Commoners gather in town to celebrate Caesar’s victory against Pompey. During this gathering, a soothsayer shouts for Caesar to “beware the Ides of March.” Caesar dismisses this warning. He is offered the crown, which he denies three times in a row. While all of this is going on, there is a group of conspirators against Caesar, claiming he is a tyrant and should be killed before he gets into power. Casca and Cassius try to convince Brutus to be on their side, because he is noble and will go along with their plan if they tell him if for the good of the Plebeians. Cassius comes to Brutus’s house with the group of conspirators. They are here to get Brutus on their side to kill Caesar. Because they know that Brutus is noble and wants to do what’s right, the conspirators convince Brutus that they should kill Caesar the next day and anybody else that is with Caesar. Brutus agrees to the plan, but insists that only Caesar be killed because that would be for the benefit of Rome. After these men leave, Portia comes to talk with her husband. She insists on knowing what is bothering him. He doesn’t want to tell her but she says she deserves to know because she is his wife and they shouldn’t have any secrets. But he says he should tell her eventually, but not right now. Also, Caesar plans to go out that day, but his wife, Calphurnia, and a servant convince him to stay home because she had a dream he’d be killed. But Decius is a conspirator who comes to Caesar’s home and gives a different interpretation of Calphurnia’s dreams, and tricks Caesar into going out. Caesar runs into the Soothsayer and says that the Ides of March have come and he’s still here. But the Soothsayer tells Caesar that the day isn’t over yet. Caesar goes on and meet... ... middle of paper ... ...and and why he’s awake. When Brutus says he’s just sick, Portia argues that because she’s his wife, and they are supposed to be partners, that he should be able to tell her his worries. In my monologue, Portia wants Brutus to realize that she’s stronger than other women, that she’s his devoted wife. By voluntarily stabbing herself in the leg, she wants him to realize that she is strong and can be trusted with his secrets. After my monologue, Brutus responds by saying he wishes he was good enough to have such an honorable wife, and promises that he’ll explain what’s been going on soon enough, but for now she had to go inside because someone knocked on the door. Lucius brought Ligarius, a sick man, to his door. Ligarius said that because Brutus is so noble, he would do anything Brutus wants him to do. So the three of them set off to go to the capitol to kill Caesar.
In the following scene, Caesar is set to receive his crown. The night before, Calpurnia sees bad omens, and hopes that Caesar will stay home. On the other hand, the conspirators are planning the assassination of Caesar at the Capitol, and they need him there to receive his fate. Knowing Caesar well, Decius urges Caesar to go to the Capitol and receive his crown. Using various rhetorical devices, Calpurnia attempts to urge Caesar to stay home, while Decius tries to get Caesar to the Capitol.
(Mittelstaedt 119). The character traits he carries are the driving force behind his actions and his actions are the driving force behind the plot of Julius Caesar. Cassius instigates the entire conspiracy against Caesar. His emotionally based reasons to eliminate Caesar breed Cassius’ plot to kill him. Putting the plan in drive, Cassius persuade Brutus’ opinion of Caesar influenced him to join the rebellion. If not for Cassius’ manipulation, Caesar would have continued to reign over Rome. Additionally, his behavior influences his fellow conspirators, for they mirror his actions. For example Decius visits Caesar and his wife, Calpurnia, on the morning of the Ides of March. Calpurnia has had a horrific dream foreshadowing Caesar’s death causing him to contemplate staying home to ease her worries about what the day will bring. When Decius enters the room, Caesar shares Calpurnia’s concerns and asks him to tell the Roman people that he will not be going to the capital today. Decius is quick to rebut his reasoning, exclaiming, “This dream is all amiss interpreted; It was a vision fair and fortunate.” (Shakespeare 2.2.83-84). He continues on, convincing Caesar that Calpurnia has read this dream as dark and terrifying, but it is really about Rome praising him. Understanding Caesar is very susceptible to flattery, Decius manages to assure Caesar there is no danger. Like Cassius, Decius mirrored the maneuver of reading into certain traits of another person, and exploiting those traits to influence him to act in a certain
Since the Elizabethan era, society has been familiar with William Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Throughout the play, Brutus struggles to confront his internal conflict, which later leads him to join the conspiracy to assassin Caesar. After the assassination of Caesar, Brutus does not realize the fact that the Romans despise him for his actions taken. When he finally realizes his tragic flaw of gullibility, he tells Strato to kill him, so he would not have to witness him getting defeated in the war against Marc Antony in front of the Romans. Shakespeare wrote the play so that the audience visualizes that Caesar along with Brutus are the tragic heroes of the play, but he does not recognize Portia as a tragic hero; therefore, the audience fails to realize that Portia has the characteristics of a tragic hero as well. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare uses Portia to present to the audience the tragic flaw of the struggle to become manlier. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare uses Portia to demonstrate that manliness is the highest virtue in society.
