Power doesn’t someone evil, it makes someone more of themselves. William Shakespeare wrote the play, Julius Caesar expressing how he believed after Queen Elizabeth’s death that their country would fall into a civil war due to a power struggle left behind after she died. Julius Caesar is the story of how Marcus Brutus in the midst of a power struggle fights for what he believes in and, what is now known as a tragic hero. In the play Julius Caesar, Shakespeare used Marcus Brutus as a tragic hero as a means to help develop the play as Brutus’s honor causes his tragic downfall at the end of the play. In the play Julius Caesar Brutus states “What means this shouting? I do fear, the people Choose Caesar for their king. (Shakesphere I.ii.81-82)”. …show more content…
Brutus’s earlier promise of defending the general public persuades him to join the conspiracy as he believes he does the right thing, but the audience knows the letter was forged by Cassius to trick Brutus. This bad decision is based on good intent and later reveals itself as Brutus’s hamartia in the play initiating his downfall as a tragic hero in the play due to his high belief in honor he sides with the conspiracy to kill his beloved …show more content…
Brutus’s speech to the plebians shows his understanding and motives for killing Caesar as he believed he was doing something generally good for Rome as he believed the letter forged by Cassius. Brutus’s speech furthermore helps persuade the public to agree and come to terms with Caesar’s death which helps further his fall from grace as a tragic hero as he puts his honor on the line. In the end, Brutus dies as all tragic heroes do but, Anthony and Octavius commend and honor Brutus as he died fighting for what he believed in, what he believed was right (Shakespeare V.v.68-75). Brutus’ ideals differ from the rest of the conspirators as he didn’t kill Caesar to gain a type of power, but for the general good of Rome and its people. Antony helps the audience relate to Brutus in his final moments as they remind the audience that he was still human and made mistakes, but still, put his people first, and for that, he should be honored by the
Brutus begins his speech in Act III, scene ii, at Caesar's funeral, with an upset crowd questioning his motives for killing Caesar. The crowd’s initial reaction to Brutus is that he is honorable and venerated, but still needs to explain why Caesar was assassinated. Brutus tells the crowd that he did not kill Caesar because he didn’t care for him, but he killed Caesar because he loved Rome more. In addition, that if Caesar were still alive and king, all of the people would die slaves, and claims that he killed Caesar for the good of Rome. Brutus is able to persuade the crowd that he had honorable intentions for killing Caesar through the use of rhetoric-ethos, logos, and pathos.
One of the most famous scenes in Julius Caesar is Act 3, Scene 2, a rhetorical clash during which the the fate of all of Rome hangs in the balance. It is during these moments that Brutus and Marc Antony showcase their rhetorical skills, turning the tides against the conspirators and ultimately culminating in their demises. This is when we, as readers, receive an opportunity to see both the good and the supposed “tyranny” of Caesar, in the form of Brutus’s and Antony’s well-crafted orations. More importantly, it symbolizes the fall of Brutus’s good reputation, and the rising in power of Octavius and Antony, who will later form the second triumvirate with Lepidus.
20-22). Brutus admits to never seeing evidence of Caesar’s ambitiousness but he knows that as a person grows they often forget their roots. Before his death he also mentions that he is surer in killing himself than he ever was before killing Caesar. This shows that he could never convince himself that murdering his friend would be best for Rome. Throughout the play, Brutus has conflicted feelings about killing Caesar which lead him to become the tragic
Brutus was a flawed man in many ways in that he was to arrogant he let Marc Antony have a speech even though Antony was conspiring against him the whole time gaining the crowds approval. Brutus says “ Tending to Caesar’s glories which Marc Antony by our permission, is allowed to make” (1250). This is a blatant point to Brutus’ arrogance, he thought that Antony is no threat and trusted him to much. After Antony made this speech the entire crowd turned against Brutus and the conspirators. If Brutus was not so arrogant he would be most likely be alive.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is written by William Shakespeare. This play is about a true historical event with minor tweaks here and there. Shakespeare makes Marcus Brutus the tragic hero in this play. He is faced with the decision to kill his best friend or to let him possibly become a dictator. Brutus being the tragic hero had to have some tragic flaws.
In Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Antony remarks in the end of the play, ‘“All the conspirators save only he Did that they did in envy of great Caesar; He only, in a general honest thought”. Brutus, throughout the play, struggles with himself as he strives to become honorable, a main theme in the play. He, as an honest man, did what he thought was right. He killed Caesar, but to him it was the right thing to do. Brutus struggles with this decision and through soliloquys and rhetoric devices we are allowed insight into what he is going through.
Julius Caesar is about to become crowned king, so a group of conspirators rise up against him. Shakespeare reveals that when an individual attains great power, both the individual and society are corrupted. Julius Caesar becomes corrupted, and he then corrupts society. Julius Caesar became corrupted by attaining power, through which he obtained by killing everyone else in power. “And do you now strew flowers in his way /
Decius says “Shall they not whisper “Lo, Caesar is afraid (2.2.100-101)”. Caesar fears people will talk behind his back and begin to view him differently. These two phrases appeal to Caesar’s emotions and insecurities through the use of Pathos. Decius establishes
In the play Julius Caesar, Caesar was a hero for the people of Rome. He had just come back from war after heroically winning a battle. The people of Rome praise Caesar and offer him the crown. He denies it not once, not twice, but thrice times. The amount of self-pride Caesar has leads the conspirators, Marcus Brutus, Cassius and a few more men, to plot against Caesar in order to stop his power.
Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”, surely was meant for entertainment and to be informative, on the other hand it also displays complexity of humans. Shakespeare constantly uses the writing format of ethos, pathos and logos throughout this play. Ethos and pathos are used to persuade people in devious ways, as Brutus is persuaded to overthrow Caesar and become the new Emperor of Rome. Shakespeare wrote “Julius Caesar” for later generations to remember the history, which took place, as he did state, this play shall be rehearsed in various forms. Although his main intention is to entertain people with his play and to show how easy people in negative or positive aspects manipulate their peers.
Brutus convinced himself it was his moral duty to kill Caesar and save Rome. He believed the Roman people would praise him for slaying Caesar, so when Brutus eventually carried out the plan of the conspiracy and killed Julius he was aghast when the people of Rome turned on him. He exclaimed the people of Rome were saved and they no longer had to suffer under Caesar's reign. “ People, and senators, be not affrighted, Fly not, stand still; ambition's debt is paid” (47); however, as Brutus begins to realize everything Cassius had told him was a lie the damage had already been done. Once again Brutus had let his credulous disposition blind him from reality.
Samantha Durand 27 October 2015 Dunipace 4th Julius Caesar Essay Brutus is the Tragic Hero William Shakespeare wrote “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” to tell the story of the tragedy that happened to him. When Caesar was going to become king, his own friends turned into conspirators against him. Since the conspirators said that Caesar would abuse the power of being king, they decided to murder him for the sake of the Roman people.
Julius Caesar is a play by William Shakespeare that tells the story of the Roman dictator Julius Caesar. Based on events from the Julio-Claudian dynasty, this play focuses on the political intrigue that ensued during Caesar's reign. Although it incorporates historical detail into its characters' motivations, this play is more about human behavior than politics. In this sense, it can be looked at as a morality play depicting the consequences of negative actions on both the individual and society. Throughout Julius Caesar, Shakespeare presents several principles of humanism derived from ancient sources.
In his speech he appeals to the crowd's sense of duty to their country asking “Is anyone here so vile that they will not love his country?” (III,ii,34) In saying this Brutus fills the audience with a nationalistic pride. In addition to appealing to the patriotism of the people he also appeals to their sense of honor. Brutus describes how Caesar's ambition led to his death, saying “I honor him but as he was ambitious, I slew him” (III,ii,27-28)
The setting of “Julius Caesar” is in Rome in 50 BC, while the time William Shakespeare wrote the play in the 16th century. Despite the difference of time and place, Shakespeare wrote the play to reflect a series of questions about politics that were happening in his period of time. The most important one was “What happens when the monarch dies without a suitable successor?”. The rebellion that Shakespeare wrote in “Julius Caesar” resonated with the political turmoil in England then. At the time when Shakespeare lived, the English were governed by a monarch, Queen Elizabeth.