A.D. Nuttall (in Shakespeare the Thinker page 186) explains that Quintilian distinguished two styles of oratory: Attic and Asiatic. "The Attic style is refined, polished and free from superfluity; the Asiatic is swelling and exultant. Quintilian prefers Attic to Asiatic, and that is what Shakespeare gives Brutus." Needless to say, Mark Antony takes the day with his Asiatic oratory. Nuttall finds Shakespeare's choices here quite brave and inspired: He believes no one but Wills "knowing that Antony's speech must blow away any earlier words from Brutus" would give Brutus such a powerful, rational speech. Although Wills had painted himself a bit into a corner, when he had already mentioned that Brutus was known for his eloquence in public speaking. Nuttall also reminds us that Antony adopting the Asiatic style foreshadows Antony and Cleopatra, "a play that explores the tension between classical restraint and opulent Asian emotion."
Nuttall (Tony to his fans) highlights the participation of the "third plebeian," who after Brutus's thoughtful, rational explanation yells: "Let him [Brutus] be Caesar!" Which is a genius way of signaling that he (and the populace) did not understand a word Brutus said! In true Bloom fashion, Nuttall unequivocally states: "Those four words placed by Shakespeare in the mouth of the third Plebeian constitute the most telling political moment in the history of drama."
"Shakespeare had written just one oration on this scale earlier --the speech given by Henry V before the critical battle." (I just saw Henry V on stage last Friday, and perhaps as your Marlon Brando doing Antony's, I have Kenneth Branagh's Henry's speech etched in my heart and memory). Does each generation have their own Shakespearean actor? Olivier comes to mind, even though I have trouble watching his movies; Gielgud is also mentioned, and I hear Derek Jacobi mentioned before Branagh. Which leads me to believe there is a young man in London who already has created and recreated --and presented on stage- new versions of the beloved characters and a teenager who is, as we speak, committing those difficult texts to memory!
If memory serves me well (alas! it often does not), Gielgud played JC in the movie I saw. And -still trusting my memory- this was a lordly JC, no hint of the inner, frailer one, although his stage persona seemed a great deal older than Brando, then in his salad days. And really stretching my memory, Brutus was James Mason who owned an unforgettable voice. I guess Attic and Asiatic were very well represented by them.
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