...Brutus Joins the Conspiracy The biggest debate of Julius Caesar is most likely whether Brutus should have joined the conspiracy. Brutus was right to collaborate in the conspiracy for multiple reasons. No one could have known how Caesar would handle the responsibility of the power in which comes with being king. Brutus believed strongly in the people of Rome as well as the Roman republic system. Similarly, he considered himself an expert judge of character and a loyal man making him a worthy leader of the assassination of Caesar. Caesar may have turned against the people who helped him after he became king, such as Brutus. Brutus had known of kings before in which had abused their power. There was no way of knowing whether Caesar would do this or not. Shakespeare uses an analogy of someone climbing a ladder to describe Caesars climb to power(II,i,22-27). Correspondingly, up until now he has used...
Words: 692 - Pages: 3
...downfall. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, there are many arguments over who is the tragic hero. Some people say it is Marcus Brutus. Others say that it is Julius Caesar. After examining these two options, a solution has been made. Brutus is the tragic hero because he possesses such heroic qualities and dies at the end of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Marcus Brutus deserves the title tragic hero for many reasons. First is because Brutus is a noble man. He never deceives anyone in the play. Even though he was part of the conspiracy and killed Julius Caesar, he did it for the benefit of Rome. Brutus stated: “if then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (870). Brutus did everything for the benefit of someone else. Brutus was a noble man and he cared about others more than himself. Another example of this is when Brutus did not tell Portia his plans to murder Caesar because he felt it would stress her even more in Act two, Scene one. Brutus was a noble man....
Words: 565 - Pages: 3
...The not so wrong right? I do not support the members of the conspiracy. What they did is unethical and not moral The members of the conspiracy were Marcus Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Trebonius, Ligarius, Decius Brutus, Metellus Cimber, and Cinna. The members wanted to stop the Julius Caesar dictatorship before it could happen. The conspirators Julius Caesar because they thought he was going to be a dictator. It is also wrong to kill someone just because you have different opinions and views than you. Julius Caesar was a the prerequisites for a ruthless dictator. ‘Caesar is a "serpent's egg," (act 2 s1 28-34) a dictator waiting to be hatched. If we find the egg, we recognize the kind when the kind is dangerous, better to kill the creature in the shell than let it hatch to perform its mischief”. This quote by Brutus is the main reason that the conspirators killed Julius Caesar. They thought he only becomes more powerful and more evil as he gets older. Therefore the conspirators thought they should kill him before he gains power. In Rome government is set up to one man(julius caesar) has all the power, This is grounds for a dictator. He was also unforgiving once he made up his mind he never changed it.....
Words: 679 - Pages: 3
...Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare Renowned English poet, playwright and actor William Shakespeare’s birth date is not known; however, he is said to have been baptized on the 26th of April 1564. He died on the 26th of April 1616 but not before he had written about 38 plays, 154 sonnets and other literary pieces. Shakespeare’s plays have been translated into several languages over the years and have been produced in many forms throughout the ages. The Play Julius Caesar is a play about friendship, betrayal and power. The play is a historical tragedy as it presents the biography of one of the greatest man to have ever lived in Rome. Caesar was made Dictator and Consol after he chased Pompey and his forces out of Rome in an attempt to obtain ultimate power. Caesar’s ultimate goal was to become Rome’s first king and he remained focus on this goal until his death in 44BC. His death was as a result of fate and his refusal to acknowledge the many signs and omens that foreshadowed his fall. Brutus a very good friend of Caesar also took part in his assassination. Brutus feared that Caesar would become a tyrant and harm the people of Rome. In an attempt to ‘save’ the people Brutus helped Cassius to take Caesar’s life. After Caesar’s death he is avenged by his loyal servant Antony who skillfully manipulates his way into the band of conspirators. Later, after winning the love of the people Antony pursues and conquers Brutus’ and Cassius’ forces...
