Julius Caesar dismissed the multiple warnings to beware the Ides of March. Consequently, a group of conspirators sent daggers through the body of the ancient Roman leader. All these conspirators conspired and executed their plan due to selfish and jealous motives, excluding the play’s tragic hero. In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus fulfills the role of the tragic hero because he possesses qualities of a good person, and he has a sense of commitment. Through words and actions William Shakespeare paints the picture that Brutus is a virtuous individual who believes in and stands by certain moral traits.
Shakespeare presents conflicting perspectives about the event as both an act of brutal murder and an act for the greater good of rome in Act 3 Scene 1. Shakespeare uses Brtuu’s perspective to religiously justify the act, conveyed through the highly symbolic imagery “let us bathe our hands in caesars blood up to our elbows”. This graphic action on stage is highly confronting for his audience, encouraging them to question the reasoning behind the assassination. This is immediately followed by Anotony’s soliloquy; here he is positioned on stage with caesars body, a prop which allows him to maniulate the crowd to transgress from Brutus perspective of the killing as a divine sacrifice to ac act of meaningless butchery. He undermines Brutus, conveyed through his lamenting tone “thou art the ruins of the noblest man” to further challanege the perspective that caesars thirst for power was a threat to the roman republic.
In consideration of this, Brutus appears increasingly benighted as he attempts to exonerate himself of guilt during the time preceding Caesar’s death. Brutus’ ignorance would lead us to believe that ambition is a capital crime. All through this play, the villainous act of murder is portrayed as mercy killing, while Caesar is sacrificed for the sake of his aspiration to control Rome. In conclusion, the
“O that we then could come by Caesar’s spirit / And not dismember Caesar! But alas, / Caesar must bleed for it! And gentle friends, / Lets kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;” (II, i, 170-172). Brutus started from being Caesar’s friend, to wanting to kill him; he listens to others’ ideas and takes them as his own, changing his perspective
The question everyone is asking is what Brutus does make him noble or an honorable stature. Brutus kills Julius because I believe he is persuaded by Cassius for Rome’s own good. In the play I believe Brutus’s character was very strong and his integrity. The fact that he basically could control the conspirators and over power Cassius definitely showed it. Brutus just wants to do the right thing for Rome, but I do believe when Cassius thinks killing Julius is the best thing for Rome Brutus was easily manipulated and deep down inside Brutus knows that.
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.
When the soliloquy of Cassius in Act 1 Sc. 2 begins it is evident of Cassius’ Epicurean view and his evil desires and intention to use Brutus to murder Caesar, ‘Caesar doth bear me hard, but he loves Brutus…’ the contrast apparent in Cassius’ statement exemplifies that he uses this knowledge to his advantage to coordinate who he would influence to plot against Caesar. The use of rhetorical devices in Brutus’ soliloquy ‘Shall Rome stand under one man’s awe?’ targets Brutus’ fear of Caesar’s misuse of power and dictatorship further supplementing our understanding of the influence that Cassius had implanted onto Brutus, successfully being able to justify and solidify Brutus’ will to kill Caesar. Cassius twists Brutus’ patriotism towards Rome to motivate Brutus into thinking that Caesar’s intentions for the Roman Public would be used in ways that would lead to the fall of Rome. ‘Let’s kill him boldly, but not wrathfully…carve him as a dish fit for the gods’ the use of a metaphor reveals that his intentions are not to kill Caesar out of spite but instead with regret and considers Caesar as a person of a respectful status.
The Role of Manipulation in Political Gain In the play, Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Caesar is presented to be a hubristic ruler who is blinded by pride, which leads to his eventual death. Caesar’s hubristic qualities are exemplified when he simply ignores the omens from the Soothsayer and other loved ones who try to warn him of his ‘friends’ – the conspirators - and the ides of March. Caesar’s assassination is accomplished by a series of manipulations and self-conflictions that lead to the formation of conspirators consisting of Cassius and Brutus. When Caesar is killed, Antony convinces the conspirators that he believes in what they did and that eliminating Caesar was the best for the people and Rome. Antony is further granted permission to speak at Caesar’s funeral, where he then reveals his true intentions, displayed in the structure of his speech to the people, which results into, namely, chaos.
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
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."