Julius Caesar: Brutus' Moral Ambiguity Shakepeare's intruiging play Julius Caesar tells a tale of a honorable man who puts his personal interests aside and pulls off a devastating move in order to protect Rome. When Caesar returns to Rome after killing General Pompey, he is given a hero's welcome but his crowning as king becomes a major conflict all throughtout the city and strikes fear in the hearts of many people. Marcus Brutus, a dear friend of Caesar is revealed as a morally ambiguous protagonist of the play as he is pressured into defending his highest values and becomes involved in plotting the assasination. Although Brutus' actions may seem questionable and ultimately lead to Caesar's death, his decision is made with good intentions that can be seen through his patriotism for Rome, idealistic views of the world, and moral obligations. Marcus Brutus was in fact one of the conspirators that murdered Caesar.
Cassius starts to use Brutus and convinces him of why they should kill Caesar. He lowers Caesar in the eyes of Brutus and lifts up Brutus to make it seem like Brutus is better. Cassius uses Brutus’s greed and weak-will to remove Caesar from the throne. “Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well; / Weight them, it is heavy; conjure with ‘em, / “Brutus” will start a spirit as soon as “Caesar”. / Now in the names of all the gods as once,” (I, ii, 145-148).
Later, however, when speaking a funeral oration over Caesar’s body, he spectacularly persuades the audience to withdraw its support of Brutus and instead condemn him as a traitor. With tears on his cheeks and Caesar’s will in his hand, Antony engages
But due to Brutus being mislead and easily manipulated by Cassius, Brutus would be a more suitable leader to lead Post-Caesar Rome than Cassius, but not to convincingly lead the conspiracy against Caesar. But neither are able to lead the conspiracy and Rome as a whole. Both Cassius and Brutus are friends of Caesar, Brutus respects and loves Caesar but he believes that he would bring chaos to the state of Rome, in comparison to Cassius whom he despises out of jealously and resents the fact that Caesar shows him no favour and is clearly envious of Caesar's growing power and popularity. In the first Act of the play, Cassius was clearly trying to persuade Brutus into removing Caesar from power, but Brutus is uncertain to do so, as he loves Caesar out of respect. " I would not Cassius, yet I love him well..Set honour in one eye and death I'th' other And I will look on both indifferently.." This shows that Brutus is indecisive of Caesar and is unfazed by Cassius's attempt to manipulate him to conspire against Caesar.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff: Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is a honourable man. By this it shows that Antony is intelligent and has courage for he mocks Brutus and his accusations. And it shows how he can manipulate the crowd by telling of Caesars wonderful accomplishments. Antony then shows his anger towards the conspirators by getting the mob to release their anger by rioting and going out and killing the conspirators.
But Caesar really loved Rome that anything happened in Rome good or bad affected him. Like Antony said “When the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. In other words Antony is just saying that Caesar really loved and cared about Rome no matter what. Lastly in Act 3 Scene 2 Mark Antony has now seen the assassination of his dear beloved Caesar and he wants to say a speech at his funeral. But in order to do this he must get in the good graces of the conspirators; therefore Rome can know what happen to their beloved Caesar.
Immediately after election, Opimius cancelled several of Gracchus’ laws an called into question his actions in Carthage, “omitting nothing that was likely to irritate him.” A rabble-rouser might have used this as ammunition to riot or try and overthrow the government but Gaius “bore these things very patiently,” and only “at the instigation of his friends,” gathered his supporters to oppose the consul’s decisions. At the meeting of both parties one of the consul’s attendants made an obscene gesture and was killed on the spot by Gracchus’ party. As custom of his character, Gaius was very saddened and “severely reprimanded his own party,” for this action that would eventually lead to his death because Opimius was rousing his party into a frenzy at that same moment. When the two parties met, Gaius could not be convinced to bring any arms except a small dagger under his cloak. Gaius wanted to turn himself in to avoid fighting but his loyal supporters would not let this happen and after Opimius denied the proposals of agreement for the second time he sent his troops after Gaius and his party.
Once in the room with Caesar out she rolled, and they soon were a couple. Shortly after that, the little king found out that Cleopatra and Caesar were teamed up, he threw a huge tantrum and ran outside, launched his crown and yelled that he was being double-crossed, but instead of the Egyptians being embarrassed about their king they actually surrounded him and encouraged him on. The Romans tried fixing the damage but the damage was already done. Then the little king and his advisors spread rumors that Cleopatra was going to hand over Egypt. Now with that rumor going around, the people of Alexandria hated Caesar and Cleopatra.
Brutus is an honerable man.... the words chosen by Mark Anthony in William Shakespeare's popular play "Julius Caesar." Anthony starts the speech off speaking how Brutus just explained how Caesar was an ambitious man which is why he was murdered. Anthony argues with that stating how Caesar gave to the needy when they needed, "When the poor has cried, Caesar has wept." Following this statement he mocks Brutus saying, "But Caesar was ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man." After that was all stated he reminded the people how Carsar did turn down the kings crown multiple times, "I thrice presented him a kinlgy crown, Which he did thrice refuse."
Hubris destroys people, it can blind people to the reality of their situation and leads them to their downfalls as shown by the characters in Sophocles’ plays Antigone and Oedipus Rex. By looking at Oedipus and Creon, the careful reader can see how the excessive pride of each character leads them to their doom. In the play Oedipus Rex an example of Oedipus’ excessive pride is when he is asked to move aside by the former King of Thebes, Laios and Oedipus refuses. Oedipus’ pride overwhelms him and drives him into a murderous rage, as Sophocles illustrates, “the groom leading the horses forced me off the road at his lords’ command; but as the chariot lurched over towards me I struck him in my rage …He was paid, back and more!” (Oedipus Rex 43). In his rage, Oedipus kills the old man and his fellow travelers.