William Shakespeare’s plays, particularly his tragedies, are famous for capturing the essence of the times. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, which takes place around the year of 45 B.C., gory battles, conspiracies, and treacheries clearly portray the setting of Ancient Rome, but do not heighten the plot of the play as well as the elements of manipulation and deception. Manipulation is the act of taking advantage of someone by influencing them a certain way, while to deceive is to mislead by a false appearance or statement. Both are paramount to the advancement of the story in which Brutus, a friend of Caesar’s, joins a conspiracy to overthrow him by vicious, heinous, and brutal murder. Julius Caesar was assassinated simply because of the fears of his peers, not because of anything that he did wrong ("Lend”). In this play, friends literally stab each other in the back, and not even necessarily for the best reasons! The very first example of manipulation occurs in Act I of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar when Cassius begins leading a group of conspirators against Caesar, who is soon to be crowned king of Rome. Cassius was motivated to plot against him by coalescing …show more content…
Monumental egoism blinds the title character to even the slightest possibility of losing his power, let alone being killed, especially by a man he considered himself to be on good terms with (Isherwood). Previous to being approached by Cassius, lead collaborator and plotter, Brutus did not seem to think that Caesar’s excessive pride was such a horrible thing. He was prepared to allow him to take the throne and be crowned king! It is not until after listening to the ideas of the other members of the conspiracy that he is beguiled. This being noted proves self-evident that Brutus being deceived is the key event which caused the murder of Caesar for no actual apparent reason besides the personal opinions and anxieties of
Throughout Julius Caesar Brutus acts in accordance with his morals, which makes his eventual fall all the more tragic as Brutus genuinely believed his actions benefitted the future of Rome. Unlike most of the self-interested people around him, Brutus genuinely cares for the continued well-being of the Roman republic. Brutus sees Caesar's rise to power and imminent crowning as a danger to the freedom of the people in Rome since, "crown [Caesar] that, and then I grant we put a sting in him that at his will he may do danger with. Th' abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power" (2.1.15-19). Brutus knows that many past rulers have turned into tyrants and oppressed their people after gaining substantial authority, and fears that the same tragedy will befall Rome if the Senate crowns Caesar. And although Brutus conspires to kill Caesar rather than finding a peaceful solution to this disagreement, he tells the other conspirators to limit their violence as "this shall make our purpose necessary and not envious, which so appearing to the common eyes, we shall be called purgers, not murderers" (2.1.175-178). Brutus' constant requests to preform the assassination quickly and honorably reveal his concern about the fate of the Romans acts as the motivation behind his actions (unlike the other conspirators who "did that they did in envy of great Caesar") (5.5.71).
Every person has their own individual beliefs and values that they live by. There is a line that one believes they will never cross. However, people can also be easily persuaded to abandon these values if the reasoning is fair enough. This is human nature. To manipulate someone is to use or change them for a specific purpose. In Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, he illustrates how easily people can change their minds through manipulation. He conveys how people can be manipulated, how they manipulate themselves, and how they manipulate others.
The book Julius Caesar is full of happiness, conspiracy, power, and betrayal. The people of Rome deeply loved julius Caesar and wished to make him their king. A group of senators however were not so fond of this idea and formed a conspiracy. The leader of this group was a man by the name of Cassius. In order to make sure that his scheme of killing Caesar would work and would look honorable he had to convince a senator by the name of Brutus to help. After being convinced that they had to kill Caesar to protect Rome from a tyrant Brutus joined the conspiracy and soon became the principal conspirator.On the day in which Caesar was to be crowned king he was on the way to the senate when he was stabbed by all the conspirators panic ensued and to convince Rome of their honorable intentions Brutus gave a funeral speech. Mark Antony, a very close friend of Caesar, gave his speech after Brutus had given his. Mark Antony’s speech is more persuasive to the Roman people because of his outstanding use of pathos, sarcasm, and logos.
“Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” (3.2.24) This quote reflects the motive of Brutus for the assassination of his friend, Caesar. I believe Brutus killed him not out of disrespect, but in a selfless act to protect Rome from the decree of Caesar yet to come. I also believe that he did this out of force from the manipulation from his “friend” Cassius. In Shakespeare's “Julius Caesar”, Brutus’ two most significant characteristics are virtue and unconscious hypocrisy. In order to fully understand these characteristics, it is necessary to analyze all other contributing characteristics, the manipulation of friendship that Cassius uses against him, and the motivations for
Brutus emerges as the most ambiguous and complex character in Julius Caesar and is also the play’s tragic hero. In his soliloquies the audience gains insight into the complexities of his motives. In Brutus’s first soliloquy he states “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, Julius Caesar). This highlights the internal struggle brutus is going through. He loved Caesar as a friend but yet he loved Rome more, he had to make a decision to kill his best friend for the good of the Roman empire.
