A particular character, Brutus, from a Shakespearean play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, is quite intriguing. Brutus is a companion of Julius Caesar, but is quickly pulled into the conspiracy plot to kill Julius Caesar. Throughout the play, Brutus sticks to his moral ethics closely. Moreover, Brutus affirms, “For let the gods so speed me, as I love the name of honor more than I fear death” (1.2.88-89). In this quote, Brutus is saying that honor is the most important thing to him. Furthermore, Brutus values honor over death. Overall, many events occur over the course of a play. Over the course of time, Brutus develops challenging feelings that leads him to make certain decisions throughout the play. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus’ struggle …show more content…
Overall, a person's morals affect their outlook in certain situations. When talking about Caesar becoming king, many people viewed this situation in a variety of ways. Antony views Caesar becoming king as a positive event in Rome. On the contrary, Brutus views Caesar becoming king to be harmful because he is afraid that Caesar will become a tyrant. In speaking on terms of morality, Brutus is a strong supporter of the republic, to which he believes that the power should belong to the people. Overall, Brutus believes that the government should be guided by the votes of the senators. Throughout the play, Brutus displays fear and mistrust in Caesar. To this, Brutus says, “I do fear the people choose Caesar for their king” (1.2.78-79). In this quote, Brutus is telling Cassius that he is afraid that Caesar will be crowned king. Further in the play, Brutus is pulled into the conspiracy plot to kill Caesar. Throughout the play, Brutus feels incredibly conflicted about Caesar becoming king, “I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general (2.1.11-12). In this quote, Brutus is saying that he has no reason to kill Caesar, but if it’s for the good of the people he would kill Caesar. Because Brutus already started questioning Caesar becoming king, it allowed the conspirators to easily implore him into the course of killing
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Show MoreNear the beginning of act II, Brutus has a soliloquy in which he is trying to decide whether joining the conspiracy is the right thing to do. He discusses reasons for why killing Caesar may be appropriate for the current situation of him being crowned king. Brutus also reveals his thoughts about some of Caesar’s behavior and what could happen (based on human nature) if he is given power. In the end, he decides to join with the conspiracy and kill Caesar.
Although Brutus believed he was better fit for Rome than Caesar, he was not fully convinced as you can tell before he stabs Caesar. Brutus was hesitant to kill Caesar, Brutus must’ve became overwhelmed by the whole senate glaring at him and couldn’t think what to do for a while. This is relevant today in the world; kids all around the world try to stay away from drugs, negative, and etc. Their peers are the ones are who manipulate them by using peer pressuring them, just as Brutus was peer pressured by the majority of the Rome senate. Julius Caesar was astonished that Brutus was also involved in his assassination, as he said “Et tu Brutus?”
On page 782 Brutus says “For let the gods so speed me, as I love the name of honor more than I fear death”. In short, the quote signifies he believes in honor more than he fears death. Later, Brutus realizes his life is up, as a result he decides to kill himself as a honorable man, thus, proving his conviction to his word. On page 831 Brutus says “ Not that I loved Caesar less , but that I loved Rome more”. Obviously, Brutus’s loyalty belongs to Rome more than the life of his beloved friend.
Brutus was a flawed man in many ways in that he was to arrogant he let Marc Antony have a speech even though Antony was conspiring against him the whole time gaining the crowds approval. Brutus says “ Tending to Caesar’s glories which Marc Antony by our permission, is allowed to make” (1250). This is a blatant point to Brutus’ arrogance, he thought that Antony is no threat and trusted him to much. After Antony made this speech the entire crowd turned against Brutus and the conspirators. If Brutus was not so arrogant he would be most likely be alive.
Brutus tries to impress the crowd by saying that Caesar was going to become a dictator. “Had you rather Caesar were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men?” (ii. III.L 22-24). Brutus gives this reason to make the people think this murderous act was honorable.
