A true friend does not exploit others for their needs. Whether the intentions are good or bad, the outcome is never good. In Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, Cassius manipulates Brutus to get what he desires. Cassius uses rhetorical questions, allusions to mythical heroes, and degrading anecdotes to appeal to Brutus that Caesar should not rule, for he is not great in any way. The passage begins with Cassius preying on Brutus’ emotions. He begins his appeal to Brutus by complimenting him when he states, “I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus” (sec. 1). Basically, Cassius is praising Brutus, telling him that he is virtuous in order to prompt Brutus to listen to what he has to say and lean toward his side. Cassius then introduces an anecdote …show more content…
2). They both went in, but before they finished, “Caesar cried, ‘Help me, Cassius, or I sink!’”(sec. 3). The point of this anecdote is to prove Cassius’ point that Caesar is weak and is just a mere man. While telling this story, he introduces an allusion to Aeneas, who was a Trojan War hero who carried his father, Anchises, on his shoulder. Cassius uses this reference to compare himself to Aeneas, who….. As Anchises’ strength faltered, Aeneas carried him to safety. This mention of Aeneas is meant to show that Cassius is like Aeneas: strong and powerful and Caesar is like “the old Anchises”: weak and feeble. By using these words, he implies that Caesar is relies on others for help. The image of Cassius carrying Caesar on his shoulder is meant to show that Cassius is stronger than Caesar, and Caesar is a feeble man who is not fit to do anything. Had he said, “I had to bear Caesar on my shoulder, for he too, …show more content…
Cassius brings the question directly to Brutus, asking, “Ay, do you fear it?” (sec. 8). This use of a rhetorical question allows Cassius to see where Brutus’ judgment is at the moment, although he knows full well that Brutus is against the notion of a king. Sometimes, one has say it to believe it. Brutus answers back that he will not allow Caesar to become king although he respects him very much. By this point, Cassius has shaken Brutus’ position. Pressing his advantage, Cassius challenges Brutus as to why he has allowed Caesar to be “like a Colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs” (sec. 10). To emphasize Brutus’ inferiority, he compares a Colossus to Caesar, while portraying Brutus in a negative light as a “petty” man. Thus, Brutus feels inadequate. As the passage ends, Cassius reverts back to his old methods of vindicating Brutus’ beliefs to work against him. Now, he publicly challenges Brutus, challenging “was a Brutus once that would have brook’d the eternal devil to keep his state in Rome as easily as a king” (sec. 15). By referring to what the old Brutus would have done, Cassius is questioning his honor and giving a figurative “slap in the
Shakespeare compromises the use of rhetorical questions into Cassius’ words to further sway his audience. “Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed that he is grown so great?”(I.ii.58-59). Cassius signals that Caesar and Brutus have grown up to be valuable and honorable men, equally gifted to rule a republic. Shakespeare incorporated the use of a rhetorical question, as it empowered the belief of equality between Brutus and Caesar. Both sharing the same knowledge and capability but obtaining different
Who is here so vile that will not/ love his country? If any, speak, for him have I offended(lll.ii.25-29). At the start of each question he uses anaphora, which means to, “Repeat the same words at the beginning of a series of sentences or clauses”(Romm, 42). And at the end of each phrase he uses Epistrophe, which is “when many clauses have the same ending”. Both of these Devices allowed Brutus to connect to Pathos.
Brutus appeals to the audience's ethics and judgement of character. " ... any dear friend of/ Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less than his" (Brutus 7-9 IIIii). By explaining that he had a friendship with Caesar, Brutus portrays that he had to have had a just reason for killing Caesar since he would not want to kill a friend otherwise. "You all did love him once, not without cause" (Antony 33 IIIii).