William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a tragic drama, set in Ancient Rome about the horrendous death of Julius Caesar. Brutus, leader of the conspiracy against Caesar, begins as Caesar’s friend. Cassius, instigator of the conspirator, manipulates Brutus into killing Caesar. Brutus agrees to this plan because of his plans for Rome. The bond between these two connects when Brutus agrees to Cassius about killing Caesar for the best of Rome. Cassius, very power hungry, comes up with a plan that will succeed in both of them killing Caesar. They both rely on each other because they want the power that Caesar has been requested to make the best of Rome. This dream of making Rome better was manipulated by Cassius to Brutus. However,
While reading the play “Julius Caesar”, deception, betrayal, and exaggeration were perceived throughout. Cassius was the character that fit these qualities the most. He can be compared to the former president, Richard Nixon. He was the United States 37th President of the United States. He was voted into office receiving great admiration for his speeches, and work he had previously done. When he was elected, it was the time during the Vietnam War. His goal as president was to have reconciliation (Sidey and Freidel). He gave great speeches by using rhetoric; a famous speech is 425 - Address to the Nation on the War in Vietnam, November 3, 1969 rhetorical devices that he used in that speech was by saying “Good evening, my fellow Americans” (Peters) it gave the audience a sense of familiarity within the audience, and Nixon (Zielenski). In Nixon’s “Checker’s Speech” he tells his side of the story and his role in the Watergate Scandal. In his speech he uses rhetorical devices including repetition and anaphora, “I say that it was morally wrong if any of that $18,000 went to Senator Nixon, for my personal use. I say that it was morally wrong if it was secretly given and secretly handled. And I say that it was morally wrong if any of the contributors got special favors for the contributions that they made” (The History Place ). In the same speech, he uses the rhetorical question, “Well, how do you pay for these and how can you do it legally?” (The History Place ). Lastly, in the “Checker’s Speech” he uses irony when he states “I have a theory, too, that the best and only answer to a smear or an honest misunderstanding of the facts is to tell the truth. And that is why I am here tonight. I want to tell you my side of the case. This is a us...
In William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, two speeches are given to the people of Rome about Caesar's death. In Act 3, Scene 2 of this play Brutus and Antony both try to sway the minds of the Romans toward their views. Brutus tried to make the people believe he killed Caesar for a noble cause. Antony tried to persuade the people that the conspirators committed an act of brutality toward Caesar and were traitors. The effectiveness and ineffectiveness of both Antony's and Brutus's speech to the people are conveyed through tone and rhetorical devices.
For most people, telling the truth is a highly revered trait that is taught at a young age. Parents are constantly telling their children to never lie and to always be honest. And yet, humans tend to resort to twisting the truth in order to get what they want. Whether it is a politician hiding the truth for votes or a young child crying crocodile tears to get their sibling in trouble, humans seem to require manipulation to receive what they truly desire. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Julius Caesar, this idea of falsifying information for one’s own gain is apparent. Characters such as Cassius, Antony, and Decius Brutus all demonstrate that manipulation is a requirement in order to achieve an overall goal.
Brutus, the co-leader of the assassination of Julius Caesar, was incredibly envious and jealous due to Ceasar becoming the almighty power of the Roman Empire. Even though Ceasar was kind and considerate to give some of his power to Brutus, ironically, it wasn’t enough. Proving the greed and power to be too much led to Brutus taking advantage of their friendship. Envious of Caesar becoming dictator for life, Brutus devised a devious plan to overthrow and murder his best friend. Ultimately the killing of Caesar proves how power, greed, and envy can manipulate their way and change a good men to evil men.
The Art of Manipulation For many years in human history, manipulation has been a very useful, narcissistic, and successful tool for vicious types of people. Manipulation is one of the many skills people use in order to ruse people into doing whatever they desire. In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, the tragedy shows how his characters manipulate other individuals to influence them for their own aspires and intentions. Manipulation is used heavily throughout this tragedy for character benefits, especially when Cassius manipulates Brutus. Cassius desperately attempts to persuade Brutus and other senators to coalesce the conspiracy.
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...
He is so motivated by ambition that he decides to kill Caesar, the leader of Rome. Although dedication can be a good quality, in Cassius, it blinds him to all other things and makes him ruthless in his quest to rule Rome. Cassius’s desire for power is evident when he states, "Men at some time are masters of their fates. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings" (1.2.146-148). Cassius’ ambition leads him to go as far as to convince a dear friend with manipulation and false notes to help him plot to kill Caesar. His ambition makes him power hungry and he lacks the honor to back up his overzealous behavior. Cassius envies Caesar and because of this he resorts to bribery, assassinations, and imposing taxes for personal
Julius Caesar is known to be one of the most powerful and incomparable rulers in world history. Caesar, with his many accomplishments, always had a zest to increase his power. Fueled by ambition, Caesar was determined to receive that power. Caesar’s great ambition worried the people of Rome, including noble Marcus Brutus, jealous Caius Cassius and the conspirators. In the play, Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, Marcus Brutus is justified in his part in the assassination of Julius Caesar, whereas Caius Cassius and the conspirators are not.
In the play Julius Caesar, written and preformed by William Shakespeare, there are many characters, but two, Brutus and Cassius, stood out. The play begins in Rome where a celebration of Julius Caesar's victory over the former ruler of Rome, Pompeii. The victory leads to Caesar's betrayal by his jealous companions. Senators and other high status figures are jealous of Caesar's new and growing power, while others, like Brutus, fear the tyrannical rule Caesar could enforce. The conspirators, Brutus and Cassius being the most important, assassinate Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius, better known as Antony, and Octavius Caesar, Caesar's heir to the thrown, revenge Caesar's death. Antony convinces the Roman populous to destroy the conspirators and eventually begins a war with Cassius and Brutus' armies. Both Cassius and Brutus commit suicide to save their honor and Antony and Octavius win the war. The characterizations of Brutus and Cassius show a distinct contrast in their character traits and motives for the assassination of Julius Caesar.