ANALYSIS OF MARCUS BRUTUS Though Julius Caesar is the title-bearing character of the play, he is assassinated in scene 3.1; the remaining three acts of the drama centers around the internal and external conflicts of another character—Marcus Brutus. In fact, the play not only devotes its latter half to his tragedy—the entire play, including the plot up until Caesar’s assassination, all describe the gradual psychological development of Brutus and lay out the background for his larger tragedy, which incorporates the entity of the play. Through reading, one can grasp the self-conflicting thoughts of Brutus, and visualize his changes in thoughts. The tragedy of Marcus Brutus is mainly caused by his naivety to Roman politics—namely that of the other conspirators—and his …show more content…
By stating that “I know no personal cause to spurn at him but for the general,” (2.1.11-2) Brutus is essentially reassuring himself that whatever he might choose to do in the end, treacherous or not, will ultimately be done for what he believes to be the general good. Brutus then justifies himself to the conspiracy about to come by hypothesizing “he would be crowned,” (2.1.12) and then conjecturing dictatorial actions that Caesar would be able to do if he were crowned. He uses several metaphors throughout the speech to vividly describe to himself how bleak Rome would be if Caesar were crowned, thus further justifying his actions by means of the fearful possibilities that lie ahead. For example, the metaphor of climbing a ladder somehow proves to Brutus himself that Caesar, once made powerful, will “scorn … the base degrees by which he did ascend.” (2.1.26-7) This metaphor, along with the one of a “serpent’s egg” (2.1.32) hatching, builds up fear and in a sense confidence in Brutus’s heart—enabling him to find peace and defense in joining the murder, described as “kill[ing] him in the shell.”
Brutus, a nobleman, tries to make the republic better by killing his best friend, who could potentially end up a tyrant. Throughout their
However, Brutus continually feels the need to defend his actions and justify his crime. If he is truly confident in his deed, he would not stammer to find justifications. Yet, Brutus may not want power, he may really want justice. In his mind, murdering Caesar, was the only route to go.
Near the beginning of act II, Brutus has a soliloquy in which he is trying to decide whether joining the conspiracy is the right thing to do. He discusses reasons for why killing Caesar may be appropriate for the current situation of him being crowned king. Brutus also reveals his thoughts about some of Caesar’s behavior and what could happen (based on human nature) if he is given power. In the end, he decides to join with the conspiracy and kill Caesar.
Some playwrights choose to write plays about historical events, among them there is The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, a play that describes the downfall of the rule of Julius Caesar, but is also a play that is not as truthful as it first impressionably is, a complete truthful account of Julius Caesar’s assassination and the events leading up to it. In order to greater attract the audience, Shakespeare, along with other playwrights, relied on adding historical inaccuracies to add the necessary suspense. Thus, Shakespeare strayed away from historical events occurring during Caesar’s lifetime, implementing inaccuracy into the story. Shakespeare based one of his most well-known plays, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, on historical events that includes
When Brutus was talking to the conspirators Brutus was going back and forth think if he should help the conspirators kill Julius Caesar. He was going back and forth because he was thinking of the power he could have and could rule Rome. The reason behind Brutus killing Caesar was for the better of Rome. If Brutus would not have killed Caesar, Rome would have turned into a dictatorship, and in turn it would have ruined Rome and all of its people. Brutus did not kill Julius just for the power to rule Rome, he killed Julius to save Rome from Caesar’s dictatorship.
Brutus believes that Caesar will do more harm than good to the people, and reap benefits for himself. Brutus has already said this, but had said it in his own words, (II, i, 12-14). He has no clue if Caesar will use his power for the good and betterment for the people, or use it for his own needs and other
In “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”, Caesar’s main flaw is his arrogance and ambition, which both led to his doom. His overconfidence and self-love blinded him of the sharp thorns growing from his sides which were masked with loyalty and care. Viciously assassinated by the closest people in his heart, Julius Caesar had been known for centuries as the blind conceited man. On the other hand, loyalty conflicted Brutus, who is argued to be the protagonist of the tragedy. Although he was loyal to Caesar, he was loyal to his nation too and thought that the death of Caesar would be for the best for the nation.
Brutus tries to impress the crowd by saying that Caesar was going to become a dictator. “Had you rather Caesar were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men?” (ii. III.L 22-24). Brutus gives this reason to make the people think this murderous act was honorable.
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.
In Brutus’s speech he used ethos and logos to try and control the people of Rome. He was stoic and blinded of what Antony was capable of. He wanted to change their minds about the conspiracy and the murder of Caesar. Brutus says “Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men” (III, i, 23-24).
Tragic Hero Essay One can say that the actions of a hero do not go well with the actions of the misguided, but when the actions of the hero and the misguided come together, they form a tragic hero. In most of William Shakespeare's plays, there is a tragic hero; a person who possess a tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall. In the play, Julius Caesar, the tragic hero can easily be identified as Marcus Brutus. When analysing the play, one will find that Brutus is the only one who fits the characteristics of a tragic hero. These characteristics are his Noble Personality, his Tragic Flaw, and the pity we feel for his honourable death.
Brutus’ words emphasize his devotion to his country above Caesar. He is exceptionally passionate about his beloved Rome, trumping his love for Caesar. As another example of his allegiance, Brutus says, “Brutus had rather be a villager/ Than to repute himself a son of Rome/ Under these hard conditions as this time.” (1.2.181-183) In essence, this quote implies that the depths of Brutus’ loyalty for Rome is fathomless enough to make him utterly selfless and give up his power for the sake of Rome. His righteous philosophy has strengthened his loyalty to his country, developing his selflessness.
(II, i, 53-55) which allows to say that he wants Rome to be just and do whatever it takes to maintain it away from any threat. Indeed, Brutus states this very clearly when he says, “If it’s for the good of all Romans, I’d do it even if it meant my death. Let the gods give me good luck only as long as I love honor more than I fear death.” (I, ii, 86-88), he explicitly says that the good of the majority is over any feeling or personal benefit which in this case is the love of Caesar for him and viceversa, and the throne. To conclude, Brutus is a complex character that is characterized by three recurrent traits: his well-intention, his hypocrisy, and his naivet.
Brutus and Cassius are two prominent conspirators in the play Julius Caesar; one of these two fits Aristotle's depiction of a tragic hero. The difference between a normal hero and a tragic hero is that the latter will have a tragic flaw that keeps them from succeeding. These characters are often sympathetic and will cleave to the reader's pity. Firstly, we shall discuss Cassius. He was a man of questionable character.
This example explicitly shows that Brutus’s nobility makes him an easy target for others to manipulate. Furthermore, Brutus’s nobility makes him naive. In Act 3, Scene 2, Brutus departs, fully trusting Mark Antony on his words to make a speech that does not blame the conspirators. This, however, is a huge mistake because Antony seeks this chance to successfully turn the crowd against the conspirators. Brutus, who is so noble, is too naive to understand that others may not act as righteously as he does.