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Julius caesar characters essay
Julius caesar characters essay
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Caesar’s hubris limits his ability to recognize the threat against him in Act 1. Although he has remarked to Antony that Cassius had a “hungry look” meaning Cassius seems suspicious and may poses a threat to Caesar since is not content with his position. Meanwhile in the back alleys of Rome, Cassius is convincing many senators that Caesar should not be the representative of Rome. “ I know that he would not be a wolf/ But that he sees the romans are but sheep./ He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.” (shakespeare, act 1 scene 3 line 105-107). The exchange between Cassius and Casca illustrates the image of Caesar that many of the senators have. The senators conception of Caesar is that he is arrogant and regards himself as the only person worthy
Cassius, a very suspicious character throughout 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 keep 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 a time when he and Caesar went swimming in the river Tiber and Caesar screamed “Help me, Cassius or I sink” (828) to depict Caesar as a little baby compared to the colossus he is said to be.... ... middle of paper ...
Cassius is a talented general, and does not like the fact that Caesar has become `god-like' in the Roman people's minds (see above quote Act I, Scene ii). Cassius can be seen as a great man because of his standing and title; however, his role as conspirator is much larger, and shows his power over others. Thus, in the eyes of the audience, he is perceived as great. However, he has a flaw, as all tragic heroes do: it is obvious from where his power is situated that he lacks integrity. He is impulsive and unscrupulous; this is...
(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
In Shakespeare’s play, the conspirators are not justified because of their selfish motives. During the beginning of the play, Cassius is depicted as covetous when he tries to convince Casca to join the conspirators by speaking poorly of Caesar. “What trash is Rome, what rubbish and what offal, when it serves for the base matter to illuminate so vile a thing as Caesar” (I.II.108-110). Using a disgusted pattern of diction, Shakespeare helps to convey a bitter tone when Cassius states, “trash”, “rubbish” and “offal” to express his belief that Rome will become a terrible place when Caesar rules. Also, the fact that Cassius says, “a thing”, to describe Caesar shows how disrespectful he is, portraying his revolting attitude as a bad motive. This language characterizes Cassius as jealous and greedy of Caesar’s power,
Cassius is a sly, deceitful and an untrustworthy character. Caesar described him best. He said (act1, scene 2, line 195), “Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous”. Cassius is very superstitious. This is shown when he says (act 5, scene 1, line 75) “ you know I held Epicurus strong, and his opinion. Now I change my mind, and partly credit things that do presage…”. He believes in omen and signs that foretell events to come. Cassius is conceded. This is shown when he says to Brutus (act1, scene 2, line 116), “ And this man is now become a god, and Cassius is now a wretched creature, and must bend his body if Caesar careless but nod on him…”. Cassius continues on saying about times when he saved Caesar from drowning and when he saw Caesar with a fever and he started to shake. All this tells us that Cassius thinks he is just as good or even better than 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.
The egotistical, arrogant Julius Caesar is seen to be showing great ignorance which caused his downfall in the form of betrayal. His character innately makes him weak because even though he suspected Cassius at the beginning, he did not take action upon his own suspicion. He also had many people telling him to beware the Ides of March, and to be careful of certain people. He did not listen to any of these warnings even though he had his own suspicion about one person who after all thought of the plan to kill Julius. If he was sensible and not ignorant, he would think that there would be people out there who would want to take him out. If he was not ignorant he would have at least asked someone to spy on Cassius just to make sure he was not up to anything bad. If he was not ignorant he would have heeded the many prophecies given to him by total strangers, because they were all relevant to one another but alas he was ignorant. A right-minded person would have considered all of these freak coincidence into account before going on with his/her plan, which Julius failed to do. In his final speech he said, “I could be well moved, if I were as you; If I could pray to move, prayers would move me; but I am constant as the northern star… Unshaked of motion;...
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.
