In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus is presented as an honourable and loyal servant to Rome. In the opening Act of the play, the audience learns that Brutus is devoted to both Rome and Caesar. As the play continues to progress into Act II, his intentions are slowly corrupted by a band of conspirators and Brutus turns against Caesar. This process of corruption in the opening couple of Acts shows that Brutus is an honourable Roman who is taken advantage of to suit the needs of others. In the play, Brutus is portrayed as a loyal and tested Roman. His reputation precedes him and he is a well-known and respected member of Roman society. This is due to Brutus’ character and ideals which is shown to the audience in his first appearance. “If it be aught toward the general good, / Set honour in one eye and death i’th’other / And I will look on both indifferently. / For let the gods so speed me as I love / …show more content…
The name of honour more than I fear death.” The audience is able to learn of Brutus’ priorities and how he approaches his life.
He openly states that he would die to better Rome and that he no longer wishes to live should he fear death more than he loves honour. Right from the onset, Shakespeare creates a character who values honour over all else. This leads on to when Brutus believes that Caesar’s death is the only way that Rome can continue to survive in its present state. While not one at the time, he is afraid that Caesar may become an oppressive ruler should he be crowned a king. This is shown in Brutus’ soliloquy, “It must be by his death. And for my part / I know no personal cause to spurn at him / But for the general.” Brutus has no personal quarrel with Caesar. Rather, he only wants the best for Rome and will do whatever it takes to secure its future, even if it means murdering Caesar. Although he loves him, as shown when talking to Cassius, he sees no other option and places Rome – and honour- over his friend’s life. It is this honour that Cassius and the other conspirators take advantage
of. The band of conspirators is able to use Brutus’ honour and good intentions against him to convince him to join their cause. While Brutus is genuinely concerned about Rome, Cassius and the other conspirators want Caesar dead for their own unknown reasons. However, they need Brutus with them because of his reputation as an honourable Roman, which would give their actions credibility and legitimacy. From the first time they interact, Cassius already begins to sway Brutus to join his side. After planting the seed of doubt about Caesar in Brutus’ mind, Cassius says, “I am glad that my weak words / Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus.” This statement proves that Cassius had the intention of pitting Brutus against Caesar. He is pleased that he was able to stir a small glimpse of protest from Brutus from what he said. Brutus is yet again taken advantage of when Cassius sends forged letters to him. Knowing that Brutus is very much devoted to Rome and its people, he capitalises on his honour by giving him a false impression of the amount of support their cause actually has. Immediately after reading the letter, Brutus says, “O Rome, I make thee promise, / If the redress will follow, thou receivest / Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus.” He foolishly believes that the letter is from the people and this furthers his concern for Rome under the rule of Caesar. As a result, Brutus is prepared to personally give Rome the justice it deserves. Through these actions, the conspirators are able to take advantage of Brutus’ honour, by both rhetoric persuasion and manipulation. In conclusion, Brutus is an honourable and loyal citizen of Rome. He puts Rome before all else and is even willing to give his own life for the city. Cassius and the other conspirators use this trait to coax Brutus into joining their cause. Therefore, while he is an honourable statesman, others are able use it and take advantage of him.
Throughout the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the audience constantly sees Brutus, an honorable man, go against his own beliefs because of men filled with hatred and jealousy. Brutus
As the play opens, Brutus is known as a Roman nobleman and a member of one of the most illustrious families in Rome. He is first seen in Act I, scene ii, as one of Caesar’s “close friends” who is part of his entourage. But while alone with Cassius he is persuaded into taking a part in the assassination of Caesar. He is weary at first, and it seems as though it took Cassius some time to talk him into agreeing, yet Brutus looked at Caesar as some type of threat as well.
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.
Greed, ambition, and the possibility of self-gain are always constant in their efforts to influence people’s actions. In Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus, a venerable politician, becomes a victim of the perpetual conflict between power-hungry politicians and ignorant commoners. He is a man of honor and good intentions who sacrifices his own happiness for the benefit of others. Unfortunately, his honor is strung into a fine balance between oblivion and belief and it is ultimately the cause of his downfall. His apparent obliviousness leads him to his grave as his merciful sparing of Mark Antony’s life, much like Julius Caesar’s ghost, comes back to haunt him. Overall, Brutus is an honest, sincere man who holds the lives of others in high regard while he himself acts as a servant to Rome.
Another question could be asked about whether Brutus is an honorable man or a mistaken one. Analyzing Brutus’s logic, actions, and intentions can help the reader decide where they stand. I believe Brutus is a villain. The fine line that distinguishes a person as either a hero or a villain, or even a good and a bad person, is unclear. That makes the play so very unique.
