From Julius Caesar written by Shakespeare. I had to remember the entire speech in my Literature class, so I found it easier to unceasingly listen to this video. Hope it's helpful for people that need this. :)
wow nice catch. I believe that it's not accidental. Actors in his magnitude do know how to capture the drama in one scene and implement it in a different setting.
It's the subtle things Brando does with the way you can vocalize, and inflect with speech, that makes his dialogues, and speeches so PERFECT. For example, when he starts the speech with, "friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears". The way he does a slight dip to the word, "countrymen" made the speech so natural, and not forced, as if he's just an actor, acting, and playing the part of Marc Anthony, and being overly dramatic. But just that slight dip to "countrymen", makes it seem like he's actually giving the speech, and not acting out, or reciting the speech. I hope this makes sense to someone out there. It wasn't just how he acted, how he moved, or the tone, and passion in which he delivered his dialogue, and speeches, but it was the way he could manipulate the English language, and just speech in general that made him truly great to me, and something he understood, and only he could do as well as him. You could take a million actors to give the same speech, and give the exact same amount of passion, and pure acting brilliance to a part, but they'll never exactly get the nuances of the pattern of speech, or subtle twists and turns to a certain word, an ending to a sentence, etc. to give it that extra "mmph", and brilliance that Brando could. God, I'm so long winded lol.
For a contrast to Brando's interpretation of the role as Marc Anthony I recommend that everyone who watches this clip also look for the 1960 Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) version featuring William Shatner as Marc Anthony. I won't say one is better than the other, only very different. Shatner's Anthony is subtler, more nuanced, and at the end of his speech you can clearly tell he incited, what was just called here, a riot. There's also a clip somewhere here of a 1970 version of the play with Charleton Heston as Anthony. It's a standard approach to the role, neither having any major faults nor anything to it to set it apart from the pack.
I remember seeing this when I was in high school. I couldn't imagine him in anything Shakespearean. And then I watched it and my mouth was left wide open in awe!
I think Brando is superb. But I would beg to differ with his doing it better than anyone else. I think people were so amazed that he could do Shakespeare at all and could speak so well that his performance is slightly overrated. Great, yes, but there are dozens of superb actors - at the Globe, the RSC, the National- who could play Antony just as well. Most people have never even heard of them.
This is an amazing speech performed by an actor able to express the necessary emotional range of what the character is going through and has to hold back. When Caesar is assassinated by Brutus and Cassius Rome has reached a point of civil war and Mark Antony was Caesar's Field Marshal. Brutus and Cassius need Mark Antony on their side to avoid a civil war but are obviously not above assassinating Mark Antony if he shows he would cross them (which he later does, serving Caesar's adopted son, Augustus). Mark Antony knows of the peril he faces and knows he must sway the crowd towards him but no show defiance of the powerful Brutus and Cassius. He also has to bury a close compatriot and friend who he spent years campaigning for and with. Brando trembles with the fury Antony feels towards Brutus but shows a surface respect, both for Brutus' benefit and the crowd who have just heard Brutus' speech where he justifies the killing of Caesar for his ambition, with the repetition of "Brutus is an honorable man." He also condemns the crowd for being so fickle and ready to believe Brutus' lies then his voice catches as he becomes overwhelmed by the sorrow of the loss of his friend Caesar. This is an amazing speech interpreted by an amazing actor. I have read some people criticizing Brando for the speed in which he delivers the speech but don't we all speak rapidly when furious? Brando manages to get across the fury and the intelligent, reasoned parts of a speech that strives to express the complex feelings of Antony who is faced with being killed himself, must sway the people of Rome to support him against Brutus if there is to be a Civil War, act like he is not condemning Brutus when he is so Brutus won't assassinate him, grieve for the loss of Caesar, and cope with the fickle nature of a mob public. This is one of the best filmed versions of this dramatic, Shakespearean moment...
Absolutely divine. Just when I thought I my respect for Brando had reached its peak. I did not even realize this was Brando at first, I had never seen him do anything Classical, he is just brilliant.
it was because of this man that it WAS SO IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO FAIL MY COMMUNICATION SKILLS COURSES. He knows what to say, when to say it and how to say it!!!!!!!!!!!!my heart is with him in his peech and i must pause till come back to me.
Damian Lewis is by far the best I've seen performing this! Marlon Brando comes after him! And it sounds modern not so much because of Brando but because it's Shakespeare. It's timeless.
