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About marcus brutus
Discuss julius caesar as political drama
Brutus loyalty to the conspirators
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Brutus and the Conspiracy The assassination of the Roman dictator Julius Caesar was the tragic result of a conspiracy led against him by a group of Roman senators. The conspiracy against Caesar was comprised of about forty Roman senators. However, only twenty-two of the perpetrators are known, the rest of the names are lost in history (Wikipedia). Senators Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius were the co-leaders of the conspiracy but these led the conspiracy because of two different reasons. Cassius led the conspiracy for political gain. Brutus, however, led the conspiracy because he was deluded into leading by Cassius. Even though it was not morally right for Brutus to join the conspiracy, he was persuaded into it with false evidence. (Enotes) …show more content…
He is loyal to Rome, and he is afraid of what might happen to Rome if Caesar takes full control. Brutus fears that if Caesar becomes too in control, then getting rid of him might be the only way to fix the problem, and “It must be by his death” (II, i, 10-35). Right after that, Lucius, Brutus’ servant discovered letters in Brutus’ study left from an anonymous source. The letter’s contents were inquisitive about the future of Rome and whether or not it should be ruled by a single person. After reading the letters, Brutus was even more convinced to put Caesar’s reign to an end (II, i, 45-60). At a different time in the play, it is revealed that Cassius forged these letters and he left them at a place where Brutus would find them. Cassius and the other conspirators were plotting Caesar’s assassination. They needed Brutus to join because of how well-received he was with the people of Rome because he might be able to convince the people that killing Caesar was the best thing to do for Rome
In the beginning of the Book Cassius uses anecdotes of Caesar’s weakness and faults, argumentum ad antiquatum, and ethos on Brutus to persuade him to join the conspiracy to kill Caesar, this works on Brutus and shows that anyone, even people as stoic as Brutus, can be persuaded by appealing to their motivations. Cassius, a very suspicious character thru ought the play tells Brutus to “be not jealous on me” (827), in the quote he tells Brutus to not be suspicious of him because he is just a friend who genuinely cares. Cassius does this to put himself on Brutus’ side and not seem like a distant person, this allows him to criticize Caesar and suggest that he is a bad influence on Rome which appeals to Brutus’ desire to keeping Rome safe. After setting himself up as a friend to Brutus, Cassius uses harsh anecdotes on the weakness of Caesar to show that he isn’t fit to rule Rome. Cassius recollects on a time when he and Caesar went swimming in the river Tiber and Caesar screamed “Help me, Cassius or I sink” (828) to de...
Brutus is loyal to Rome and also to his friendship with Caesar. He wants Rome to be led by a good leader. But he allows himself to be lead away with this thought by Cassius, who tells him that he is the better man and not
Cassius needed a reason to motivate Brutus to join the conspiracy so that the plan would develop. “Brutus, I do observe you now of late: I have not from your eyes that gentleness…” (1.2.34) Cassius is saying that Brutus hasn’t been as affectionate toward him as he typically is. Maybe he suspects something is wrong with Brutus and he thinks it has something to do with Caesar. But I think he didn’t really care about how Brutus was treating him, he was just “buttering him up” so to say. Brutus thinks that Cassius is just being his friend and trying to help, when in reality Cassius is manipulating him. This manipulation of friendship is what drives the rest of the play. Brutus has a hard time seeing through this manipulation of Cassius and it ends up driving him to assassinating his friend, Caesar. Cassius fabricated letters to make them seen like they were from the people of Rome saying that they wanted Brutus as their leader. These letters were really the controlling factor of the assassination because they gave Brutus another reason to assassinate Caesar. Cassius then realized how easy it was to manipulate Brutus. “Well, Brutus, thou art noble. Yet I see thy honorable mettle may be wrought from that it is disposed. Therefore it is meet that noble minds keep ever with their likes; for who so firm that cannot be seduced?” (1.2.320-324) Cassius is saying that even
Summary Opinion: Brutus is guilty with the collaboration of assassinating Julius Caesar. When Caesar is crowned the new Emperor of Rome, Brutus was very envious of the power he possessed. Due to this jealousy and ambition for power, Brutus betrayed his closest friend. Although Caesar intended to better the conditions of Rome both economically and politically, Brutus believed them to be lies. He is guilty of killing Caesar since there was no reason to, and it also directly violates the law.
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.
Cassius is the leader of the conspirators. He is jealous of the power that Caesar holds and wants for himself. Caesar says that Cassius"...Cassius has a lean and hungry look. He thinks to much. Such men are dangerous.", meaning that he looks sneaky and is not to be trusted. The whole idea to kill Caesar begins with Cassius, he convinces the other Senators to do as he wishes. Cassius commits suicide because he is afraid of what will happen to him if Mark Antony and Octavius find him. Another reason for his suicide is because he believes that his men have lost the battle and he does not want to face the consequences.