Caesar’s lack of somewhat savage Machiavellian traits foreshadows his downfall a multitude of times. From the beginning, the soothsayer warns him to watch out for the Ides of March. There are also bad signs; men in fire walks up and down the streets, and a lioness gives birth on the streets. Likewise, before he heads to the Senate House to receive the crown, Calphurnia tells him that she has had a nightmare, and pleads him to stay home. However, he ignores all the premonitions and moves toward where the Senators are, with no one to protect him when he is in danger. This action of Caesar contradicts the teachings of Machiavelli, “Before all else, be armed” (The Prince). As a result of his carelessness, the conspirators see that he has no chance of circumventing, and assassinates him. Similarly, he is unsuccessful in recognizing the outrage of Cassius and a few others; he isn’t doubtful enough of their secretive deeds and eventually loses the reigns to eliminate the defiance. "The same thing occurs in affairs o...
Throughout most of the play Brutus is constantly internally conflicted. Does he do what he believes is best for Rome or stay loyal to his friend and leader? Should he assist in the murder of one person to benefit many? Although killing Caesar was in the end a bad choice, Brutus always tries to do what is best for Rome and for the people. However even though all of Brutus’ motives are good he still has the tragic flaw of pride, which ultimately leads to his downfall. The reason that Brutus gets caught up in the conspiracy is because Cassias appeals to his pride and flatters him with forged letters from the Roman people saying he is a greater leader then Caesar.
Brutus is considered an honorable man by all those who live in Rome. He is a close friend of Caesar, husband of Portia, and is also a Senator. Brutus is drawn into killing Caesar by Cassius, who was jealous of Caesar's degree of power. Brutus was pulled into the scheme by letters brought to his house by Decius to make him think that the people of Rome wanted him to replace Caesar. Brutus also feels that Caesar is being given too much power and will destroy Rome's democracy. Brutus' reason for killing Caesar is to benefit Rome, he proves this when he states"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." After losing to Mark Antony and Octavious, Brutus runs onto his own sword. He sticks to his beliefs, not altering them for others.
Cassius and one of the other conspirators discuss the plan on getting people to turn against Caesar. As Cassius is talking to Cinna he says, “Three parts of him is ours already, and the man entire upon the next encounter yields him ours” (I.iii). Cassius is trying to write fake letters to people turning against Caesar that Brutus will believe. Brutus decides the best thing to do is kill Caesar because of the letters and the convincing of Cassius. When Brutus and Cassius first meet, Cassius is already acting as a mirror for Brutus. When Brutus thinks Cassius is leading him to danger Cassius says, “So well as by reflection, I your glass will modestly discover to yourself that of yourself which you yet know not of” (I.ii). Cassius believes he could be the conscious of Brutus and lead him in the path of killing Caesar. Brutus and a conspirator finally get ready for the death of Caesar. As Brutus draws near the final moment of Caesar’s death he says, “Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar I have not slept” (II.i). In the beginning of the story Brutus was said to be one of Caesar’s closest friends. Cassius turned it all around and then made Brutus suspicious of Caesar. Brutus admits that the planning of Caesar’s death has brought a nightmare upon him. Cassius was a shadow that Brutus followed which resulted in the death of
Cassius believes that he should not be ruler of Rome for a few very specific reasons, so to combat this he convinces Marcus Brutus to join his conspiracy by forging fake letters. Brutus is very honorable and is loved by many people in Rome, so he would bring the people to their side. On the 15th of March Caesar went to the capital despite the multiple warnings he was given. Calpurnia ,Caesar’s wife, dreamt of his statue running with blood and begged him to stay home. Although Caesar ignored it when Decius convinced him that it represented the good and richness that he would bring to Rome.
