When one rises in power and prestige, that individual evokes envy and loathing by others. In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (JC) by playwright William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar’s fellow senators collude to kill Caesar as his profoundly increasing dominance over Rome becomes apparent. Decades ago, Mahatma Gandhi, a non-violent political and spiritual leader, was detested by many and was eventually assassinated by Nathuram Godse for his reforms and influence. Hence, great political ambition breeds great political enmity is a theme seen in the play The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar as well as historically in the life and assassination of Mohandas Gandhi.
Julius Caesar's increasing power is perceived as a threat to the Republic of Rome and its people, and his strong desire for success evokes government officials to abhor Caesar as well as to attempt to limit his control over Rome, proving the theme great political ambition breeds great political enmity. For example, Marullus and Flavius, followers of Pompey, are disgusted at the crowd of commoners "rejoic[ing] in [Caesar's] triumph" (JC.1.1.32). The capricious crowd diverts from being devoted to Pompey, the rival of Caesar, to commemorating Caesar’s success, causing Marullus and Flavius to become agitated at the crowd and also at Caesar. Marullus and Flavius fear Caesar’s rising power, and his ambition, which is perceived as power-hungry, causes the duo to become furious at Caesar because they do not want Pompey's adversary to become successful politically. The pair, loyal to Pompey, despise and mistrust Caesar for being ambitious, and for having an ability to sway the citizens of Rome to favor him. Therefore, they try to hinder him from being too powerful. The fickle nature of ...
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...r, and he is killed by greedy conspirators, demonstrating that great political ambition breeds great political enmity. This theme is also evident in Gandhi's life. As Mohandas Gandhi's influence grew, many began to disagree with him and began to deplore his ambitious ways, leading to his assassination. Thus, how can we change our attitudes from loathing to supportive towards an individual who is ambitious?
Works Cited
"Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
Hockings, Paul. "Nathuram Vinayak Godse." Encyclopedia of Modern Asia. Ed. Karen Christensen and David Levinson. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003.Biography in Context. Web. 12 Apr. 2014
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Elements of Literature Fourth Course. Ed. Robert Giannetto and Richard Kelso. Austin: Holt, 2000. 775-877.
The play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare showcases many characters and events that go through many significant changes. One particular character that went through unique changes was Julius Caesar. The 16th century work is a lengthy tragedy about the antagonists Brutus and Cassius fighting with the protagonists Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus over the murder of Julius Caesar. Although the play’s main pushing conflict was the murder of Julius Caesar, he is considered a secondary character, but a protagonist. Throughout the theatrical work Julius Caesar’s actions, alliances, character developments, and internal and external conflicts display his diverse changes.
Shakespeare, William. "The Death and Life of Julius Caesar." www.shakespeare.mit.edu. N.P., n.d. Web. 22 Feb 2016. ;.
Throughout the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the audience constantly sees Brutus, an honorable man, go against his own beliefs because of men filled with hatred and jealousy. Brutus
The book Julius Caesar is full of happiness, conspiracy, power, and betrayal. The people of Rome deeply loved julius Caesar and wished to make him their king. A group of senators however were not so fond of this idea and formed a conspiracy. The leader of this group was a man by the name of Cassius. In order to make sure that his scheme of killing Caesar would work and would look honorable he had to convince a senator by the name of Brutus to help. After being convinced that they had to kill Caesar to protect Rome from a tyrant Brutus joined the conspiracy and soon became the principal conspirator.On the day in which Caesar was to be crowned king he was on the way to the senate when he was stabbed by all the conspirators panic ensued and to convince Rome of their honorable intentions Brutus gave a funeral speech. Mark Antony, a very close friend of Caesar, gave his speech after Brutus had given his. Mark Antony’s speech is more persuasive to the Roman people because of his outstanding use of pathos, sarcasm, and logos.
Honor: “Honesty fairness, or integrity in one 's beliefs and actions.” Honesty can be a good and bad trait to have, being too honest can affect a person greatly. In William shakespeare 's play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Caesar returns to Rome having defeated Pompey. The Romans wanted to crown him king. later caesar is killed by conspirators due to his ambition. After his murder common people are enraged and a civil war breaks out across Rome. Many characters die along the way. Throughout the historical play Shakespeare points out many personality traits as characters struggle to gain or remain in power. A closer examination of two main characters reveals the results of human nature. Two main leaders, Caesar and Brutus share similar and
Honor and power is what drives the conspirators to assassinate Julius Caesar in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar. Caesar is now the single leader of Rome, and members of the Senate have concerns that he will abuse his sole power. Therefore, they plot and accomplish the assassination of Caesar in an attempt to rebuild the balance of Rome. Rome falls into chaos with an unknown future with no central leader for the people to follow. In Act I, Scene 2, Cassius, a member of the Senate, explains to his friend, Brutus, that Caesar is not the god he makes himself out to be. Instead, he argues both he and Brutus are equal to Caesar and are just as deserving of the throne. Cassius’ speech to Brutus diminishes Caesar’s godly demeanor through
As Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon and took the Roman Republic, many came to love and praise him. Being a man of great prestige from his war campaign in Gaul, he was easily excepted by the Roman citizens. Cicero, a public enemy of Caesar's power, wrote, “They fear the man they once trusted [Pompey] and adore the man they once dreaded
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.” Elements of Literature: Kylene Beers. Austin: Holt, 2009. 842-963. Print.
