Historically, Brutus is considered to be one of the best men of Rome. In William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, Brutus is the man who led the conspirators to kill Caesar for his ambition and power. During the play Brutus displays nobility, wisdom, and honesty to the conspirators, as well as other Romans, changing their view of him and Caesar. In Act II, Brutus states, “Our course will seem bloody, Caius Cassius, to cut the head off, and then hack the limbs, like wrath in death, and envy afterwards; for Antony is but a limb of Caesar” (Shakespeare 24). This example shows Brutus does not find a need to kill Antony because it would be envious. As a result, Brutus is noble in the eyes of the conspirators. After killing Caesar, Brutus is questioned by Antony, he states, “If then that friend demands why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Caesar …show more content…
This again shows nobility for killing Caesar for Rome, not for himself. Brutus states in Act I, “Be not deceived”. If I have veiled my look, I turn the trouble of my countenance upon myself. Vexed I am of late with passions of some difference, conceptions only proper to myself, which give some soil perhaps to my behavior. But let not therefore my friends be grieved (Among which numbers, Cassius, be you are) nor construe any further my neglect than that poor Brutus, with himself at war, forgets the shows of love to other men” (Shakespeare 5). This could mean he knows what he has done, however thinks it will better Rome. The significance of this is that Brutus would not have killed Caesar for personal reasons. The text refers to Brutus saying, “For let the gods so speed me as I love the name of honor more than I fear death” (Shakespeare 6). This explains that Brutus is honest in saying honor is the most important thing to him. The quote is significant because without honesty, the people would not believe his reason for killing
In his speech to the Romans, Brutus makes Caesar look like a terrible person and an even worse ruler. Brutus appeals to the Romans’ Ethical thinking when he says “who,though he had no hand in his death, shall receive benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth as which of you shall not?,”. Basically, Brutus is saying even if you didn't help kill Caesar you will be getting good out of it. In order to get them to believe that murdering him
Marcus Brutus was a reputable man to the people of Rome and to his friend Caesar. Brutus had good intentions for Rome’s people, which is why he did not think Caesar would be a good leader. Although Caesar was in shock to see Brutus included in the men that stabbed him, Brutus only did it for the good of the people. Brutus reveals his nobility to his people when he says in Act 3, scene 2, “…If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more”(126). Brutus’s statement explains that he had all the respect for Caesar as anyone else, but the love for his people and home was much more prized. He killed Caesar out of fear of what may happen to the beloved people of Rome. This proves that Brutus’s intentions were just as honorable as the man he was. In addition to both characters being honorable, their actions got the best of them and may have changed them for the worst.
Indeed, Brutus was a honorable man. His honor was his greatest strength, but it was also his weakness. He murdered and betrayed his closest and only friend, due to the fact that he was so focused on doing the most honorable thing. Brutus focused more on principles, than the one person who truly cared about him. Consequently he also cared more about principle, than his own common sense. Therefore, his main focus was on honor and principle, which caused him to kill Caesar. He murdered Caesar because he thought it would solve the problem, but it only caused pandemonium.Consequently, his actions produced an angry mob, ready to avenge Caesar's death. If Brutus never took matters into his own hands, he would not have created a vicious crowd of citizens filled with hatred. He never solved the problem. When it got out of control, he resorted to killing himself. Cowardly, when things got tough, he ran away from it. He
It is important when making a speech that one considers all sides of a case. Brutus does not know how Antony truly feels. He also depends on his own integrity and honor as his way to justify his actions. While Brutus asks the audience questions, the way he asks them does not allow the crowd to truly think and reflect. When Antony asks questions, he asks them in a manner that provokes deeper thinking in the audience. When Brutus is making his case, he does not give any room for the crowd to consider that if Caesar had been made king, good could have come out of it instead of all of the bad possibilities mentioned. Antony knows why Brutus and the Senates kill Caesar and plays that to his advantage when he mocks them in his speech. While he continuously states as promised that Brutus and the others are all honorable men, he manipulates the situation by throwing in examples of acts that Caesar has done that were enriching and compassionate. He then continues to ask the crowd if what Caesar did was ambitious. One of the examples that he states asking about Caesar is, “You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?”
He loves honor more than he fears death (Julius Caesar 1.2.17). In addition, Brutus was as merciful as he could be because he was falsely led. In Julius Caesar by Brutus, saying don’t kill Antony as he says that we should only kill if we have to, not because we want to (Julius Caesar 2.1.63). Also, the reason why the conspirators want Brutus on their side so badly is because he was honored by Roman’s and the people of Rome believed anything he was true because of his credibility, and family lineage. This is seen within Julius Caesar when Cassius states that the Roman people love him.