When the soothsayer cries out “Beware the ides of march”(312; act1,sc2) he is truly laying the groundwork for the rest of the events leading up to Caesar’s assassination. Although Julius dismisses the soothsay with a simple “he is a dreamer, let us leave him. Pass.” (313; act1, sc2) the reader realizes that this date will prove important in the near future. To the audience, the prophecies are dramatic irony-when Caesar is warned about the ides of March, we already know what is going to happen to him. (Farrow) That one simple dialogue sets the stage for the rest of the plot to advance swiftly.
Brutus’ leadership and compassion for others make him a popular figure amongst the Roman people, and it is his reputation that establishes him as an influential individual. For example, despite the fact that Brutus loves Caesar like a brother, he warily joins the conspiracy to assassinate him. He does this because he believes that Caesar’s ambition would become tyranny and that Caesar’s death is a necessary evil in order to preserve the liberties of the Roman people. In his own words Brutus claims, “It must be by his death; and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general.”(Act 2, Scene 1, Page 1116). In addition, Brutus takes the reins of authority from Cassius and becomes the leader of the conspiracy. He gains this prerogative because of his convincing tongue and powerful influence. His leadership is evidenced when he begins to challenge Cassius’ ideas. When Cassius asks the conspirators to “swear our resolution”(Act 2...
Well, first of all Antony was Caesar’s best friend, so there’s two choices for Antony. First, if he goes on to the Brutus side they all are safe, but if Antony doesn’t join them then there is going to trouble. How, Antony pretended to join them but when they left he really showed his feelings. Making him talk at Caesars funeral was a mistake for Brutus because now Antony can really say what happened to Caesar When Portia walks in on Brutus, she like kneels, so she has a lot of respect toward Brutus. She wants to help out, she says that the wife should share her husband’s troubles. She knows that Brutus is keeping a secret from her and that he is troubled. This tells me that she cares for him. She made him recognize that in marriage there are
The conspirators had already decided how and when they would kill Caesar, and Brutus, Cassius, along with Decius, knew they had to lure Caesar close. They had an advantage at this because they knew that all they would have to do was prove to Caesar that they had a good, solid friendship, and this would help their situation and leave Caesar completely sightless to the fact that his situation had grown dire. So they decided to use their friendship with Caesar in a horribly deceptive manner, effectively, in order to kill him. Decius managed to start this off well by using flattery and quick wit in order to trick Caesar into going to the senate house, despite the fact that Caesars wife, Calpurnia had dreams of Caesars murder the night before.
...o happen in the way they had planned. Decius’ deception of Caesar is a key factor in the success of the conspirators’ plot.
Brutus recognizes that the “enemies have beat [Brutus and the conspirators].. to a pit” and believes it is honorable “to leap in” themselves “than tarry till” the enemies force them (5.5.23-25). Hence, Brutus requests his servant to assist him in committing suicide and finally utters “Caesar, now be still / I kill’d not thee with half so good a will” (5.5.50-51). Brutus’s action exhibits his understanding of the killing of Caesar, and now views it as irreparable. Furthermore, Brutus takes notice of the fights and unending deaths around him all due to his naivety and failure to judge people’s evil side. As a result, Brutus views suicide as the most appropriate “method” to retain his honor and dignity; otherwise, he would have to encounter the Roman citizens’ criticization and would be humiliated for his actions. In addition, Brutus requests Caesar to be done with his vengeance and to forgive him as he acts solely for the best of Rome, displaying Brutus to be a tragic hero who failed doing his best for good. Furthermore, the play ends with Antony’s summary of Brutus’s character leaving the audience to characterize Brutus to be the one who suffered the most and died in a tragic way. Antony describes Brutus to be “the noblest Roman of them all…/ [and have acted] only in a general
“[T]here was a crown offered [to Caesar] … he put it by with the back of his hand/ … and then the people fell a-shouting” (I.ii.231-233). The scene at the chariot race further establishes Caesar’s place in Roman society and his unrealized ability as the Romans over joyously cheer as they see him with a crown, proving that Caesar had potential to become emperor with the people’s support. These scenes ultimately prove Brutus and Caesar are high ranking Romans, meaning they satisfy the first characteristic of a tragic hero. However, now that they have reached the top, the only other way is down, and now we will see what led to the fall of these great