Brutus and Cassius are very different in the way they perceive Antony. Brutus is very trusting and naïve when he judges Antony. When the subject of killing Antony comes up among the conspirators, Brutus underestimates how dangerous Antony could be and says, “For Antony is but a limb of Caesar”(2.1.178). This statement means Brutus does not think it is necessary to kill Antony and he thinks that without Caesar, Antony is worthless. Another incident where Brutus misjudges Antony is when he allows Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus trusts that Antony will not say anything bad about the conspirators or him: “What Antony shall speak I will protest/ He speaks by leave and by permission, / And that we are contented Caesar shall/ Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies. / It shall advantage us more than do us wrong”(3.1.263-268). Brutus actually thinks that by letting Antony speak, the conspirators and he will have a better situation for themselves because it will make their plot seem honorable. Cassius, on the other hand, is a very perceptive person; he sees how dangerous Antony can be. He notices that Antony is clever and that he might not be trustworthy. When Brutus suggests that they shouldn’t kill Antony, Cassius says if Antony outlives Caesar, “[They] shall find of [Mark Antony]/ a shrewd contriver” (2.1.170-171). When Brutus gives Antony the right to speak at Caesar’s funeral, Cassius pulls Brutus aside and says, ”You know not what you do. Do/ not consent/ That Antony speak in [Caesar’s] funeral. / Know you how much the people may be moved/ by that which [Antony] will utter”(3.1.255-259)? Cassius sees that Antony is a powerful speaker and that if Antony speaks the people will side with him. This shows that Cassius has a much better idea of how dangerous Antony is.
Cassius is the greatest manipulator in the play, Julius Caesar. Cassius, an envious and ambitious man, believed that the ruler of Rome, Julius Caesar, had too much power over the senate and the people. To put an end to what he considered to be conspiracy, he fabricated a plan to eradicate Caesar for the sake of Rome. Cassius uses manipulation as his weapon of attack using Brutus as the target. Cassius succeeds in persuading Brutus, one of Caesar’s good friends, to join their plot. Cassius uses flattery, self-gain, and the people of Rome to manipulate Brutus into his likings.
Shakespeare uses Cassius’ characterization in Julius Caesar to prove that Caesar is justified in his concerns about Cassius. Through means of indirect characterization, it is presented that Cassius is willing to act somewhat sycophantic to acquire what he finds necessary. When Cassius is speaking to Brutus in an attempt to sway his opinion concerning his loyalty to Caesar, he compares Brutus to Caesar and praises his equivalent status, stating that Brutus’ name is “as fair a name,” “it is as heavy,” and “will start a spirit as soon as ‘Caesar’,” and even rhetorically asks “upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed that he has grown so great?¨ (Shakespeare I. ii. 144-150). By providing reasoning behind his belief that Brutus is “as fair a name”
Julius Caesar - A Comparison of Brutus and Cassius In the play Julius Caesar, written and performed 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.
sc. II, 97-99). Cassius is also enraged because Caesar doesn't like him. Caesar suggests, "Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; / He thinks too much. such men are dangerous" (Act I, sc. II, 194-195). Cassius thinks that Caesar's temper is dangerous. He declares, "Ye gods! It doth amaze me, / A man of such a feeble temper should / So get the start of the majestic world, / And bear the palm alone" (Act I, sc. II, 128-131). See also & nbsp; Casca also is jealous of Caesar.
Both Cassius and Brutus conspire against Caesar, yet Shakespeare depicts Brutus as doing a noble job compared to Cassius as doing a greedy and envious task. Cassius believes that he is stronger than Caesar. Therefore, Cassius does not understand why Caesar is in power and he is not. Cassius is also envious of Caesar. In Act I Scene II, Cassius describes to Brutus the time he had to save Caesar in a swimming race. Since then, Cassius feels superior to Caesar. In Cassius’ mind, kings’ right to rule should be based off of strength, not intelligence or virtue. On the other hand, Brutus knows that although a king should be strong, he must also be virtuous. Brutus always elaborates on the topic of honor. In fact, his first priority is to keep his own honor intact and Brutus fears that Caesar will change when he is crowned. Brutus says, “He would be crowned: How that might change his nature, there’s the question.” (Act II, Scene I, Page 49, lines 12-14) He senses Caesar’s greed for power, and ...
In Act 1 scene 2, Cassius shows signs of compassion for Brutus following the return of Caesar from battle . Through the eyes of Brutus, Cassius’ concern appears genuine. Brutus truly believes every word Cassius says regarding his character in the eyes of the Roman people , as well as Caesar’s integrity as the leader of Rome. In reality, Cassius strategically planned the conversation in efforts to turn Brutus against Caesar and recruit Brutus as a member of the conspiracy. In brief, the reasoning behind the sudden blossom of friendship between Cassius and Brutus is an example of appearance versus