Brutus believes that Caesar will do more harm than good to the people, and reap benefits for himself. Brutus has already said this, but had said it in his own words, (II, i, 12-14). He has no clue if Caesar will use his power for the good and betterment for the people, or use it for his own needs and other
When Brutus was speaking to the people of Rome about how he helped assassinate him, he justified it by saying, “not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved / Rome more” (3.2.23-24). Even though Brutus is close to Caesar, he has to think about the city he serves first. Brutus wants to do what is best for Rome so if that means he has to harm a friend, he will do so for the greater good of the city he knows and loves. All it took was the conspirator to talk to Brutus a little bit to make him realize Caesar’s potential danger and say “That at his will he may do danger with” (2.1.18).
When Brutus was talking to the conspirators Brutus was going back and forth think if he should help the conspirators kill Julius Caesar. He was going back and forth because he was thinking of the power he could have and could rule Rome. The reason behind Brutus killing Caesar was for the better of Rome. If Brutus would not have killed Caesar, Rome would have turned into a dictatorship, and in turn it would have ruined Rome and all of its people. Brutus did not kill Julius just for the power to rule Rome, he killed Julius to save Rome from Caesar’s dictatorship.
There are a lot of different themes that could be used to describe the play of Julius Caesar. Power is a big part of the play and is probably the best theme of it. Throughout the play, power has a big impact on the story line and the way the story goes. It is evident to the conspirators that Julius Caesar is headed for absolute power; he becomes a threat to the ideals and values of the Roman Republic. They assassinate Caesar before he can be crowned king.
One’s reputation is gathered by the honor bestowed on them. Throughout the ancient and modern world honor is envied by many. During the study and read of Julius Caesar, a Shakespearian play following the death of Pompey and Caesar’s downfall, many characters are tested to being honorable. The merit of having honor and being honorable are central themes within the play. Characters are affected by their decisions because of their lust for reputation.
In Act 3 Scene 2 Brutus said during his speech, “If that friend then demands to know why Brutus turned against Caesar, this is my answer: Not because I cared for Caesar less, but because I cared for Rome more”. Brutus had courage to kill Caesar, not because he wanted to, but for the good of Rome and its people. During the entirety of the story, Brutus
Although Caesar, as the upcoming ruler of Rome in Julius Caesar, should be portrayed as the ideal leader of the play, he actually has too arrogant of a character to be so. Therefore, Shakespeare places honor in Brutus and allows Brutus to have the role of the idealistic leader of the story. Although Shakespeare writes this play in a controversial time period during England’s political turmoil, he allows the audience to be able to choose the true ruler of loyalty to the crown or the honor of a noble man through the understanding of the two contrasting character
(II, i, 53-55) which allows to say that he wants Rome to be just and do whatever it takes to maintain it away from any threat. Indeed, Brutus states this very clearly when he says, “If it’s for the good of all Romans, I’d do it even if it meant my death. Let the gods give me good luck only as long as I love honor more than I fear death.” (I, ii, 86-88), he explicitly says that the good of the majority is over any feeling or personal benefit which in this case is the love of Caesar for him and viceversa, and the throne. To conclude, Brutus is a complex character that is characterized by three recurrent traits: his well-intention, his hypocrisy, and his naivet.
Brutus is without a doubt the most noble character in this play. Nonetheless, his impeccable sense of morality also blindfolds him to other people’s sordid motives and makes him easy to be manipulated. Indeed, Brutus is easily manipulated by Cassius in Act 1, Scene 2. In hope to convince Brutus to join the conspirators, Cassius says “Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings” (1.2.150-152). As a result, Brutus starts to believes that it is his job to murder Caesar, as he says in Act 2, Scene 1: “It must be by his death: and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general” (2.1.14-16).
Marcus Junius Brutus and Mark Antony both deliver speeches to justify the death of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE and both use Logos and Ethos to convince the Roman citizens to join their sides. Both sides deliver their speeches with vehemence and start by elucidating why Brutus killed Caesar to begin with, why Antony’s desire for revenge is justified, and what the future of Rome will be because of his death. Antony teases the citizens of Rome with the will of Caesar that he holds in hand and claims it will dishonor Brutus and the other conspirators and is also one of his vital uses of Ethos in his speech. Most of the citizens, if not all of them side with Antony and will most likely help him accede to a great title of power in the future and also betray Brutus because of what Antony has them believe, i.e. an ignoble assassin. Brutus and Antony 's speeches were both compelling, although Antony´s speech was more successful, but it is because he was able to manipulate the people of Rome with