A short time ago, they enthusiastically acclaimed Pompey, now Pompey?s sons have lost their lives in a war against the very man for whom they have now declared the day to be a holiday. Marullus and Flavius are very disappointed with the people who are unfaithful to Pompey. They scorn the people and the Plebeians?vanish tongue tied to their guiltiness. ? The final speech by Flavius clearly indicates the widespread feeling that Julius Caesar is growing too ambitious and that his pride needs to be taken down a step. ? These growing feathers, plucked from Caesar?s wing, will make him fly an ordinary pitch?.
Greed, ambition, and the possibility of self-gain are always constant in their efforts to influence people’s actions. In Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus, a venerable politician, becomes a victim of the perpetual conflict between power-hungry politicians and ignorant commoners. He is a man of honor and good intentions who sacrifices his own happiness for the benefit of others. Unfortunately, his honor is strung into a fine balance between oblivion and belief and it is ultimately the cause of his downfall. His apparent obliviousness leads him to his grave as his merciful sparing of Mark Antony’s life, much like Julius Caesar’s ghost, comes back to haunt him. Overall, Brutus is an honest, sincere man who holds the lives of others in high regard while he himself acts as a servant to Rome.
Two powerful leaders, one power hungry whose ambitious ideas lead to his downfall, the other mindful of people who deserve their higher positions. A true leader is someone who has a vision, a drive and commitment to achieve what's best. In the play written by William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Brutus and Caesar are one of the main characters. They demonstrate leadership qualities that are still relevant to today. They are both very ambitious characters; however, they do so for different reasons and differ in their openness to others. There are many similarities and differences that lie between them. Both are noble and great men with loyal followers and neither man questions the rightness of his own path. Both made crucial mistakes that resulted in their death. However, Caesar acts out of love for for himself, his country, and to retain his power as ruler of Rome. Brutus on the other hand acts out of love for freedom of Rome. This essay will discuss and compare their qualities as leaders as well as their styles and how they are effective/ineffective in the play.
	Shakespeare illustrated Caesar as a tragic hero by showing that he was a noble man of high rank. Every Roman followed his leadership and Caesar also defeated the great Pompey. First of all, At the Feast of Lupercal Caesar manipulated the commoners and made himself look noble to the commoners. Casca said, "Why there was a crown offered to him;...people fell a-shouting" (I,ii,221-223). Next, To show how noble and great Caesar was, the Romans would stand along the street sides to watch him pass by. "Madam not yet, I go to take my stand; /To see him pass on to the Capitol," said the soothsayer (II,iv,25-26). Finally, Caesar had the greatest rank possible as he would have been crowned king if it wasn’t for the conspiracy’s plot. As Casca said, "Indeed they say senators tomorrow; /Mean to establish Caesar as king..." (I,iii,87-88).
The ambition possessed by each character, leads Caesar, Brutus, and Cassius to power. It will be the same ambition, that quest for power, that makes each one susceptible to their own weakness. For Caesar, it will be his ego and inability to heed warnings, Brutus his love of Rome, and Cassius his dedication to power. These qualities prove that although intentions may be noble, ambition can make a person ruthless and blind them to their original goals. Ambition kills those who lose sight of their conscience and although it may prove beneficial in many instances, in this case, it leads the characters to lose all that they
It was the citizens’ positive reaction to Caesar during his triumphant return after his victory over the sons of Pompey that fueled the fear of Caesar’s becoming king. The citizens’ opposition to Pompey’s allies caused great disturbances in the streets because a short while ago, Pompey was their hero. Now Caesar, victorious, is the hero of the hour. Their response also influenced the idea that Caesar was becoming too ambitious. Thus, the citizens of Rome had a role in the fate of Julius Caesar.
...e murder because of his jealousy of Caesar's elevated power and mounting dominance over everyone, even his friends. Though they were close friends, their motives and descriptive character traits display a distinct contrast between them.