When I read this in class, I imagined this speech being delivered in a cool and calculated manner by Mark Antony. But it was really something hearing it here filled with so much anger, passion, and emotion. Like, this wasn't cold; this was _heated,_ and I kinda like that too.
truly, this speech by Mark Antony proves the greatness and the lofty ideals of Shakespeare... it's very inspiring indeed.... can't express how i feel every time i listen to this speech... it's new to me each and every time... thank you for sharing it
When my brother was 13 and in jr high he had to memorize this. I was 6. He and my mom practiced and said this aloud so much that I picked it up. I remembered the first part of this the rest of my life.
Brando was really good in this scene. He really planned this out and designed it. From what I understand, Gielgud helped him with it. The best part is not here. Its at the end when he bows down next to the corpse, and raises his hand and roars: "When will come another." He turns and smirks to himself as the crowd goes nuts behind him: Mission Accomplished. This is not method acting, which he usually did. Its classical acting, played on the lines.
Absolutely love this speech.. I learned this in when I was 14 and now I'm 43 and I still remember every word. This is absolutely one of the greatest speeches of all time. And I must pause till it comes back to me.
I'm still so impressed by Brando's performance. When I think of Brando I always think about the pop culture iconic movies like "On the Waterfront" and "Godfather", and I forget his excellent performance of the classics. His face and physique are also perfect for the part. He looks like he belongs in a toga. Very patrician.
I first performed JC with my sixth grade class . I don't remember much about it, but it must have been both painful and adorable. This summer I took part in a much more professional production of it, and I really began to appreciate the play on a way my little sixth grade mind had not been able to. Our Marc Antony (who was only nineteen. It was a young company production), was, if not as good as Brando, certainly up there, and as such, I have become ridiculously obsessed with the character of Marc Antony. I love Brando's version of this speech for its simplicity. I feel like so many Shakespearean actors feel the need to ridiculously over-exaggerate both speech and gestures, which, while it is useful to a certain extent when performing live theatre, can become exceedingly frustrating. Brando delivers his speech with a realistic simlicity, and a straightforwardness that is, in my opinion, much more effective than some of the overdramatic Antonys I have seen, both live and on film. Basically, long rant aside, our fantastic Antony led me to this fantastic Antony, and now I am inspired.
Brandos' interpretation of mark Anthony is more powerful than of Heston's betrayal, sadly this was a short film clip and doesn't include his full speech.
I was able to watch Julius Caesar on TCM recently. And to see the full Marc Anthony speech by Marlon Brando is jus so POWERFUL. I wish RU-vid have the full speech online.
Heston's only great role was in Orson Welles's masterpiece, Touch of Evil, before he got a swelled head & thought he was some kind of gun-toting messiah.
He’s so immersive and spontaneous. You can feel the emotions resonate from his voice. You can see the pain he feels for his friend in his eyes. Brandi builds this monologue almost to perfection. He is a genius. I think this and his streetcar performance are the best acting I’ve ever seen
“My heart is in the coffin with Caesar - and I must pause till it comes back to me”. I’ve watched multiple videos and read the this entire quote just for that part. Gets me every time
This has to be one of my favorite monologues of all time. Marc lost his friend. A friend of his that he respected. And to see everyone hate him and say they’re glad he’s dead, to have the man who killed him who was supposed to be his right hand man clearly lie about him. “He was ambitious” yet Marc clearly shows that Brutus knew NOTHING about Caesar. Ugh it’s so powerful and amazing.
IMO, this is the best delivery of this speech ever on film. Strong, but delicately colored, and sped up when he needs to make effects. The whole speech is ten minutes long, and he never lets up the pattern and the meaning he sees in it. If I recall, Gielgud said he helped him with the design.
"Friends, Roman's, countrymen, lend me your ears " 😂 my favorite line to quote from this play. I say it every time I need to speak among my friend group 😂
Although a small detail in a remarkable performance, that p-p-pause at the end is painstakingly heartfelt and soulful. Inspired Brando, hungry for it and true here.
The monologue that Mark Antony delivers when he is alone is with Caesar's body when he expresses his true feelings at the death of his mentor and his hatred of his muderers is even more powerful.
I saw this a lifetime ago and it remained in my mind as a stunning reading and acting of Antony's speech to ...friends, Romans, countrymen... Brando was a greater talent than even his legendary legacy
One brilliant feature of Brando's delivery here--rarely achieved by actors--is that he utters these centuries-worn words as if spontaneously just occurring to him ... and we believe him. His expressed appropriate emotions and gestures (of anger and grief ... as of Stanley Kowalski's) make them true. But here his bearing and speech are (fitting the role) admirably patrician.
Too bad it ended, this was the moment when the crowd slowly begins to turn in favor of Brutus. Society has little changed, siding back and forth with whomever can tickle their ears with the greatest amount of Bravo Sierra.
