using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance.)

He begins his speech thusly:

Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.

Notice the repetition of "me" in the object placement in both clauses.

Later, he says:

Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here;
Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;

Notice the repetition of the "those that will" at the beginning of each clause.

Still later, he returns to the "me" as object coupled with the "that you may":

hear me for my
cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believeme
for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that
you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and
awake your senses, that you may the better judge.

The speech builds as the level of parallelism increases.