When he decides to side with the conspirators, was Brutus in possession of any solid evidence to convince him that Caesar would become a tyrant in the event of his being the dictator of Rome for life? To answer this question genuinely, it is necessary to examine his conduct in a broader perspective. This is what he confesses to himself: I have not known when his affections swayed More than his reason. But ’tis a common proof That lowliness is young ambition’s ladder, Act 2.i 20-22 If it is so, is it in conformity with his honour, integrity and sense of natural justice to conclude that the country can be saved only by killing his beloved friend? Considered from his own point of view, the
List of characters in Julius Caesar Play Brutus - A supporter of the republic who believes strongly in a government guided by the votes of senators. While Brutus loves Caesar as a friend, he opposes the ascension of any single man to the position of dictator, and he fears that Caesar aspires to such power. Brutus’s inflexible sense of honor makes it easy for Caesar’s enemies to manipulate him into believing that Caesar must die in order to preserve the republic. While the other conspirators act out of envy and rivalry, only Brutus truly believes that Caesar’s death will benefit Rome. Unlike Caesar, Brutus is able to separate completely his public life from his private life; by giving priority to matters of state, he epitomizes Roman virtue.
We are going to examine Antony’s speech. We must first remember the situation. He has promised the conspirators that he will not speak ill of them in front of the crowd. Furthermore, Brutus has successfully convinced the crowd that Caesar deserved death, and they are ready to give Brutus “a statue with his ancestors” for his heroism. Thus Antony indeed faces a hostile audience.
Casca asserts that, “he who cuts off twenty years of life, Cuts off so many years of fearing death.” This reasoning sets up Brutus’ statement of, “then death is a benefit…we are Caesars friends, that have abridged his time of fearing death.” The repetition of “fearing death” highlights their justification that the assassination is a good deed. The ironic reference to themselves as “Caesar’s friends,” when they plan to assassinate him, is indicative of the conspirator’s view that they have saved Caesar from years of fearing death. Thus, Shakespeare is able to successfully put forth a positive perspective regarding the assassination of the great. A second way Shakespeare conveys a positive perspective of assassinating a great man like Caesar is through the characterisation of the assassins as saviours
ii. 105-106). He wants the crowd to feel sympathetic toward him, and it works. Antony also manipulates them by describing the conspirators’ stabbing Caesar. “Look, in this place ran Cassius’ dagger through; / See what a rent the envious Casca made; / Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabbed” (III.
After Caesar is killed, Antony becomes very mournful and outrage by the treachery of the conspirators that killed Caesar. Antony asks for just to a speech at Caesars funeral and Brutus grants him that one wish. Antony is a very intelligent man and he has the ability to manipulate a crowd with his speeches. For example in Act 3 During Antony speech he says But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
Antony’s eulogy to the plebeians is used as a device to show Antony’s opinion of Caesar as a noble and worthy leader and contradict Brutus’s tyrannical classification. Brutus revolves his speech around Caesar’s ambitions and their damage to Rome. Contrastingly, Antony repetitively presents the rhetorical question, “Was this ambition” to the audience which refutes the core of Brutus’s argument and encourages the audience to question Brutus, helping Antony build up imagery of a faultless Caesar brutally murdered. Furthermore, Antony repetitively directs the audience towards the body of the murdered Caesar stating “what a rent the envious Casca made”. While this device may be devalued in the textual format of the play, when performed in the theatrical environment with effective props, it is highly confronting to the audience and further directs the
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.
The passage begins with a speech given by Brutus to the conspirators, followed by the debate of involving Cicero in the conspiracy, and the dilemma of whether Marc Antony should be killed along with Caesar. Shakespeare uses dialogue and various figures of speech to bring out an emotional response in the audience. Brutus’s speeches show us the power of his words and how easily they can have an influence on the rest of the conspirators. He delivers a highly effective speech on why Romans like them must not take oaths, because the thought of the future state of Rome under Caesar’s tyrannical rule must motivate them to keep their word. He states that oaths are only for cowards and feeble old people, and people who cannot be trusted for they would otherwise have broken it.
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."