Indeed, throughout the play, it seems increasingly evident that Brutus was the only man out of all the conspirators who killed Caesar for the greater good of Rome and that the rest merely did it out of envy of his power. In fact, Mark Antony directly says: “All the conspirators save only he/ Did that they did in envy of great Caesar./He only in a general honest thought/ And common good to all made one of them./His life was gentle and the elements/So mixed in him that nature might stand up/ And say to all the world ‘This was a man’”
Brutus is obsessed with the thought of being a patriot and thought of as great by his peers. In act II scene I you can find this quote,” Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius. We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar; And in the spirit of men there is no blood: O, that we then could come by Caesar's spirit, And not dismember Caesar! But, alas, Caesar must bleed for it! And, gentle friends, Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods, Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds: And let our hearts, as subtle masters do, Stir up their servants to an act of rage, And after seem to chide 'em.
Brutus is truly “an honorable man.” He was initially resistant to Cassius’ suggestion to betray Caesar. Also, Brutus says, “not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.”(3.2.22) This proves that he only does what he feels is necessary to protect the Rome. In act 4, Brutus sees the ghost of Caesar, and this tells us that he is regretting his actions. He never felt right about killing Caesar afterwards. In fact, when he realized that he was wrong, he used the knife that he stabbed Caesar to take his own
The conspirators are all in agreement when it comes to the death of Caesar, although when Cassius brings up killing Antony, Brutus interferes, exclaiming,“Let’s be sacrificers, but not butchers” (2.1.166). Brutus is quick to show he is willing to be ruthless, but not cruel. Brutus is willing to put his reputation on the line to kill Caesar, though he does not want to be cruel with his actions and take another life that he believes is unable to function without Caesar. Brutus is a Roman hero, for he is a ruthless, yet uncruel leader for
Clearly, Brutus feel that he is responsible to save the republic and that he will go as far as it takes to protect what his ancestors build. So his love for his friend is not enough to stop him from committing murder for the sack of general good. Mark Antony his main rival in the play will describe him in the very last scene as “the noblest Roman of them all.” Never the less, Antony confirms what Brutus constantly said in the play and that he did what he did for the common good. In Arabic there is famous saying that “ best credit what comes from enemies “ and that what Brutus got from Antony. Barbara Gaines, the theater's artistic director, in her comparison between Brutus motivation and the rest of conspirators say:
Brutus is a considerate and honourable man because of his patriotism towards Rome and their people. Throughout the whole play, his intentions are for the goodness of Rome - '…if then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer - not that I loved Caesar less but that I loved Rome more.' He killed Caesar because of his concerns for Rome, and everything that he did was for the benefit of someone else. Even Marc Antony still recognised Brutus as 'the noblest Roman of them all.'
The way Brutus saw in was his honor was that he killed Caesar for the greatness of Rome and not for a greedy purpose. Brutus believed what he was doing was the right thing for a place that he loved so much. He even told the people of rome that if he ever become that way to kill him with the same dagger that he used on Caesar. When Brutus speaks he actually believes everything he said but he repeats himself over and over. In today’s time when you repeat yourself over and over people start to get irritated.
Cassius convinces Brutus that if they kill Caesar, they will be doing Rome a big favor, which they are not. Brutus encountered many conflicts throughout the course of the play because his ideals differed from those of Cassius. Brutus is concerned about Caesar becoming a tyrant and what his power could mean for the Roman citizens, while Cassius is concerned about Caesar becoming this god-like figure he wants to be. Brutus’ motivations were for the good of Rome, this is considered true because Shakespeare includes “... I have the same dagger for myself when it shall please my country to need my death.” (3.2, 45-47).
Brutus involves himself in the conspiracy and develops a devious plan to have Caesar murdered. He has Caesar killed because he is afraid of what might happen when Caesar gets the crown. Brutus says: “It must be by his death and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general” (II.i.10-12). He values his country more than he does his friendship with Caesar, which is also why he differs from Caesar. Caesar values the relationship between he and Brutus more and does not expect Brutus to betray him.
Brutus even says, “Let us be sacrificers but not butchers, Caius.We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar,And in the spirit of men there is no blood.Oh, that we then could come by Caesar’s spirit. And not dismember Caesar! But, alas,Caesar must bleed for it. And, gentle friends,Let’s kill him boldly but not wrathfully.Let’s carve him as a dish fit for the gods,Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds.”. Who would say this about one of their best friends. “Were gonna kill him but not in a bad way.” He is not only a very naive thinker but also a selfish person.He chooses his own friend's death over his self-image to his countrymen.