Andrea Hunt
Mr. Allam
English II
10 March 2011
Caesar’s Persuasive Speech
What makes a best friend rather than just a regular friend or a bad one? Now that I am dead, the answer to that question comes easily to me. A friend is one who is loyal and stands by your side until the very end. Not one who judges you and tries to turn your friends against you. This is why I believe that Antony was a better friend to me then you and the conspirators because Antony was loyal and stood by side until the very end, while you and the conspirators judged me and tried to turn people against me.
One might believe that what conspirators did was an act of friendship. Brutus may say that I was being too ambitious and power hungry, but to refute that all I was trying to do with my ambition was to help you so you could have a better life filled with joy and riches. Therefore, what Brutus and the conspirators say is irrelevant.
Antony was more than any friend could ask for. He was loyal to me. I remember when Antony said, “I shall remember when Caesar says ‘Do this,’ it is performed” (I.ii.9-10). The essence of this comment from my loyal friend was that he would do anything I would ask him to do. I asked him to whip my wife so she might become unsterile and he did it. However, not only was he a loyal friend he stood by my side until the very end and even past that. After my death Antony spoke to you saying, “He was my friend, faithful and just to me,” (III.ii.87). He spoke well in my name. He never let disgrace come upon me and he stood there in front of you swayed by Brutus’s evil tongue and yet he had the courage to speak about the good I had done so you could be happy. Antony was loyal and good friend to me.
On the other hand, you and the conspirators were horrible friends. Brutus, the conspirators, and you were judgmental about my actions. Cassius and Brutus called me too ambitious saying, “But as he was ambitious, I slew him,” (III.ii.26-27). This comment urges you to believe that I was too ambitious and that Brutus had every right to kill me. Later you agreed with them. They said that my ambition was bad but I only wish to give you the Roman people what you wanted and what was best for you. Furthermore, one of the conspirator, and I name him Cassius, turned you, my friends against me. Not only that he turned one of my good friends, Brutus, against me. He twisted his thoughts so bad that it was Brutus's hands that slew me. So I say to you, you were never a good friend and neither were the conspirators.
So once again, I ask you, what make a good friend? Antony had all the makings of a good friend while you and the conspirators weren’t. Antony was loyal and stood by my side until the end while you and the conspirators betrayed me by judging me and turning people against me.
