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Brutus and cassius compare and contrast
Brutus and cassius compare and contrast
Cassius role in manipulating brutus against caesar
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The Art of Manipulation
For many years of human history, manipulation has been a very useful, narcissistic, and successful tool to vicious types of people. Manipulation is one of the many skills people use in order to ruse people into doing whatever they desire. In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, the tragedy shows how his characters manipulate other individuals to influence them for their own aspires and intentions.
Manipulation is used heavily throughout this tragedy for characters benefits, especially when Cassius manipulates Brutus. Cassius desperately attempts to persuade Brutus and other senators to coalesce the conspiracy. He exhorts Brutus to join by flattering and glorifying him. Cassius expresses,
This makes it effortless for manipulators, like Antony, to influence them into doing whatever he passions. Antony operates his beneficial tools in his speech at the heartbreaking funeral of Caesar. Antony expresses in his melancholy speech to the people, “When that the poor have cried Caesar hath wept / Ambition should be made of sterner stuff / Yet Brutus says he was ambitious / And Brutus is an honorable man” (III.ii.90-94). Antony applies the tools of pathos to convince the crowds that were just cheering the name of Brutus, to having the saucy plebs be foes to the untrustworthy conspirators. Antony also cleverly hints Caesar’s secret will to the eager people, which leads them to desperately wanting to see the mysterious will. Antony placidly
Decius shames Caesar furthermore by adding, “‘Break up the senate till another time / When Caesar’s wife shall meet with better dreams’ / If Caesar hide himself shall they not whisper / ’Lo, Caesar is afraid?’”(II.ii.98-101). Cesar comprehends that his wife is a complete fool for even considering this obscure plan of staying there. Caesar 's greed and self respect gets the better of him, however, is clueless on how horrid the ceremony will go for him; his faults will get the better of
Cassius believes that he should not be ruler of Rome for a few very specific reasons, so to combat this he convinces Marcus Brutus to join his conspiracy by forging fake letters. Brutus is very honorable and is loved by many people in Rome, so he would bring the people to their side. On the 15th of March Caesar went to the capital despite the multiple warnings he was given. Calpurnia ,Caesar’s wife, dreamt of his statue running with blood and begged him to stay home. Although Caesar ignored it when Decius convinced him that it represented the good and richness that he would bring to Rome.
Playwright, William Shakespeare, in the play Julius Caesar, utilizes many instances of rhetorical devices through the actions and speech of Caesar's right-hand man, Mark Antony. In the given excerpt, Antony demonstrates several of those rhetorical devices such as verbal irony, sarcasm, logos, ethos, and pathos which allows him to sway the plebeians. The central purpose of Mark Antony’s funeral speech is to persuade his audience into believing that Caesar had no ill intentions while manipulating the plebeians into starting a rebellion against their new enemies, Brutus and the conspirators.
Shakespeare uses Cassius’ characterization in Julius Caesar to prove that Caesar is justified in his concerns about Cassius. Through means of indirect characterization, it is presented that Cassius is willing to act somewhat sycophantic to acquire what he finds necessary. When Cassius is speaking to Brutus in an attempt to sway his opinion concerning his loyalty to Caesar, he compares Brutus to Caesar and praises his equivalent status, stating that Brutus’ name is “as fair a name,” “it is as heavy,” and “will start a spirit as soon as ‘Caesar’,” and even rhetorically asks “upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed that he has grown so great?¨ (Shakespeare I. ii. 144-150). By providing reasoning behind his belief that Brutus is “as fair a name”
Rushkoff explains that “they” coerce humans to think a certain way on a topic. He also asks, “Who are ‘they,’and why do we listen to them?” He states that each person has a different “they”, and defines “they” as those who seem to decide how lives are to be run and control fate and futures. He states that the best manipulation occurs when the exploitation is not detected. He disapproves of coercion because it takes advantage of susceptible human minds. Marc Antony, as well as Brutus, uses the undetected technique of coercion on the Romans. Brutus speaks first to the Romans and tells them that he and others have murdered Julius Caesar, but it is for the good of the country. Brutus claims that his reasoning behind the mutiny is that he loved Rome more than he loved Caesar. Brutus asks the Romans if they would rather be enslaved with Caesar living, or free with Caesar dead. Brutus kills Caesar because he was too ambitious. Now in Brutus’s speech, he has coerced the Romans into believing that the murder of Caesar is just. He asks the Romans whom he has offended by loving Rome more than any other, and he does not receive a response. In Brutus’s short speech, he convinces the people that Caesar was a tyrant and that he does Rome a favor by betraying Caesar.
Every person has their own individual beliefs and values that they live by. There is a line that one believes they will never cross. However, people can also be easily persuaded to abandon these values if the reasoning is fair enough. This is human nature. To manipulate someone is to use or change them for a specific purpose. In Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, he illustrates how easily people can change their minds through manipulation. He conveys how people can be manipulated, how they manipulate themselves, and how they manipulate others.
Brutus is shown as being easily manipulated in the play. This trait is shown a few times in the play. At the beginning, Brutus is tricked by Cassius into believing that killing Julius Caesar would be for the better of Rome (1, 2, ll. 32-321). Cassius is able to deviously influence Brutus into thinking that Caesar is no different from Brutus. He says, “Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that Caesar?/ Why should that name be sounded more than yours?” (1, 2, ll. 142-143) Cassius also uses many other examples to manipulate Brutus. Later on, when the conspirators gather at Brutus’ home, Brutus believes that the other conspirators are killing Caesar for the good of Rome as well (2, 1, ll.114-116). After Brutus and the conspirators have killed Caesar, Mark Antony masks his anger ...