He has two opposing desires that he has to choose between. These are killing Caesar to preserve democracy in Rome and to save Caesar, since he is a friend of Brutus. A quote from J.L. Simmons that summarizes this well is, “Certainly the material lends itself to a conflict between private and public affections” (Simmons 64). Brutus wants to kill Caesar for Rome because the citizens of Rome want to preserve democracy and Caesar is preventing that by being dictator for life. A quote that puts this in other words is, “The ultimate factor in persuading Brutus to join the conspiracy is his belief that his countrymen wish him to act on their behalf” (Shalvi 71). Killing Caesar would be a choice made for not himself, but the citizens of Rome while saving him would be for himself and to preserve his friendship with Caesar. Saving Caesar would be a deed for himself and would strengthen his relationship with Caesar. He could have warned Caesar of the conspirators’ plans and put a stop to them. Brutus ultimately makes the choice of following through and assassinating Caesar. His plan was for this to be a honorable action, but it ended up negative on his behalf. The majority of the citizens in Rome did not take this lightly and wanted revenge for his actions. This is the main mistake made by Brutus that lead to his own
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...
The assassination of Julius Caesar was due to his increased power and the senate’s fear of losing political relevance. They were losing their freedoms and thought the only way to resolve this problem was to kill Caesar. Killing Caesar never really did anything to help make the government a democracy like the senate had wanted. Marcus Brutus and Cassius ended up leaving Rome, so their plot did not do anything to help them. Caesar was the leader of Rome, the top of the Roman Empire. The people he thought he could trust most, his so-called friends, took him to the bottom of the Roman Empire, to his grave.
Even though Brutus loves Caesar and knows that Caesar is a good man, he lets Cassius talk him into looking deeper and see that Rome can't have a tyrant as a leader. He tells Cassius "Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, That you would have me seek into myself, for that which is not in me?" 1.2.65-67. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary Brutus knows that killing his best friend is not something he wants to do, but he's ready to commit such crime because it's for the good of the Rome and the people of Rome.
The senators believe that anything they do to Caesar will look bad in the eyes of the people, but Brutus, whom the plebeians love, will make their actions appear honorable. In order to achieve this, Cassius creates a plan in order to prod Brutus in favor of the assassination: In several hands, in at his windows throw, As if they came from several citizens, Writings all tending to the great opinion That Rome holds in his name, and wherein obscurely Caesar’s ambition shall be glanced at. (I,ii,312-316) By deceiving Brutus into believing that the Roman people, who respect him, think that Caesar is becoming too ambitious, Cassius is able to convince Brutus, a noble Roman, to join the plot against Caesar. Because he only wants to do what is best for the people, Brutus joins the conspiracy.
He is Caesar's friend, and holds a powerful position in Rome. Therefore, he has no reason to feel jealous of Caesar. Brutus makes his decision based on what is the best for Rome, and is tricked into believing that the other. conspirators feel the same way. He comments, "What need we spur but our own? cause to prick us to redress? What other bond than the secret Romans? have spoken the word, / And will not palter?
One of the first occasions presented was the plotting of Caesar’s assassination. Cassius, Casca, Trebonius, Ligarius and the other conspirators all wanted to rid Rome of Caesar. However, not one of them could give the green light.” They needed one who held a high place in the hearts of the people, to support them and to justify their actions. They needed an “honorable” man. Without this man, the conspirators would not be called conspirators for they would not have had sufficient strength to see it through. In that, there would not have been a conspiracy. Marcus Brutus agreed to be their source of strength. This final decision to join Cassius and company marked the end of Julius Caesar.
As a result, Brutus follows his close allies on the path he considered to be the most noble. Moreover, this characteristic of Brutus makes him weak enough to eventually rely solely on the Cassius’ judgment to take down Caesar. Another instance where Brutus exhibits such a credulous personality was his encounter with the letters from what he believes to belong to the Roman citizens. He discovers the letters of the supposed fears of the Roman citizens on Caesar’s ascendance to power. Thus, Brutus feels that he is “entreated / To speak and strike,” and he promises Rome that “if the redress will follow [then] / thy full petition” will be at his “hand” (2.1.55-58). His reaction to those letters showcases his naïve and over-trusting personality due to his overwhelming belief that the letters originate from Roman citizens,however, they were in fact written by the conspirators themselves. Brutus’s credulous personality is a major factor to his future ruin as he is repeatedly manipulated by his closest allies for their
In William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar was a tragedy that is mainly based on the assassination of Julius Caesar. The character that was in charge of the assassination was Marcus Brutus. Brutus was the most complex character in the play. He was one of the men who assassinate Caesar in the Senate. Brutus was an honorable man. He was a servant and close friend to Julius Caesar. In Roman times, the only way for someone to get close to a person of high rank is if he/she is close to him/her. The reason of his complexity was because he did not kill Caesar for greed, envy, nor to preserve his social position like so many of the other conspirators. What would cause a person to kill a close friend? He joined the conspiracy in order to help the Romans get rid of Caesar. Brutus would not allow Caesar to rise to power and then turn his back onto the people of Rome. Brutus had a strong relationship with Caesar but a stronger relationship with Rome and its people. Brutus loved Caesar but feared his powers. Brutus advocates peace, freedom, and liberty, for all Romans, which shows that Brutus is an altruistic as well as an honorable man. Not that Brutus loved Caesar Less but he loved Rome more. Brutus had honored Caesar but Brutus felt that Caesar was too ambitious. He also felt that Caesar made the Romans as slaves. Brutus joined the conspiracy because he had the desire to help the commoners.