Dubious Heros in Julius Caesar

Questionable Heros in Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar, a play written by William

Shakespeare, had many characters who could have been questioned in terms of

their motives and will. Some may have had good intentions, but others were

not motivated by their concern for the well-being of the Romans. The

aim of this paper is to take a look at why the main people in this tragedy did

what they did.

Julius Caesar, the center of the big ordeal, is the first logical person

to take a look at. When he first arrives, he is hailed as a great man and

offered the crown numerous times, refusing it each time. He is clearly the

hero of the people for that time. The question of his heroism comes when his

previous actions are looked upon. He has just returned from killing Pompey and

Pompey's sons. He did this to gain complete control of Rome instead of sticking

with the triumvirate that had currently ruled. He was ambitious, or so it was

said, and he wanted only power. This alone shows that his motives were not as

pure as was first thought.

The next person to be looked upon in Mark Antony, apparently Julius

Caesar's right-hand man. He plays the part of the hero as he takes Caesar's

side after death and rallies the people against the conspirators. As he speaks

to Octavius, though, he shows that he is mainly after the power also in saying

that the third person of their new triumvirate, Lepidus, is not a worthy

adversary and is only good enough to carry messages. Antony goes on to say that

they should have him (Lepidus) killed, along with all the other people they were

making a list of. He was going to have them eliminated just because they might

stand in their way to gaining complete power. He also ordered to have figured a

way to cut some of the money out of the will to the people and keep it for

himself. His intentions weren't so good after all.

Cassius, the apparent originator of the conspiracy in the first place,

is at first hard to figure out if he would take action in good will or in greed