Brutus’ strongest reason for killing Caesar was to protect the citizens because he demonstrated careful consideration, and used his storm meals and logic to make it sound more persuasive, while being paranoid about Caesar becoming corrupt was the weakest due to the holes in his reasoning. Brutus worried that the citizens would become unhappy once Caesar became king due to the falsified letters he received. He acknowledged that killing Caesar was the best way to ensure the happiness of the people. Brutus, who had strong morals and values, prioritized his duty of protecting the citizens over his friend. His morals told him that the happiness of many was better than one person's life. Betraying Caesar was to ensure the happiness of the people …show more content…
He promised that as long as “redress will follow” (2.1.60), he would be willing to do anything. The letters that Cassius sent him only reinforced this idea that Caesar’s reign would be detrimental to the people. Brutus was concerned that a significant amount of people were against the idea of Caesar becoming king. Consequently, this new evidence convinced Brutus that betraying Caesar was the only way to protect the citizens. This reasoning not only justified his actions, but also made them feel necessary. Besides, Brutus emphasized that while he did not want to kill Caesar “But, alas, Caesar must bleed” (2.1.82-83) which highlights his internal struggle while making the decision and evokes a sense of sympathy for him. Due to his belief in stoicism, he would attempt to keep his emotions concealed rather than expressing them but did so here, establishing how devastated the thought of needing to kill his friend has made him. His choice made him more liked, making it easier to convince the public that his decisions were necessary. Meanwhile, being concerned over the possibility that Caesar might become a corrupt ruler was the weakest reason Brutus made to support his
He compares Caesar to a serpent in an egg which he must kill before it hatches. Brutus knows that Caesar is gaining too much power too quickly and it must come to an end. He shows his belief in a republic government by saying, “We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar / And in the spirit of men there is no blood" (II.i. 180-181). Cassius is a character who is jealous of Caesar’s power and also wants it to end. He forms a group of conspirators who are against Julius Caesar. He persuades Brutus to help him and the other conspirators to kill Caesar during the ides of March. Brutus joins but only due to his love for Rome and its people. He proves this by saying "Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius." (II.i. 179). This also proves his love for Caesar because he wants to kill him with some sort of honor. Brutus wants the citizens to look at him not as a murderer but for someone who cares for his country. He expresses his ideas toward the stabbing by saying , “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" (III, ii, 17-19).
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
He understands that Caesar's death could turn Rome into chaos and civil war. He would be destroying the same Republic he wants to protect. Brutus fears the aftermath of such a drastic action and questions whether the benefits of killing Caesar outweigh the harm it could cause to Rome and its citizens. His concerns for the well being of Rome lead him to hesitate in joining the conspiracy. Moreover, Brutus values his own image and nobility above all else, feeling the ideal feeling of the honorable Roman citizen.
He betrays the people of Rome by writing those fake letters because Rome actually wanted Caesar to be their ruler. Well at least some of the people, and that would still be betraying the small amount of people who do want Caesar as king. You can see the this in the play when the crowd turns against Brutus and Cassius. (III.ii.201) On that scene, the citizens are first starting to turn against the conspirators.
Brutus argued that Caesar should be killed because he was quickly gaining power. They were afraid that this power would corrupt him and lead him to do future harms. Brutus even believed that Caesar at the time of his death had not done anything to warrant his death. Although Brutus killed Julius Caesar for the right reason, it is still unjustified to kill an innocent man for what he had not done.
These lines indicate that while Brutus himself had nothing against Caesar, and had no reason to personally want to kill him, he is doing it for the sake of the Roman people, as he believes that they are in danger of what Caesar might become when he is crowned. Further, this shows that Brutus is a selfless man who thinks of the sake of the public before his own personal gain. Later, when he receives the forged letters written by Cassius to persuade him to join the conspirators, he says:
Brutus loves Rome and will do anything to keep it safe from the evil of the world. Brutus kills Caesar because he thinks it’s for the best. Brutus believes Caesar would have made the people of Rome slaves if he didn’t kill Caesar. Brutus also cares for his friends and brothers. He gave up when his friends died and killed himself.