Words: 4055 - Pages: 17
...Does Shakespeare depict Julius Caesar as a tyrant who deserved to be deposed because of his unconstitutional usurpation of power? William Shakespeare’s well-renowned play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, has led to centuries of controversial debate on the validity of tyrannicide based on his depiction of Julius Caesar. Some scholars have argued that Shakespeare intended to portray Caesar as a tyrant, while others believe he is acting as a just King. On one hand, it is difficult to assume that Shakespeare plainly viewed Caesar as a tyrant, especially since Shakespeare deliberately left Caesar’s actions and intentions ambiguous, making him into a less obvious tyrannical figure compared to Plutarch’s representation of Caesar. In addition, Shakespeare does not solidify Caesar as a tyrant in the same way he does with Macbeth and Richard III in their respective plays. On the other hand, it is difficult to reason that Caesar is a just King because he came into power by usurpation. “In antiquity the term [“tyrant”] referred to a ruler who came to power by usurpation, without constitutional warrant.” Based on insight from several sources and my own interpretation of Julius Caesar, I have concluded that Shakespeare left Caesar’s objectives unknown in order to focus on the moral dilemma faced by Brutus, but Shakespeare still intended to depict Caesar as a tyrant who deserved to be deposed because of his unconstitutional usurpation of power. In order to prove this I will evaluate the political...
Words: 1848 - Pages: 8
...William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, set in Rome in 44 B.C, focuses on the character of Julius Caesar and his gruesome assassination by the members of the Roman Senate. Mark Antony, Caesar’s best friend, plots his revenge and incites a riot, causing the exile of the conspirators and their impending defeat. The tragic hero with a tragic flaw can be found in the character of Julius Caesar, an example of this being Caesar’s prominence in society as well as his fatal flaw of hubris. Another example is Caesar’s recognition of his fatal flaw following his betrayal and downfall. A third example is Caesar’s redemption, when his death is fully grasped by Marcus Brutus, who was once Caesar’s friend but betrayed him. The tragic hero is Julius Caesar because of his fatal flaw of hubris, his recognition of his flaw in his...
Words: 1290 - Pages: 6
...Was Brutus’s or Antony’s speech more effective at Caesar’s funeral? In Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, Brutus was a Roman politician who used to be Julius Caesar’s best friend back then, but some tragic things happened. Such as Brutus getting manipulated by Cassius (a Roman senator who was against Caesar), joining a conspiracy group, stabbing poor Caesar, and then telling all the Roman citizens that Caesar was ambitious at his own funeral because he feared he would destroy Rome. While on the other hand, Antony was a Roman general who was a real friend of Caesar. After Caesar's death, he took on the role of being a leader and stood up for him at his funeral. At the funeral where both Brutus and Antony spoke, Antony was a better eulogist. He used more...
Words: 515 - Pages: 3
...The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a story of the short rise and fall of a ruler and the conspiracy linked to it. Julius Caesar is soon to be crown king of Rome after defeating military commander, Pompey. One of the close allies of Julius, Cassius fears of Rome being under rule of a man that in truth doesn’t like and wants to take him down. Cassius gathers others close to Julius to create this plan to bring Caesar down. Cassius tries hard to recruit one man who he believes would be perfect for the conspiracy: Marcus Brutus, a man who is known for the noble deeds of him and his ancestors. After much of a inner and outer strangle for Brutus to consider this, he goes along with the plan and then seems to over take most of Cassius’s position. The conspirators take Caesar to the capitol, where he is to be murdered, and Caesar utters the infamous words: “Et tu, Brute?”. The conspirators rejoice in the deed and are then later met with Antony as they finally agree to trust him. Antony, Caesar’s right hand man, is broken by the sight of Caesar’s dead body. When the conspirators leave to capitol, Brutus and Antony start to give their speeches and expose Caesar’s body. Brutus’s speech defends the conspirators and the murder and for a moment, he has won over the people. But, Antony’s dramatic speech overwhelms the civilians and now has them against the conspirators and this starts the civil war. It is a war for the power and fait of Rome where it is Antony and Octavius’s (Caesar’s nephew and...
Words: 996 - Pages: 4
...envious conspirators against Caesar, for they all wanted was their time to shine. In the tragedy, Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare the close ‘friends’ of Caesar form a conspiracy to plan his murder. Their dissatisfaction and covetousness of his single handed rule set the stage for the revolutionary action to take place; the murder of the emperor, Julius Caesar. The scheming Cassius, praising Decius, and dedicated Antony all use a labyrinthine combination of rhetorical devices and modes of persuasion to coerce their victims into their desires of either the death of Caesar or the condemnation of the conspirators....
Words: 987 - Pages: 4
...observed has remained constant through all of the changes earth has faced. However, I noticed the moral concept of justice has changed. It was then I developed my overarching question; What is the impact of justice in the evolution of society? To answer my question, I took a philosophical approach. I used The Republic, by Plato, which essentially is a series of conversations between Plato, and his teacher Socrates. To contrast this book I chose Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, which also discusses both justice and the concept of vengeance. In Plato’s The Republic, Plato raises the question; What is Justice? His teacher, Socrates attempts to explain justice to him through a series of nonsensical comments....