While reading the play “Julius Caesar”, deception, betrayal, and exaggeration were perceived throughout. Cassius was the character that fit these qualities the most. He can be compared to the former president, Richard Nixon. He was the United States 37th President of the United States. He was voted into office receiving great admiration for his speeches, and work he had previously done. When he was elected, it was the time during the Vietnam War. His goal as president was to have reconciliation (Sidey and Freidel). He gave great speeches by using rhetoric; a famous speech is 425 - Address to the Nation on the War in Vietnam, November 3, 1969 rhetorical devices that he used in that speech was by saying “Good evening, my fellow Americans” (Peters) it gave the audience a sense of familiarity within the audience, and Nixon (Zielenski). In Nixon’s “Checker’s Speech” he tells his side of the story and his role in the Watergate Scandal. In his speech he uses rhetorical devices including repetition and anaphora, “I say that it was morally wrong if any of that $18,000 went to Senator Nixon, for my personal use. I say that it was morally wrong if it was secretly given and secretly handled. And I say that it was morally wrong if any of the contributors got special favors for the contributions that they made” (The History Place ). In the same speech, he uses the rhetorical question, “Well, how do you pay for these and how can you do it legally?” (The History Place ). Lastly, in the “Checker’s Speech” he uses irony when he states “I have a theory, too, that the best and only answer to a smear or an honest misunderstanding of the facts is to tell the truth. And that is why I am here tonight. I want to tell you my side of the case. This is a us...
Phillip Pullman, a British author, once wrote, “I stopped believing there was a power of good and a power of evil that were outside us. And I came to believe that good and evil are names for what people do, not for what they are”(goodreads.com). Pullman’s quotation on the actions of man being the source of good and evil closely relate to morality, principles regarding the distinction of right and wrong or a person’s values. The question of what human morality truly is has been pondered by philosophers, common folk, and writers for thousands of years. However, sometimes a person’s ethics are unclear; he or she are not wholly good or bad but, rather, morally ambiguous. William Shakespeare, an English playwrite, heavily presses the topic moral ambiguity in his play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. The titular character, Julius Caesar, is a morally equivocal character who serves a major purpose in the play.
Caius Cassius and Marcus Brutus are senators of Rome, who deliberate over Caesar’s use of power he now holds in the Republic. They fear that Caesar may decide to become the monarch. Cassius, a popular general himself, is envious, while Brutus has a more balanced opinion of the political situation. Cassius and his friends visit Brutus at nightfall to coax him of their views, and they plan Caesar’s assassination. Brutus is anxious but will not divulge this to his wife, Portia.
The value of manipulation and misleading for personal gain has proven to be rewarding for multiple people throughout history. Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare, exemplify characters and atmospheres that posses these manipulating qualities through personal gain. Othello is a play w...
In William Shakespeare's tragic play Julius Caesar, an under appreciated factor of flattery and persuasion plays an important role in the choices of the leaders. Cassius uses flattery with Brutus. Decius uses flattery with Caesar, and Antony uses flattery with Brutus.
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar utilizes similar methods. As shown in Julius Caesar and The Prince, a leader who follows Machiavelli’s advice will accomplish their goals; if the leader does not adhere to Machiavelli’s recommendations, then the leader will not fulfill his aspiration. A character from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Cassius, exhibits Machiavellian attributes of manipulation and a drive to accomplish his goal of assassinating Julius Caesar by any means. Cassius was able to successfully manipulate both Brutus and the fellow conspirators. Cassius was able to influence Brutus enough to make Brutus believe that killing Julius Caesar, Brutus’ best friend, was the right action.
Brutus’ leadership and compassion for others make him a popular figure amongst the Roman people, and it is his reputation that establishes him as an influential individual. For example, despite the fact that Brutus loves Caesar like a brother, he warily joins the conspiracy to assassinate him. He does this because he believes that Caesar’s ambition would become tyranny and that Caesar’s death is a necessary evil in order to preserve the liberties of the Roman people. In his own words Brutus claims, “It must be by his death; and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general.”(Act 2, Scene 1, Page 1116). In addition, Brutus takes the reins of authority from Cassius and becomes the leader of the conspiracy. He gains this prerogative because of his convincing tongue and powerful influence. His leadership is evidenced when he begins to challenge Cassius’ ideas. When Cassius asks the conspirators to “swear our resolution”(Act 2...
The word manipulation is most commonly defined as exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for one’s own advantage. The most common manipulation used to influence human behaviour is known as psychological manipulation. Psychological manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behaviour of others through underhanded deception. In the tragic play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the author demonstrates the use of manipulation through the two main characters Prince Hamlet and King Claudius. The character fulfill their needs through dishonesty and learn that the effects of manipulating other has serious consequences that is able to manifest into a powerful force that consumes all aspects of one’s self. Just like how Hamlet uses his actions to manipulate the people around him to avenge his father’s death and how Claudius uses his words, actions, as well as his power as king of Denmark to manipulate people into fulfilling his needs. Through these characters the readers learn that by putting up a false mask of deception one loses their self as the lies take over.
In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, the story revolves around the various individuals who would vie for control of the Roman Empire. All of these individuals exhibit various attributes, values, and techniques in order to facilitate this goal, from Cassius’ intelligence, Brutus’ charm and honor, to Antony’s gift to drive a crowd. And although all three desire to become the new strongman leader of Rome, it is Antony who succeeds gaining the most control through his own specific talents, most specifically noted at Caesar’s funeral. At the funeral scene, Antony exhibits several qualities beneficial to a Roman leader, such as oratory and appeasement skills. The dialogue depicted in Act III, scene ii provides a valuable and insightful perspective on how these values were desirable for leadership in the late Roman Republic.