1. 171-172.) He may call out for the murder of Caesar but he asks them to not kill him with anger or resentment. He claims his reasoning behind this is so that the plebeians will not see their actions as evil or misconstrue their intentions. The real reason, however, is that Brutus does not believe killing his friend is the right thing to do, but if it benefits the country and saves them from an evil tyrant then it is the correct course of action no matter his feelings.
Brutus had no justified reasons to murder Caesar. In his soliloquy Brutus says, “I have no personal reason to strike at him” (II, i, 10). Some of the conspirators weren’t sure if Brutus was going to join the conspiracy for sure so they tricked him to become a part of it. Brutus then thought that Caesar was too powerful and he shouldn’t be crowned. One of the conspirators, Cassius, knew Brutus was confused and conflicted about what to do, so he forged fake letters to him.
Brutus is definitely characterized as a man with immense resolve and is visualized as extremely stoic. Even with these powerful values, Brutus was not invincible, he had some tragic flaws which in the end proved fatal. One of these tragic flaws is most definitely his guilty conscience, which can be attributed to many events that occurred in his life. The most obvious of these events would have to be the killing of Caesar, one of his closest companions. Although Brutus justified the killing of Caesar to the citizens of Rome, it seems as if he was not able to justify it to himself.
Brutus shows that having positive attributes can make you a tragic hero. “For let the gods so speed me as I love The name of honor more than I fear death.” (Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 90-91) In this quote he is explaining he is willing to die for the benefit of Rome. “Where many of the best respect in Rome, Except immortal Caesar, speaking of Brutus” (Act l. Scene 2. Lines 61-62) This shows that Brutus is an honorable man , and even Caesar friends thinks
Brutus’ judgement in making this decision is not clouded by jealousy or envy of Caesar. The main reason for Brutus to join the conspiracy is Caesar’s unpredictability when he becomes king. Brutus says that when ambitious leaders get to the top they forget the common people that helped them get there (II, i, 21-26). When Brutus says that it is a common fact that leaders turn their backs on others when they reach the top, he uses logos. Contrastingly, the same statement shows ethos because Brutus is, in a sense, putting up his hand and saying that he knows best how Caesar could behave.
Brutus only wants to employ moral means to fuel his cause, but in reality they really need the support. In arguing with Cassius over something they definitely require, Brutus also risks his friendship with Cassius, an ally he truly needs. The final instance of Brutus’s flawed idealism occurs when he lets Mark Antony speak at Julius Caesar’s funeral. By doing so, Brutus allows Antony the chance to rile up the plebeians to revolt against the conspirators, a chance he successfully takes. Because of his commitment to his ideas on honorable death, Brutus allows the mob to drive the entire conspiracy out of Rome.
We show this through our confidence in unplanned decisions. Brutus feels that he has to kill Caesar for the prosperity of Rome, though he never visualizes the implications it will have on his future. I often will support an idea that I just heard without imagining the logistics necessary to establish the thought or the consequences others will face from it. Also, we always feel that our actions were justified. In the play, Brutus never regretted killing Caesar for the reason that he did it for Rome’s best interest.
When Cassius and Brutus were talking, Cassius tells Brutus, “I had as lief… as he” (35). Here Cassius is trying to show Brutus that Caesar is just like him and Caesar shouldn’t be king. Brutus thinks about this and they fear about Caesar being king. Just by the words of Cassius, Brutus can be manipulated so easily, making him pretty gullible. Another thing Cassius told Brutus says, “The torrent soar’d… I sink!” (36).
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). This example explicitly shows that Brutus’s nobility makes him an easy target for others to manipulate. Furthermore, Brutus’s nobility makes him naive. In Act 3, Scene 2, Brutus departs, fully trusting Mark Antony on his words to make a speech that does not blame the conspirators. This, however, is a huge mistake because Antony seeks this chance to successfully turn the crowd against the conspirators.
This quote, from Brutus, means that his own thoughts and conflicts overwhelm him. In addition, his thoughts and conflicts refer to his idea that if Caesar becomes king, that he will end up harming or endangering Rome. Brutus believes killing Caesar, results to the only solution to help and protect Rome, which relates back to his conflict. Overall, Brutus’ internal conflict involves deciding to kill Caesar, or not, because he does not necessarily want to kill Caesar, but sees it as the only way to protect Rome and its people. His love for Rome and the Roman people proves greater than his love for Caesar, who he somewhat looks to as a friend.