One of the lovely things about this, and one of the reasons it works so well, is that from what we can piece together of how Shakespeare was originally pronounced, it leans more towards an American southern accent than it does towards a modern British RP.
In addition, in the evolution of the English language in america, the south has retained many of the words, expressions, and cadences from the Renaissance/Elizabethan English spoken by the original British colonists.
One of the biggest examples of this is that the south still uses âO!â/âOh!â In sentences, especially in multi-tone and multi-syllable varieties. Weâve lost that in other parts of the country (except in some specific pocket communities). But in the south on the whole? Still there. People in California or Chicago donât generally say things like âwhy, oh why?â Or âoh bless your heartâ or âOh! Now why you gotta do a thing like that?!â But people from the south still do.
I teach, direct, and dramaturg Shakespeare for a living. When people are struggling with the âheightenedâ language, especially in âOâ heavy plays like R&J and Hamlet, a frequent exercise I have them do is to run the scene once in a southern accent. You wouldnât believe the way it opens them up and gives their contemporary brains an insight into ways to use that language without it being stiff and fake. Do the Balcony scene in a southern accent- youâll never see it the same way again.
This guy is also doing two things that are absolutely spot-on for this speech:
First, heâs using the rhetorical figures Shakespeare gave him! The repetition of âambitionâ and âBrutus is an honorable manâ, the logos with which he presents his argument, the use of juxtaposition and antitheses (âpoor have cried/caesar hath weptâ, etc). You would not believe how many RADA/Carnegie/LAMDA/Yale trained actors blow past those, and how much of my career I spend pointing it out and making them put it back in.
Second, heâs playing the situation of the speech and character exactly right. This speech is hard not just because itâs famous, but because linguistically and rhetorically itâs a better speech than Brutusâ speech and in the context of the play, Brutus is the one who is considered a great orator. Brutusâ speech is fiery passion and grandstanding, working the crowd, etc. Anthony is not a man of speeches (âI am no orator, as Brutus is; But, as you know me all, a plain blunt manâ) His toastmaster skills are not what Brutusâ are, but he speaks from his heart (his turn into verse in this scene from Brutusâ prose is brilliant) and lays out such a reasonable, logical argument that the people are moved anyway. I completely believe that in this guyâs performance. A plain, blunt, honest speaker. Exactly what Anthony should be.
TLDR: Shakespeare is my job and this is 100% a good take on this speech.
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