In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, there’s a scene almost every literature student remembers: Mark Antony standing over Caesar’s body, addressing a restless Roman crowd.
Antony wasn’t just anyone in Rome. He was Caesar’s closest ally, a decorated general, and a man whose loyalty to Caesar was well known. Yet when Caesar is assassinated by Brutus and the conspirators, Antony’s position becomes precarious. The crowd is uncertain, angry, and divided. One wrong note could mean his death.
And then comes the speech.
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”
Listen to the full speech here, below is an incredible recitation by the British actor Damian Lewis.
It’s a line that has echoed for centuries. But what made this speech remarkable wasn’t just the poetry - it was Antony’s ability to position himself. It’s a masterstroke.
Notice what Antony does here. He doesn’t begin with anger, blame, or grief. He begins with humility. He positions himself not as a raging partisan but as a fellow Roman, one of them. By saying he comes to bury Caesar, not praise him, he signals restraint. He is not here to inflame — or so it seems.
"I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, but here I am to speak what I do know"
Already, his Ethos is working: he sounds trustworthy, calm, measured.
Antony wasn’t only appealing to logic (Logos) or to grief (Pathos). He was crafting his own character in real time — appearing fair, humble, and trustworthy — and that character made the rest of his words irresistible.
Why This Speech Still Resonates
Think about it: Antony didn’t launch into a list of reasons why Caesar was wronged. He didn’t start by weeping theatrically. He began by establishing who he was to his listeners. Someone relatable. Someone they could trust.
“I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him”
The people of Rome believed him not just because of his words, but because of who he positioned himself to be.
Ethos in Different Arenas
That same dynamic repeats across time and domains.
War
Winston Churchill’s wartime speeches worked not because of elaborate logic, but because he embodied grit. His Ethos was “the man who will not surrender,” and so the nation refused to. Below is the full speech.
Politics
Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign speeches leaned on a careful Ethos of calm hope. His reasoning mattered, but his credibility came from how he carried himself: measured, unshaken, believable as a unifier.
Workplace
A team lead saying “we need to work late this week” lands differently if that lead has a reputation for fairness and hard work. The same sentence without Ethos feels like exploitation.
Parent-child dynamics
A parent who admits, “I messed up at your age too, and here’s what I learned,” wields more influence than one who simply says, “Don’t do that.”
Dinner table debates
Even casual arguments are framed by Ethos. If your sibling has a track record of exaggeration, their point is discounted before they finish speaking.
In each case above, the words matter less than the credibility wrapped around them.
The Subtlety of Ethos
The most effective use of Ethos isn’t loud. It’s slipped in gently:
- A quick anecdote that shows you’ve walked the path.
- A phrase that signals humility.
- A reference to values shared with the audience.
These small cues shift how listeners frame everything that follows. They decide whether words are seen as advice, command, or inspiration.
Where We’re Headed Next
This is Part 3 of our five-part series on Ethos. We’ve seen how Antony’s speech, Churchill’s grit, Obama’s calm, and even the tone of a parent at home, all reveal the same truth: Ethos changes how people hear us before the content even registers.
As a recap, part 1 spoke about why we trust the speaker before the speech. Read the full issue here. Part two mentioned a very real example of how bringing in some Ethos can completely change the reciprocity of a dinner table conversation.
Why are we telling you this? Because noticing these patterns gives you control. You stop wondering why some voices cut through and others don’t. You begin to see that it isn’t only about having the right argument — it’s about presenting yourself in the right frame.
In the next issue, we’ll move from history and politics into popular culture. We’ll dissect a speech from Naruto, specifically Gaara’s call to the Allied Shinobi Forces. Even if you’ve never watched an episode, you’ll see how Ethos, combined with Pathos and Logos, can turn rivals into allies and strangers into an army.
For now, remember: every time you hear a speech that shifts perception, Ethos is the current running beneath the words.
See you next week!
