Julius Caesar Ignorance Essay

Can an honorable man also display ignorance and poor judgment? In 1599 AD, William Shakespeare wrote the play Julius Caesar. Throughout this play, Shakespeare describes a man who has just returned to Rome after a military victory in Spain. This man’s name is Julius Caesar. Caesar has just defeated the king of Rome. In doing this, Caesar becomes next in line to become king. If Caesar were to become King, it would mean the end of Rome’s republican system of government, in which the senators, who represent the people of Rome, influence most of the power. When Brutus makes three mistakes of joining the conspiracy, allowing Antony to live, permitting Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral, he inadvertently seals his death warrant.
Brutus and Cassius

consider themselves equal to Caesar, which means Caesar’s reign would cause them to no longer be free men but instead slaves. In the near future, something must be done. Valuing Rome above his own life, Brutus displays himself as an honorable man. Whose dedication to his country compares to none other. His relationship with Caesar consists of love and respect. However, Brutus could be considered idealistic. Consequently, Brutus begins a path of bad decisions, which will ultimately bring destruction and death to not only Caesar but to Brutus as well.
Essentially, Brutus begins his multitude of mistakes in Julius Caesar, by allowing himself to be a part of a conspiracy to assassinate Caesar.

This presents his first major mistake. Brutus says, ” Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (3.2.23). In this speech, Brutus makes it clear that he loves Rome and that he would do anything to protect the Roman Empire. When he joins the conspiracy, he ignorantly allows himself to be misled by Cassius into thinking that numerous people joined the conspiracy. Cassius does this by throwing letters into Brutus’s window, which seem to be signed by several citizens. “Brutus interprets the letters as a protest against Caesar” (2.1.47). In this scene, Brutus thinks that the citizens agree with his plan. But what he fails to understand that it is Cassius whom sent him the letters. Even though Brutus questions Cassius, “Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius?” (1.2.70) Brutus still mistakenly trusts Cassius while at the same time sealing his death

warrant.
During their plans to assassinate Caesar, Cassius says to Brutus, “Let Antony and Caesar fall together” (2.1.168).

Saying that they should kill Antony as well intrigues Brutus, yet he fails to follow Cassius’s advice. Brutus’s second costly mistake lies in his response, “ for Antony is but a limb of Caesar.” (2.1.172) Foolishly, he states that once Caesar’s death occurs that Antony will only mourn for his dear friend. Brutus underestimates the power of Antony, thinking he will be power-less without Caesar. After that Brutus, continues to say, “ Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Cassius.” (2.1.173) Since he fears that if they kill both Caesar and Antony the presumption will be that they did it out of anger and not for the good of Rome, Brutus declines to carry out the act. In these scenes, Brutus believes that his decisions are justified and right, however, in the end, they are the complete opposite, which again seals his death

warrant.
By allowing Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral, Brutus demonstrates his third mistake and demonstrates the second time the two men disagree. Cassius says, “ Do not consent; that Antony speak in his funeral” (3.1.245). Cassius believes that Antony should not be allowed to speak at the funeral. In response to that, Brutus replies, “It shall advantage more than do us wrong,”(3.1.253) showing his third mistake. Brutus believes that if he speaks before Antony, he will tell the people that what they did was for the good of Rome. Later, this decision becomes life changing. When Brutus first begins to speak, the people side with him and agree that Caesar needed to be stopped. After the speech concludes, Brutus leaves and allows Antony to speak. In his speech, he uses bits of sarcasm to turn the people against Brutus. “And, sure, he is an honorable man” (3.2.98). Making this statement, Antony really means, “Why would a honorable man kill someone so brutally?” With the citizens now fuming with rage and setting out to kill Brutus, he must now quickly flee. If Brutus had listened to Cassius, who actually predicted what would of happened, he could have avoided running for his life and finalizing his death warrant.
In the end, these three mistakes of joining the conspiracy, allowing Antony to live, and permitting Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral, declare to be disastrous for Brutus. Brutus exemplified the characteristics of an honorable man, because he held strongly to his choices and convinced others to believe in them too. Ultimately, his poor judgment and ignorance led him and Cassius to die by their own swords, not those of their enemies. How ironic that the same swords that stabbed and murdered Caesar have now taken the lives of the murderers. Therefore, ignorance and poor judgment unfortunately coexist in the life of one man, Marcus Brutus, an honorable man who made mistakes.