I have seen both of Heston's versions of this speech, 1950 and 1970. The latter one was a bit better. But I think Brando's is better than both. This is intricately planned, well understood, and then set ablaze with talent. He begins with a very low key approach, he then builds it from there. Then at the end, (which is not shown here), with the will in hand, and his arm waving over Ceasar's body, bending down and then rising and shouting, "Here lies our Ceasar, when will come another." That becomes a crescendo. But its then topped by the quiet smirk on his face and he walks away realizing he has taken advantage of the conspirators' mistake and caused a civil war. Brando was only 29 here. He had John Gielgud's help in planning this and building effects. I think its one of the best delivered long speeches of Shakespeare in films. But I should add in fairness to Heston, his 1950 version of the speech over Caesar's body is better than Brando's here in this film.
Wrong. Brando was far superior, not only because of the obvious, but all the little nuances which were what set him apart from every other actor. Just being overbearing, loud, not a good performance make. No, Heston was just being Heston. He should've stayed with more understated roles like the lead in Touch of Evil.
"and Brutus said he was ambitious and Brutus is an honorable man!" every time he says this I smile "Bear with me my heart is in the coffin with Caesar..."
Came here to watch this famous speech after recollecting my school days English class, a chapter on Mark Anthony, orating I here come not to praise ceaser but to bury him..."I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him" 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Loyalty and Respect to the Great King
I like how _pissed_ Mark is in this version. Really brings a human touch to it. He lost a dear friend and there's rage and grief in that speech. Favorite line: "You all did see that on the Lupercal, I thrice presented him a kingly crown, *which he did THRICE refuse!!* _Was THIS ambition?!_
sam odysseus Worse Edition, at the begining he hold someone and says quietly to him friends roman's countrymen lend me your ears, then everybody heard it and hold on.? It's a bullshit for a scene how can a actor imagine that, it can be realistic. to plastic maybe at the Theater is that possible
9 years later and I'm using this to study for my final in english. its so interesting to see other people here from a while ago comment to share their thoughts. amazing :)
Shakespeare had a hard job ahead of him to write a speech for Antony which, historically, made the majority of Rome riot against the Liberators and kick them and their men-at-arms out of the city. I think Shakespeare did a pretty good job.
For what I've read, even though the words are lost, some notes were made about what Marc Antony said, and that Shakespeare did some very conscientious research about it. I like to think that if Marc Antony had anywhere near the command of rhetoric that Shakespeare credits him, he might well have gone in a direction like this.
Well Mark Antony did manage to quell an angry mob calling ceaser a tyrant into a jeering crowd demanding justice on his behalf so he must have had quite a bit of command in terms of rhetoric. I'd like to imagine that Brutus and his ilk collectively shit themselves while Mark gave his presentation
Brando with full body language and 2:25 mumbling that last yelling "And, sure, he is an honourable man!" as one word... sublime acting!. As a native spanish this speech alone justifies all my years learning english, THANKS so much for posting and far from any ambition in a doomsday you can save the whole human race with this cultural gem :-).
I can think of no man who I disagreed with more than Marlon Brando ,.But his Mark Anthony was superb. The sheer power of his performance as well as James mason was an act done for eternity and the benchmark for all other actors who would ever attempt these parts.
This speech seems to have been cut off before the end. I'm sure there was more stuff about Caesar's will and what he left the Roman people which gets the sympathy of the crowd.
Basically this is the part where Mark Antony speaks without any disturbance. After this there's discussion amongst the crowd so maybe that's why the scene's been cut off.
This is one speech my English teacher showed us in the movie, after we read it in class... that struck me dead silent. It could've just been that he was a much better speaker than the dork assigned to speak as Antony in class, but either way... This speech shuts me up. The way he shouts at some points, the effect, the powerful voice, it's all just so amazing... Thanks for posting.
I remember having to memorize this for a composition class in high school, 31 1/2 yrs ago! I wish I had seen this, with Brando doing it...he's naturally the best actor to ever have done this and the best one to play Mark Antony in any production of Shakespeare's Julius Caasar!
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 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. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love him once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him? O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me.
1983 Ito yung oration speech ko na naging grand winner ako haha. Kung may you tube na sana noon, napakalaking tulong ito para sa pag rehearse at tips. Bihira pa nga may computer noon sa mga bahay bahay
I had to commit this speech to memory for my 10th grade English class. My teacher encouraged us to "act" it out rather than just recite it. I and a girl in my class were the only two to wrap makeshift togas around ourselves and legitimately act it out, emotion and all. My teacher told us that we were the only ones to ever do that in her career. We were also the only two to get A's that day.
