Julius Caesar Fate Vs Free Will Essay

Cassius is a senator in Shakespeare's “Julius Caesar.” He is jealous of Julius Caesar because of all the power and love he gets, as shown in the quote "Why man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus and we petty men Walk under his huge legs and peep about."(Shakespeare 7) This quote basically states that Cassius is tired of Julius being better and that he thinks they should not be beneath him. Cassius also seeks to get his own power. To achieve this he manipulates Brutus as shown by this quote, “Well, Brutus, thou art noble I see, thy honourable metal may be wrought From that it is disposed: therefore it is meet That noble minds keep ever with their likes For who so firm that cannot be seduced?” (Shakespeare 12) This

“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. Had you rather Caesar, were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead to live all free men?”

In Act I, Scene 2, the purpose of Cassis’ speech is to persuade Brutus to distrust Caesar, and to join him in a conspiracy against Caesar. In his speech to Brutus, Cassius uses a variety of persuasive and rhetorical devices to persuade Brutus to join his cause against Caesar. Cassius is desperate to have Brutus on his side because of his close relation to Caesar and great respect and trust from the people of Rome. The tone of Cassius’ speech to Brutus is introduced with Cassius appealing to Brutus’ sense of responsibility towards Rome. Cassius tells Brutus that he has, “Heard where many of the best respect in Rome, except immortal Caesar, speaking of Brutus and groaning underneath this age’s yoke, have wished that noble Brutus had his eyes” (I.ii.64-68). Cassius tells Brutus that he is admired by Rome, appealing to Brutus’ value of putting Rome ahead of himself. Cassius uses knowledge of this value to his advantage in his speech, insisting that killing Caesar will be for the good of Rome. Cassius also introduces his speech by persuading Brutus that he is honorable and can be trusted. Cassius tells Brutus that, “Honor is the subject of my story”(I.ii.99). This appeals to the speaker Cassius’ credibility and has an ethical appeal on Brutus, or ethos. This appeal is effective because it connects with something that Brutus values, honor. In Cassius’ speech to Brutus, he uses a comparison comparing Caesar to a Colossus saying, “Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves”(I.ii.142-144). Cassius is using an analogy comparing Caesar to Colossus, which was a large statue. Cassius again uses Brutus’ value of honor to persuade when he tells Brutus that if Caesar is in power, he and Brutus will die dishonorable deaths. During the time period, an honorable death was very important to noble Romans, especially Brutus. When Cassius is comparing the two names Brutus and Caesar, he uses the strategy of asking rhetorical questions. “Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that ‘Caesar?’ Why should that name be sounded more than yours?(I.ii.149-151).” Cassius also asks, “Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed that he

The driving forces in the play Julius Caesar are the characters Marcus Brutus, Julius Caesar, and Marc Antony. Julius Caesar is the center of the ordeal of leadership in Rome when the play begins. When Caesar returns to Rome he is looked upon by the fickle plebeians as a glorious and triumphant hero. The authority of his heroism is questioned when the honorable Marcus Brutus speaks to the townspeople during Caesar’s funeral. Brutus proves to be the better leader for Rome rather than Caesar or Antony. Brutus is wiser and more honorable than the other Romans. He was the only one truly looking out for the good of Rome and not himself.

Cassius is frustrated because he thinks that Caesar is loved for no reason and doesn't have the ability or right to rule Rome. Cassius doesn’t think that he is being blunt or crude, but only informative to the people by telling them that Caesar is not fit to be a ruler and Cassius should be in his place. He says this in a sarcastic tone because he thinks that the people couldn't possibly know this news, even though it was spelled out for them. Through this, you can tell that Cassius thinks of himself as the smartest person in Rome who can always see the obvious. Cassius sees himself one way, but the audience notices different things about

Cassius’s thinking is that when Caesar falls, Antony is not to be trusted and will most likely seek revenge. However, Brutus once again disagrees with Cassius’s opinion thinking that Antony is an honorable man who, without Caesar, is too weak to actually take revenge against them. Brutus and Cassius’s contradicting thoughts on Antony are shown when Brutus says,

In this quote Cassius seems jealous of Caesar. As you can see Cassius was guilty in the assassination of Julius

