Mark Antony can be characterised as manipulative and intelligent. This is clearly displayed by his superior rhetorical finesse, portraying Brutus as merely an egoistic traitor through an emotive blank verse, which employs ad hominem in the form of ironic jabs, “Brutus is an honourable man”, implying that he lacks the said virtue. By presenting a counter-argument, attacking the credibility of the opponent, and finally corroborating his thesis with proof, Antony performs a Hegelian dialectic that draws the plebeians’ passionate outburst in order to shift their perspectives and bring them on his side. Moreover, Shakespeare incorporates Cieciro’s ideas of docere delectare et movere in Mark Antony’s speech. The idea of et movere is especially explored in Antony’s speech as he moves the plebeians with anecdotes and nostalgic memories of Caesar, igniting a sense of loss, pain and passion within the audience through his superb oration skills.

In the production, Mark Antony is effectively characterised as he delivers his speech after Caesar’s death. The camera angle provides the viewer with an inclusive angle, making them feel as though they are a part of the audience, with the bodies of other listeners in partial view of the lens, listening to Mark Antony’s speech. This is most likely to allow the audience to experience the invigoration of the plebeians, which is the catalyst for further bloodshed and destruction further on in the play. The characters raise their voices for dramatic effect to draw out the passionate and loving nature of their testimonies. Mark Antony yells, “You all did love him once…you were not wood, you were not stones, you were men…”. The repetition of ‘you’ intends to draw in the participation of the plebeians and the viewers themselves to generate a personal connection to Caesar’s death and to fuel Brutus’ and Cassius’ downfall.

In this scene, Nicholas Hytner has effectively utilised costuming and facial makeup to highlight the dysfunctionality of Brutus and Cassius’ camp as they face Antony and Octavius’ vengeance. Brutus and Cassius are dressed in ragged, dust ridden clothing and their stage makeup illustrates their weariness as they struggle to find the passion and energy to continue their battle. The scene is effective in foreshadowing the destruction that is to come in the next act. This scene also incorporates modern day elements, for example a gun rather than a knife and plastic containers. Hytner is most likely seeking to connect to the more technologically advanced context of modern-day audiences in order to maintain the authenticity of the play whilst still providing elements of connection and familiarity for modern day audiences.

This scene depicts the two sides first surge at one another. Hytner manipulates stage lighting to create maximum effect in this scene. First, the stage lights turn pitch black before flashes of white light are used to represent gun shots being fired. A moving crate of red light, symbolising the subsequent fire of the battle also circles around the border of the stage. This could represent that the growing and enraging battle between the two sides has finally reached its climax on stage. The audience is given glimpses of the stage during this scene in order to provide them with an authentic experience of the haphazard nature of the battle itself. Hytner also incorporates upbeat, thriller non - diegetic sound in the form of background music. This heightens the action and gives the audience some suspense before finding the outcome of the battle.

This Act represents Brutus’ military astuteness and desire for power and success on the battlefield. Brutus fervently instructs Messala, “ride, ride Messala, ride,” Here, the use of palilogia through the repetition of the word ‘ride’, effectively conveys Brutus’ ambition as he pursues military triumph and reflects his vehement desire to win.

Hytner incorporates a metaphor in this scene through the incorporation of the red sheet, symbolic of deat, prior to Caesar entering the senate meeting, Hytner engulfs the stage and the audience with the red sheet in order to signify the blood, death and destruction to follow. The birds eye shot of the sheet covering the stage is a profound representation of the way in which the entire play and its characters become focused on blood, ambition, power and causing havoc. Ultimately destruction becomes the focus of the play and every Plebian is out for blood.

Hytner profoundly and effectively portrays Cassius’ ultimate downfall in this scene. A close up shot of Cassius’ face is shown depicting his intricate facial features included wrinkles furrowed brows as he admits in his soliloquy, ‘Caesar thou art revenge even with the weapon that killed thee’. Cassius also has defeated body language including a hunched back and lowered head towards the end of this scene. Hytner’s use of simple stage settings including a black background with minimal smoke is effective as it draws attention to Cassius’ pain and feelings of regret and guilt.

Act 3 Scene 3 provides a poignant interpretation of Cinna’s fight against the plebeians through the clever use of lighting. The pitch black theatre is contrasted with the bright light shining on the outburst itself, following Cinna and the plebeians as they are thrown around the stage in a scuffle. The contrasting colour hue foreshadows the events of the rest of the play, which will bring only fighting and destruction. The final birds eye shot depicting this colour hue emphasises the prevalence of darkness as the city falls into chaos filled with darkness and death.

This scene serves as a tragic comic interlude to break the tension before the main action picks up in Act 4. As the plebians shout “Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses, Shakespeare uses dark humour to not only foreshadow the brutal events of Act 4, but also satirically represent poets such as himself, who are often targets of social violence in response to criticism.

The scene also serves to demonstrate the crowd’s violent mentality after being fuelled with adrenaline following Mark Antony’s speech. The crowd is so riled up that they are willing to execute anyone who is not in support of their cause, ‘Come, Firebands, over here! To Brutus’s to Cassius’s, let’s burn them all. Some of you go to Decius’s house and some to Cascas’s. Some to Ligarius’s. Go!” Here, the excessive use of exclamation indicates the power of Antony’s rhetoric in provoking the citizens.

Shakespeare uses this scene to humanize Caesar who his previously seen as a strong deceive man unlike any other. He does so through indecision in Caesar which viewers would not expect from a strong deceive man. Caesar’s indecision stems from Calpurnia’s ‘terrible nightmare’ in which Caesar would be subject to death. Calpurnia uses proactive and visual imagery when describing her dream, ‘In ranks and squadrons and right from of war/Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol”. The drizzling blood serves as a metaphorical representation of Caesar’s ultimate downfall, which would overcome the entire Capitol with mixed feelings of happiness, hate and anger.

The scene begins with ‘thunder and lightening’, symbolizing, through pathetic fallacy, that the day will bring a negative outcome for Caesar, namely his death. Shakespeare utilizes the weather conditions to serve as a mechanism to foreshadow Caesar’s ultimate murder, and the betrayal he will face from his senators who are acting as his friends.

Shakspeares use of a metaphor in the line " Romans, stoop, And let us bathe our hands in Caesar’s blood", highlights Brutus's anger and rage towards Casera's reign. moreover it highlights Brutes's belief that Casera will become a bad man once he gains power.