Does the End Ever Justify the Means?

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Recommended: In short compare and contrast the characters of Cassius and Brutus

Does the end ever really justify the means? This is a phrase that is quite common amongst readers, namely when reading a tragedy such as The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. When reading this drama, a person may sit and ponder this question for quite some time, depending on what side they agree with and how the “justice” was portrayed, and decide if it was even justice at all. My personal opinion on this question after reading Julius Caesar is that the end does justify the means, as I believe Caesar got what he deserved for being such a tyrant in Rome. The use of rhetoric that Shakespeare portrays throughout a majority of the drama can explain a lot in how a person may interpret the question “Does the end ever justify the means?” I personally was drawn to the side of agreement with the conspirators, due to the way that I interpreted the writing through Shakespeare’s use of rhetoric.
In reading The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, the use of rhetoric throughout the drama played a key role in my opinion of who was right to “justify the means”. Personally, I believe that Brutus was right in killing Caesar, since Caesar was nothing more than a tyrant to Rome. Brutus was in fact Caesar’s friend, but when Cassius came to him and opened up his eyes a bit, he soon realized that he cared more for the good of Rome. He still cared for Caesar as a great friend of his, but he wanted what he believed would be best for the Romans. This he portrayed in Caesar’s funeral oration, when he states “Any dear friend of/Caesar’s, to him I say that Brutus’ love to Caesar was/no less than his. If then that friend demand why/Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: Not/that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more./Had you rather Caes...

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...sregarding the Roman Senate in order to make himself more powerful (Mark). This showed Caesar’s power hungry side, which justifies my reason for believing that Brutus was right in killing him.
Throughout a tragedy, you will almost always question yourself whether or not “the end justifies the means”. The use of rhetoric an author uses is a key tool to portray the betrayal and deception that takes place in the drama, just like in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. It causes swaying opinions, and many times second thoughts as to whether or not the end really did justify the means. So, you need to just always sit there and ask yourself: did the end really justify the means?

Works Cited

Mark, Joshua J. Ancient History Encyclopedia. 28 April 2011. 13 May 2014.
Shakespeare. "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar." Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy Of William Shakespeare. n.d. 880.

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