" Cassius is now trying to flatter Brutus into betraying Caesar. He has now gone to the point where he will now turn friend against friend. Cassius's corruption knows no
In their introductory scene a discussion is taking place about Caesar's claim to the throne. Through this discussion the audience learns a lot about Cassius and Brutus’s values . It is revealed that Brutus is an honorable man who believes in the general good of mankind. He states, (1.2 84-89)“ What is it that you would impart to me?/ If it be aught toward the general good, / Set honour in one eye and death
In Cassius’s eloquent speech against Caesar, he primarily utilizes persuasion through tools such as pathos, rhetorical questions, and compare and contrast. Cassius uses pathos to begin his monologue when he claims, “I know that virtue be in you, Brutus, / As well as I do know your outward favor” (Shakespeare 1.2.95-96). By expressing that Brutus has “virtue” and “outward favor”, Cassius appeals to Brutus’s emotions, but not to an exaggerated extent. This emotional appeal is a persuasion technique because it is used in moderation and in pertinent locations. The context is appropriate since rather than using it as a tool to feed on Brutus’s emotions, Cassius only uses it to get Brutus’s attention as an appropriate hook.
Not only does Cassius explain that his conflict is not meaningless, but he also holds himself to Brutus’s own judgment. Cassius powerfully has Brutus evaluate whether he is trustworthy instead of feeding Brutus credentials. Once his trust is bought, Cassius began to contrive doubt into Brutus’s mind about Caesar. Furthermore, ethos was used to ignite Brutus’s flame within. Cassius elegantly builds an allusion to a former founder of Rome, Brutus, who “ would have
Most of this play centers around the conspirators in the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar, and the main conspirator was Cassius. During the first half of the play Cassius’ main goal was to convince Brutus to betray his best friend Caesar and join the conspiracy. Cassius’ best skill in speaking skill was manipulation; in order to get Brutus on his side Cassius lies and manipulates Brutus by telling stories about Caesars weaknesses and praising Brutus on his honor. Cassius boosts Brutus’ on many occasions, starting his story about Caesar stating, “I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,/ As well as I do know your outward favor./ Well, honor is the subject of my story” (1.2.92-94).
Furthermore Cassius being jealous of Caesar and Brutus’ friendship, gives him a motive to use Brutus, as an advantage in his Scheme. Even though he and Cassius are good friends, Caesar would not trust Cassius, if his life depended on it. “ Let me have men about me that are fat,/ Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look. He thinks too much.
Essentially Cassius is saying they should go out and say to the public that they have given them freedom! He thinks that what he did saved the people of rome but all it really did wass lead to a power struggle and greedy people trying to take over rome. Cassius is the most responsible for the death of Julius Caesar because he participated and played a large roll in his
Marcus Brutus and Cassius are both strong characters in William Shakespeare 's Julius Caesar; but Brutus is the only character who experiences a crucial change towards the end of the drama, which makes him the dynamic character. Brutus can be considered the dynamic character in William Shakespeare 's Julius Caesar. Brutus ' role changes from the beginning of the play to the end while Cassius remains fairly constant. At first he is known as Caesar 's dear friend. He then joins a conspiracy to kill Caesar.
Unfortunately, Cassius uses Brutus’ altruistic characteristic and devout loyalty against him by sending fake letters with concerns regarding the crowning of Caesar for Brutus to read and be persuaded to join the conspirators. Cassius’ manipulation of Brutus serves as an example of how Shakespeare
”(4.3.6) At this point, Brutus is calling Cassius dishonorable for thinking that they should let bribery slide. This argument was sparked from a previous issue they had. After Brutus called Cassius dishonorable, Cassius and Brutus continued to argue. Brutus told Cassius “Go to!
Cassius wants Brutus to believe that their futures need to be changed because Caesar is leading them into tyranny. Cassius then uses flattery to show Brutus that he is equal in power to Caesar. “Brutus and Caesar… Write them together, yours is a fair a name”. Cassius explains this to Brutus that he is just as capable of reaching the height of power Caesar possesses. Following this conversation Cassius develops a plan to further manipulate Brutus.
In this quote Cassius describes a time when Caesar and him were by the river and Caesar dared Cassius to swim to the other side. When he was in, Cassius told Caesar to join him so he did but realized he couldn’t swim and yelled for Cassius to help him. Cassius described it as a time when Caesar was not a mighty god like he had been chosen to be but instead was a weak man. Last off, Cassius thinks that Caesar’s temper is dangerous. Cassius states;