In William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," the concept of bandwagon can be identified in Act 3, Scene 2, particularly during Brutus’s and Mark Antony’s speeches to the Roman populace after Caesar's assassination.
Brutus attempts to justify the assassination by appealing to the crowd's reason, claiming that he loved Caesar but loved Rome more. He argues that Caesar’s ambition would have enslaved them all. As a result, he wins the crowd's support initially, persuading them to agree with his reasoning for Caesar's death.
However, when Mark Antony speaks, he cleverly uses rhetoric to sway the crowd. He repeatedly refers to Brutus as an "honorable man" while simultaneously undermining Brutus’s claims about Caesar’s ambition. Antony reveals Caesar’s positive actions and shares his will, which bequeaths money and public parks to the citizens. As Antony’s speech progresses, he leverages the growing emotional response of the crowd, inciting them to turn against Brutus and the conspirators.
As the crowd’s emotions build, they are swept up in the moment, leading them to follow Antony's persuasive rhetoric and rally against the conspirators. This scene exemplifies the bandwagon effect, where individuals in a group align their opinions with the majority, showcasing the power of persuasion and public opinion. The crowd's shift from supporting Brutus to supporting Antony illustrates how easily public sentiment can be swayed by charismatic leaders and emotional appeals.