He states that Brutus is just as noble and worthy as Caesar. (Act 1, scene ii). He says that Brutus cannot see what everyone else does and recognize his worthiness. Cassius and the other senators do not want Caesar to be king because they would lose all their power. Cassius is slowly luring Brutus in to do his dirty work. He builds Brutus’s confidence up to make him thing that killing Caesar is the right thing to do. Cassius is basically playing with Brutus’s head because he knows Brutus will listen. So, Brutus joins the conspirators in killing Caesar. Cassius tells Brutus that it is for the good of Rome, and that he is saving them from a dictatorship. Cassius is going for Brutus’s weakest point, his care and concern for Rome. He knows that if Brutus believes the people distrust Caesar, then he will be convinced that Caesar must be thwarted. Brutus knew that if Caesar was crowned, he would never have a chance, and he was power hungry. This is what ultimately leads to the tragedy of Julius Caesar. After Brutus kills Caesar off, he starts to feel guilty for killing his friend, thus creating an internal conflict. Brutus was so confident that the plan would go exactly as planned that he fell apart when they encountered problems. If Brutus and the other conspirators had taken more time to think things through, they probably would have been more prepared for the situation that was handed to them.

Then I have to assume you don’t want him to be king.” Cassius replied.(1,2,4) He subtly shows his hatred to Caesar and carefully flatters Brutus. He is showing clear signs of trying to convince Brutus or even convert him to his side. “God.

Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar demonstrates various aspects of heroic traits shown through Caesar’s character. Throughout the text, a common theme being portrayed is fate versus free will. After Calpurnia dreams of Caesar’s statue covered in blood during his arrival at the Capitol, Caesar is compelled to go against his wife’s advice and continue his conviction that death does not terrorize him. Caesar discloses, “Cowards die many times before their deaths” (2.2.32). Although he is convinced to stay home at first, Caesar is easily persuaded by Decius to go to the Capitol by claiming that Calpurnia’s dream was a misinterpretation.

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

     Cassius, up to the end of the play, was very aware of his fate and took the largest strides to overcome that. This is due to the fact that Cassius followed the Epicurean philosophy, which believes that the gods do not involve themselves directly in the fate of man. This belief was highlighted when he told Brutus “Men at some time are masters of their fates: the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our starts, but in ourselves, that we are underlings” (I. ii. 139-141). Because of this belief, he never resigned himself to live in the world in its current state. He always felt that there was something he could do to better his standing in life. This diligent effort to better himself led Caesar to comment “such men as he…are very dangerous” (I. ii. 209-210). Cassius’ role in the play was using his free will to overcome the fate that would come true, the fate that Caesar was one day going to become emperor. Because he was so driven by the desire to overcome this fate, he was

One of the major concerns presented by Shakespeare in Julius Caesar is the struggle between fate and free will. This struggle is evident throughout the play through Shakespeares continual presentation of the supernatural. The supernatural is present in many different forms in the text, for example through omens, nightmares and sacrifices. Shakespeare believed that life was a combination of fate and freewill, he presents this idea to the audience through different events that occur throughout the play, events such as the Feast at the Lupercal, the Soothsayers prophecy, the animal sacrifice, Calpurnias dream and the presence of animals and Caesars ghost. These events build dramatic tension throughout the play, illustrating the struggle of

Cassius displays the personality of a shrewd opportunist, who doesn’t believe in the rule of one person. He believes there should be an elected set of officials; to decide on the laws for Rome. He resides as a very close friend to Julius Caesar, before he became the Roman king. Cassius played a large role in the assassination of Julius Caesar (I.ii.90-115). When Julius Caesar became godlike to the roman people, Cassius had much dislike toward Julius. He thought that Julius appeared too incompetent and weak to the point of embarrassment, and wanted him removed from the throne. In the play, Cassius manipulates Brutus into thinking that Caesar has become too powerful and that he needed to be killed. He also uses flattery to sway Brutus into becoming part of his plan (I.ii.48-51). Cassius tricked Brutus into finally believing the Roman people wanted Caesar dead by forging letters from the people that do convey these thoughts (I.iii.142-148). He also made Brutus feel like it was his civic duty to the Roman people. Cassius seems like just a very evil or cruel man, he committed suicide once he thought that his best friend Brutus was killed in the

A theme that is shown throughout the whole play is fate versus free will. In the play, Cassius does not accept Caesar’s rise to power and believes that fate is a form of cowardice. In “Act one Scene two 139-141” Cassius says to Brutus “Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.”