To this end, Brutus repeatedly stated that he honored and loved Caesar (3.2.26-28 and 3.2.29-30), and that Caesar’s death was solely due to his ambition (3.2.28 and 3.2.30). Brutus went on to ask parallel rhetorical questions asking the people who was willing to give up their freedom so that Caesar could rule (3.2.30-36). Brutus wrapped up his oration by saying that death should be the punishment for anyone ambitious, even Brutus himself (3.2.38-39). This made it clear that Brutus acted not out of jealousy or conceit, but solely out of concern for the good of
Brutus tells Cassius that he is willing to do what may be best for Rome regardless of the expenses, even his life. Brutus is a man of good repute, his love and affection for Rome extends far and wide and he is willing to give all he has for his people to be happy and under a dependable leader. Being an honorable person with wholesome intentions is one of Brutus’s main traits, followed by trust. An example of Brutus’s never-ending trust is when the conspirators are able to persuade and manipulate him into the act of killing his best friend, Julius Caesar (2.1.45-60). Brutus believes the men and trusts that their intentions and reasons are pure; only to benefit Rome and not themselves.
In “Julius Caesar,” Brutus is the best friend of Julius Caesar; however, he is convinced that his death is necessary for the success of Rome and he assassinated him. Brutus committed the murder only for the good of Rome. Brutus had no ulterior motives and would not have killed Caesar If he had not thought Rome would benefit from it. This point is specifically made in Act II Scene I, where it says, “I know no personal cause to spurn at him, But for the General… How that might change his nature, there’s the question.”(Shakespeare pg. 19) All of the contextual evidence points to the fact that Brutus’ assassination of Julius Caesar was not only justifiable but heroic.
Brutus expresses his concerns about Caesar's growing power, stating, "What means this shouting? I fear the people / Choose Caesar for their king." This inner turmoil lays the groundwork for his eventual involvement in the conspiracy against Caesar. Brutus's monologue justifying Caesar's assassination serves as a pivotal moment that exposes his moral ambiguity. Despite his outward rationale for the deed being in the best interest of Rome, his internal turmoil is evident in his double-talk and convoluted reasoning.
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.
When the conspirators were discussing plan on how they should preceed on killing Caesar , Brutus made it very apparent on how the killing should go, stating “Let’s kill him boldly but not wrathfully. / Let’s carve him as a dish fit for gods, / Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds.” This meant that Brutus loved Caesar enough to respect his remains and not have the murder perceived as gruesome but as essential for Rome to remain free, peaceful and have liberty. Brutus wanted his body to be in such pristine condition that it would be fit for the gods. He was keeping in mind that he was not killing Caesar out of his personal strife, but for greater well-being of Rome. This way of thinking would affect the murder from being seen as savage to humane, only doing what was necessary to kill him. However this would mind-set would change if Brutus hated Caesar. Brutus would not care to respect a body of a man he hated, he would want to kill him wrathfully, and try to cause the most pain he possibly could.
Prior to his conversation where Cassius confirms Brutus’s suspicions of Caesar’s ambitions, Brutus was good friend and supporter of Caesar. Brutus felt conflicted about the possibility of the people choosing Caesar as king despite the appointment potentially making him more powerful. Unlike Mark Antony, who offers Caesar the crown several times, Brutus is not concerned with the power that would accompany alliance with the most important politician. In conversation with Cassius, Brutus confirms the conflicting feelings he has about Caesar being king and loyalty to friendships, “Vexed I am / Of late with passions of some difference… But not therefore let my good friends be grieved.. Nor construe any further my neglect / Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war, / Forgets to the shows of love to other men” (I.ii.41-49). Though Brutus acknowledges how he is neglecting his friendships, his true commitment is to Rome. Despite putting him in a state of internal conflict, the decision to be more loyal to his country than to his friends is
Brutus is driven by his honor and duty, which causes him to fall to hubris. Blinded by his belief of superiority, he betrays his friend Julius Caesar, thinking it is for the better for Rome. Even from the warnings and manipulation from Cassius, Brutus continues on his plan to kill Caesar, not seeing the true consequences of what he has done until it is too late.