Example One: Julius Caesar

In Portia's speech in Julius Caesar there is a an example of pathos where Portia says: "And when I ask'd you what the matter was, [y]ou stared upon me with ungentle looks; I urged you further; then you scratch'd your head, [a]nd too impatiently stamp'd with your foot; [y]et I insisted, yet you answer'd not, [b]ut, with an angry wafture of your hand, [g]ave sign for me to leave you: so I did" (Shakespeare 2.2.241-247). This example is pathos because it evokes a feeling of sympathy for Portia due to the fact that her husband was rude to her and evokes a feeling of guilt in Brutus (her husband). We, as the reader, feel anger at Brutus for being mean to Portia and we also feel upset for Portia because she was only trying to figure out what was wrong with her husband and he was cross with her. This pathos keeps us intrigued by the writing.

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