Words: 780 - Pages: 4
...In the story Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare showed the many ways power can affect and change people. Shakespeare used main characters to enforce themes throughout the story. For example Shakespeare used characters like Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony, and Cassius to show when someone in power are killed chaos will emerge, and people can be easily swayed into mob with only a few right words. Shakespeare used power to show many things throughout the story but the biggest theme displayed many times, was how power leads to chaos. Shakespeare showed many ways of how power works. He used characters like Julius Caesar to show us when someone in power is killed chaos will emerge. When Julius Caesar was killed by his best friend...
Words: 699 - Pages: 3
...William Shakespeare's play "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" exhibit the most revolting attributes of Ancient Rome. There are two essential components of the account which is the power of deception and manipulation , which Shakespeare uses to move the storyline forward and let pivotal occasions occur. The First occasion in which deception plays a crucial part is when Decius maliciously guarantees Caesar that his wife's overwhelming dream has been " all amiss interpreted" (II,ii,83). Decius says rather " it was a vision fair and fortunate" ( II,ii,84). This untruth is key to the storyline on the grounds that it persuades Caesar to go to the senate gathering where his murder happens. Thereby without deception the end of Caesar could have been escaped by and large....
Words: 429 - Pages: 2
...Julius Caesar Theme Essay Persuasion in itself is a form of superiority. The conclusion from Julius Caesar's death is not only powerful, but fulfilling. Throughout the entire excerpt Caesar repeatedly voiced his prerogatives defiantly. This is not only because of this dedication towards the Roman citizens, but his commitment to his fellow peers. Although, some of his peers did not view his actions as beneficial, but more so as a negative impact towards society. One in particular, Cassius, who, by the power of persuasion, manipulated Brutus into his proclaimed conspiracy of killing Julius Caesar, along with several others. This act could not have been accomplished if it weren't for the capability of forging and perjury. These factors are also linked variables towards persuasion. Realistically, the “power” of Cassius, was subsequently altered into pure evil. This is proven throughout various scenarios that lead to the battle between Antony, a loyal acquaintance of Caesar, and Octavius, an appointed successor and the adopted son of Cassius, against Cassius and his men. Within the text Antony is able to recite Julius' will at his funeral, stating that a specific sum of his money be constituted to each of the fellow citizens of Rome, could this outcome come from a man that was assumed “ambitiously dangerous” to the community? No, however, this outcome is another form of power within the republic. In correlation with the specificity of word choice, Antony grieved the death of...
Words: 640 - Pages: 3
...In the play “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare, you are easily able to identify the theme of ‘political leaders usually act in the best interest of their country’ on several occasions. Shakespeare portrays this theme not only in the character Julius Caesar, but also in Marcus Brutus and Mark Antony. Although neither of them weren’t ever actually in charge of Rome, they still represent the theme well by doing what they truly believe is for the best. First, I will go into detail about how Brutus depicted the theme by leading the conspirators to do what he felt was the right thing to do. Then, I will continue on and explain how Caesar acted in the best interest of his country simply by trying to do his job. Finally, I will go further into how, even after Caesar was murdered, he still tried doing good by Rome, and...
Words: 1158 - Pages: 5
...is particularly relevant to the character of Brutus during the play. During the scenes of William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, characters are able to rise to power through their particular strengths. These characters, Cassius, Brutus, and Antony all have different characteristics that helped them gain power within the city of Rome. However, these people also showed that they were human by having weaknesses that led to their down fall. Within a leader, it is important to look at their trustworthiness, honorability, reputation, and their use of empathy. These three characters all displayed differences within these traits which made them unique in their own ways. Within the scenes of Julius Caesar, Cassius, the leader of the conspiracy against Caesar, displays many strengths that guide him to the rise to power, and weaknesses which direct him to his eventual fall. Cassius believes that the people of Rome are responsible for the government of Rome. They have allowed a man to gain excessive power; therefore, they have the responsibility to stop him, and with a man of Caesar's well-known ambition, that can only mean assassination. Clearly, the most significant characteristic of Cassius is his ability to perceive the true motives of men; in other words, the ability to read or see through other people, which is called empathy. Caesar...
Words: 2021 - Pages: 9