Brutus is a good man who is easily turned evil by men filled with abhorrence and jealousy. In the play, Julius Caesar, Brutus is a Roman who is easily manipulated, decisive, and proud. These contradicting traits of Brutus show us why the reader does not want to believe that Brutus is an antagonist in the story.
Throughout the play, Brutus speaks about honor and his loyalty to his country. These two concepts become major conflicts for him when it comes to his friendship and loyalty to Caesar. Brutus life is conducted by the concept of honor. He constantly throughout the play speaks of how honorable he is and how honorable men should live. He 's very proud of how Romans view him as a noble and honorable man, who fights for what is right and is always following the moral and ethical code. Brutus ends up using the concept of honor and loyalty to his country as a reason why Caesar must die. He 's convinced that his countrymen will thank him for saving them from a tyrant and that Rome would be much better off without Caesar, but it ends up being a big miscalculation
...s’ views and opinions very clearly. We are also able to see the flaws that he embeds. However, Caesar remains a mystery throughout the play as he is slain very early. Caesar enjoys being loved by the people and enjoys holding his status but Brutus wonders how the best power of Rome can be accomplished and turns to assassination and manipulation as it is the only method of removing Caesar. In general, Brutus is moral while Caesar is immoral.
Both Caesar and Brutus were main characters in this play. Two sides formed during the play, and these two characters were the leaders of each side, respectively. Also, each character held a high rank in the Roman society. Caesar was the ruler of the Roman Empire, and could basically do whatever he wanted due to his outstanding power. Brutus was a general for the Empire and he was respected and was seen as a noble man and true “Roman” by many.
Shakespeare’s tragedy, Julius Caesar, displays Brutus as a tragic hero, blinded loyalty and devotion. Brutus's heroic belief of honor and virtue was so powerful that it drove him to perform villainous actions and lead to his destruction.
This play can be summed up by looking at one character in particular. Brutus is a prime representation of how our government is. He started out wanting to do what was best for the people of Rome and ends up being corrupted by hid and others greed. He not only loses the sanctity of Romans, he loses himself in every action he takes in becoming a traitor. No longer is he a caring member of society, he has blackened his soul to the point of no return. Brutus was only out for number one, he became the person he tried to prevent coming into power. Ironically, he ends up dead as well, so his mission was accomplished in the end. No one who was greedy took charge.
The play Julius Caesar depicts Brutus to be an extremely noble being who is well respected and honored by all Romans, even his enemies. Brutus was a loving friend of Julius Caesar and wished anything but death on his comrade, but his love and dedication to the majestic city of Rome would force him to commit anything. He fights a war to defend Rome from a king or emperor's tyrannical rule. When the war was finished, even his enemies saw that he was the most respectable Roman of them all.
Shakespeare uses Brutus’ soliloquy to convey that Brutus is hesitant about assassinating Caesar: “to speak truth of Caesar, I have not known when his affections sway'd More than his reason.” This implies that he has no other reason to kill him besides believing that he will ruin his country as a tyrant. He is also hesitant on killing Caesar because they have been friends for so long that he does not want to end his relationship with his best friend. “Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar, I have not slept.” The way Shakespeare narrates Brutus as unable to sleep, it hints that he has doubts about doing??? annihilating Caesar, but ultimately decides to do what’s right for his country and murder Caesar before all of his power goes to
It is said that idealism does not protect one from ignorance, dogmatism, and foolishness. In Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar", this is exemplified by the character Marcus Brutus. Known as the most complex character in the play, Brutus kills Caesar, whom he loves, for the sake Rome, which he loves more. Though in the end, he is labelled by Mark Antony as "the noblest Roman of them all", Brutus is blinded by his idealistic point of view, and this point of view has a negative impact on himself and others in the play. Firstly, he is naive in his dealings with others, and fails to perceive people in a realistic and practical manner; secondly, he is easily manipulated into treacherous deeds if he believes it is for the greater good; finally, he is willing to do anything for the sake of honour, even if it is dishonourable. A thorough analysis of these points will prove that Brutus' idealism is his greatest flaw.
Brutus is basically described as the play’s tragic hero. Brutus was a close friend of Julius Caesar. But quickly turns on him in a act of trying to gain power. He is a proud military leader and a husband. Brutus is a high thought of figure in the roman society. Even though he was a close friend of Caesar and is known as a person who serves his king. He ...