Examples Of Lying In Julius Caesar

One of life’s most basic lessons is to be truthful. Parents pound into their kids heads that lying is wrong. As you grow up you learn liars are looked down upon, and the deed of lying itself proves to be a trait of bad character. Liars are manipulative and deceptive. However, telling a lie is not the only way to deceive others. Some twist situations and have a way with words that are as manipulative as lies. For instance, one can be deceptive without lying at all. The character Cassius in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar possesses the ability to exploit others and stirs the pot throughout the entire play. He is the most influential character in Julius Caesar because without his manipulation, the plot of Shakespeare's play would not exist.
“The

most significant characteristic of Cassius is his ability to perceive the true motives of men” (Perry 86). He reads into a person’s every move and every word. His hindsight of men enables him to be a master manipulator. Cassius first shows signs of this trait in Act 1, Scene 2, when “...he resorts to using his keen insight into human nature to deceive Brutus by means of a long and passionate argument, coupled with bogus notes” (Perry 86). Cassius reads into Brutus’ change in affability, expressing to him, “...I do observe you now of late;/ I have not from your eyes that gentleness/ And show of love as I was wont to have” (Shakespeare 1.2.32-34). Cassius’ words are spoken with the sole purpose of playing with Brutus’ emotions causing him to share the thoughts stirring within him. Cassius is successful for Brutus admits, “...Vexed I am/ Of late with passions of some difference...) (Shakespeare 1.2.39-40). Once Brutus reveals he is experiencing mixed emotions, Cassius wastes no time and starts to flatter his dear friend, “And it is very much lamented, Brutus,/ That you have no such mirrors as will turn/ Your hidden worthiness into your eye…” (Shakespeare 1.2. 55-57). Cassius does talk poorly of Caesar in this scene, but he knows that Brutus wouldn’t base his opinion of Caesar off of one man’s hatred for him, as he wouldn’t base his opinion of himself off of one man’s love for him. Cassius knows Brutus is noble and patriotic; he would do anything for the good of his country. Cassius exploits this characteristic by planting anonymous letters expressing preference for Brutus’s leadership, and fear of Caesar’s tyranny. By the end of Act 1, Cassius has taken advantage of Brutus’ indecisiveness by “[appealing] to [his] sense of honor, nobility, and pride more [so than presenting] concrete examples of Caesar’s tyrannical actions.” (Perry 86) convincing him that eliminating Caesar is what’s best for Rome.
What motive would cause a man to exploit someone dear to him? Why does Cassius loathe Caesar to such an extent that it draws out a devious side of him? The trait that facilitates Cassius’ manipulative behavior is that “[he] is also highly emotional” (Perry 87). Even though there is not tangible evidence proving Caesar is destructive, Cassius’ strong hatred for Caesar assures him he needs to abolished for the good of Rome. Nonetheless, his animosity toward Caesar precipitates the idea that he is a potential dictator and believes that as Roman citizens “Our yoke and sufferance [will] show us womanish” (Shakespeare 1.3.84). Cassius’ distaste of Caesar and his refusal to submit to a fascist leader, allows him to sway Brutus without guilt. An additional rationale of Cassius’ manipulation of his friend, Brutus, ties back to his hindsight of human nature. Irrelevant men eliminating a potential leader could provoke terror and rebellion among the Roman citizens. However, if a highly respectable influencer in Rome were involved, it may be looked upon as more acceptable, possibly even progressive.
“[Cassius] is a man of action, not a thinker.

(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

way..
Manipulators are exceptionally effective when deceiving others. Cassius’ uncanny understanding for human nature and emotionally driven passion, enables him to persuade others to facilitate a desirable end result. Cassius does so with Brutus, and prompts the fellow conspirators to act in the same way as he. This duplicity develops the plot of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, establishing Cassius as the most influential figure in Shakespeare's play.