Oicism In Julius Caesar Essay

Stoicism in Julius Caesar Stoic philosophy in the play Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare and edited by William Montgomery, plays a pivotal role in propelling the events in the play. The ideas of stoic philosophy are embodied by the historical figure Marcus Brutus who, through the application of the logical and emotionless aspects of the stoics, comes to the conclusion that Caesar is a threat to Roman society and ultimately pays for his mistakes with his life. The ideas of stoic philosophy so prevalent in the mind and speech of Brutus contrasted with the emotional rhetoric of Mark Antony after Caesar’s death leads to the conclusion that Brutus is not the honorable man Roman society judges him to be. Brutus dismisses his feelings, an action which leads directly to war. It is important to understand the philosophy of the stoics when trying to find the motivations behind Brutus’ actions.

According to its teachings the path to happiness for humans is found in accepting this moment as it presents itself and by not allowing ourselves to be controlled by our desire for pleasure or our fear of pain. Essentially, a stoic philosopher would say that emotions result in errors of judgment, so great steps should be taken to ensure emotions play no role in decision making. Evidence of Brutus’ enduring emotionlessness in the face of hardship is obvious when considering his interactions with his wife Portia throughout the play. The ideas of stoic philosophy prevalent in Brutus are illuminated through the relationship he has with his wife Portia. Late in act 2 scene 1 of the play, Portia begs Brutus to confide his plans to her. She knows her husband is troubled by something serious and goes through great lengths to prove to him that she is worthy of the truth, but he remains obstinate in the face of her pleas. Portia uses elegant