Government officials are expected to state their opinions on important subjects. This supposed transparency should allow citizens to assume how politicians will act once in power. Yet this outward appearance does not always convey all of their thoughts. Some actions, purely for public image, conceal the thoughts inside their minds and create a false appearance. This display of how people want to be seen is defined as a facade. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, a tragedy, William Shakespeare creates facades for the historical figures he uses as characters. Although the audience knows the disguises for most characters, they have no choice but to watch them fail. The decline of powerful politicians makes this play a tragedy. In order to remain strong to the citizens of Rome and their enemies, Cassius, Caesar and Antony put up facades to mask their motives.
Caesar’s pride is mistaken for ambition by the
While the reader has been led to believe in Brutus' strength of nobility, there is a touch of weakness in the self-delusion he must create before he can join the conspirators: Brutus feels that murder is wrong and so must find a way to justify his actions. It's not for personal reasons that he will do it, but for the general; that is, for the good of the people of Rome. He generalizes about the effects of power and ambition and anticipates the damage that Caesar will do when he gains the crown. He has to admit, however, that Caesar has not yet committed any of these wrongs.
Julius Caesar Essay Words are more powerful than weapons. Throughout the play of Julius Caesar the idea of powerful words is a key theme. Through speeches lies and cunning plans the characters in this play are able to convince people to join conspiracies and move people to action. This play reflects on the need for excellent speaking skills and its importance in ancient Rome, Elizabethan, and modern times.
Throughout the tragedy of Julius Caesar, there have been numerous occasions of foreshadowing Caesar’s fate. Julius Caesar has received both direct warnings, and indirect omens that he has chosen to ignore.
Julius Caesar’s desire to become the greatest ruler of Rome causes the Roman people to want him dead- including his best friend. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, a group of men devise a scheme to kill the treacherous leader of their country. Conspirators believe Julius Caesar’s ambition will inevitably lead to the downfall of Rome. Each man with their own specific reason unite as conspirators to get rid of Caesar. Through his role in the conspiracy, Brutus’ actions depict Brutus as honorable and gullible.
Julius Caesar is a confident general who has won the favor of the people of Rome and is on the cusp of becoming the Supreme leader of Rome however he is cut down by his enemies and allies alike. Caesar is warned again, again and again that something bad is going to happen however Caesar’s inability to accept his vulnerability, his need to hide weakness and refusal to swallow his pride and open his eyes causes his death in the end. Caesar is a confident character, he acts like he is always on top of every situation and a lot of the time he is however he tends to ignore warnings because the possibility of someone close to him turning against him is so out of his mind he refuses to take hints. His first warning was a soothsayer telling him to
This ending helps depict the power of the elites. Marc Antony’s funeral oration manipulated the people to believe that Caesar cared for them, while in reality he pursued his self-interest. An analysis of both Cicero’s On Duties and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar depicts the relationship between the elites and the people and allows one to understand the strengths and weaknesses of a republican government. Cicero asks rulers to “pursue aims that are not secret, but honorable” and strive to weave their self-interest with the community’s best interest (On Duties,
Cassius manipulates Brutus to the point of making him feel as if there are several people wanting Brutus to do something about Caesar. Cassius also wants to convince Brutus that “Caesar’s ambition shall be glanced at” so they can eliminate his power for fear that “worse days [may] endure”. Cassius is not the only senator wanting to eliminate Caesar’s growing
When Cassius wanted Antony and Caesar to fall together Brutus disagreed and said, “Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius / To cut the head off and then hack the limbs”(2.1.175-176). Brutus knows that Caesar must be taken care or in order to protect Rome but doesn’t find it necessary to kill Antony, a close
This is powerful in manipulating Brutus, because Brutus is an honorable man, and he is always concerned with what the most honorable decision is. Moreover, Cassius distorts Brutus' view of Caesar by telling Brutus that, "[Caesar has] become a god," and that Cassius "is a wretched creature," that if, "Caesar... [nods at] him," he, "must bend his
Having been a friend of Pompey and learning about his death, Cassius wanted to eradicate Caesar in order to avoid a loss of freedom. Cassius is quick to attack other individuals and his arrogance and pride is evident when he discusses his refusal to bow down to authority. He also mocks Caesar’s account of
At the end of the play Brutus is referred to as the noblest Roman of them all. I do not agree with this statement. Yes, Brutus’s intentions were for the greater good of Rome, because Brutus felt if Caesar was crowned he was going to take over Rome and do some serious damage to Rome as they all knew it. However, I believe if Brutus was so noble he would not have killed Caesar who was actually his life long friend.
In “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”, Caesar’s main flaw is his arrogance and ambition, which both led to his doom. His overconfidence and self-love blinded him of the sharp thorns growing from his sides which were masked with loyalty and care. Viciously assassinated by the closest people in his heart, Julius Caesar had been known for centuries as the blind conceited man. On the other hand, loyalty conflicted Brutus, who is argued to be the protagonist of the tragedy. Although he was loyal to Caesar, he was loyal to his nation too and thought that the death of Caesar would be for the best for the nation.
In Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare uses his characters to argue that fate and free will are equally important ideologies that need to be prevalent in society. Fate is an important concept in Julius Caesar. William Shakespeare argues that fate is a determining factor for life and that death is predetermined. Near the start of the play, the soothsayer tells Caesar, “Beware the ides of March” (1.2.28). This is the first instance in which death is foretold.