Examples Of Manipulation In Julius Caesar

903 Words2 Pages

Ancient Rome had its fair share of conspiracies, betrayal, and gory battles. However, none of these were as important for the development of Julius Caesar as was the theme of manipulation. Manipulation is the ability to alter the position or influence of a person. Persuasion and suggestion are skills that play central roles in Julius Caesar, but they also highlight the willingness of individuals in hard times to hear what they want to hear. The drama, Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, is about a highly ambitious political leader in Rome (Julius Caesar) and his aim to become dictator. Caesar is warned that he must "beware the Ides of March" , a prophecy that later comes true when Marcus Brutus, Cassius, and other conspirators assassinate him. A friend of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, provides the famous funeral oration ("Friends, Romans, and countrymen…") after Caesar’s death. His speech leads the plebeians to go against the conspirators. Brutus and Cassius, finally, …show more content…

Cassius says, “ I will this night, in several hands, in at his windows throw, as if they came from several citizens, writings all tending to great opinion that Rome holds of his name, wherein obscurely Caesar’s ambition shall be glanced at” (Shakespeare 1.2.310-315). Cassius wanted to put an end to what he considered a conspiracy, ultimately removing Caesar from his “throne”. He planned to throw the letters through Brutus’ window to convince him that Caesar is not the right person to rule Rome. It was these letters that eventually led to Brutus joining the conspiracy and sealing Caesar’s fate. Without the use of manipulation, Brutus would have never been convinced to go against Caesar and the events in the play would take different routes. Cassius wisely uses manipulation to convince Brutus to go against Caesar and starts his plan of removing Caesar from the

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Compromise In Julius Caesar

    745 Words  | 2 Pages

    The definition of a compromise is an agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions. The conflict of compromising is that is shows the weakness in a leader. If a leader does not show compromise ever, they are bound to fail one time or another. When leaders do show compromise in certain situations, they tend to be more successful. In “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,” by William Shakespeare, it is necessary for leaders to compromise in order to succeed.

    Read More

  • Direct Characterization In Julius Caesar Essay

    399 Words  | 1 Pages

    In addition to this characteristic of Cassius, he also has a devious nature. This attribute allows him to invent informed manipulative plans to eliminate his opponents. For instance, after saying his farewells to Brutus, he gives a soliloquy that reveals his idea of throwing writings of different handwritings in Brutus’ windows “as if they came from several citizens” all of which “tending to the great opinion that Rome holds of his name, wherein obscurely Caesar’s ambition shall be glancéd at” (Shakespeare I. ii. 306-309). Since Brutus and Cassius have been friends for a long period of time, Cassius holds an abundance of knowledge pertaining to his values--in this case being his honor and desire to please Rome’s citizens. This undermining plot Cassius has devised is based on an informed opinion of the most effective way to subvert Caesar’s authority, and because of the valid observations made of Brutus by Cassius, the likelihood that this clever scheme will be carried out successfully should make Caesar concerned about the intentions of his judicial

    Read More

  • The Audiences' Perception of Cassius and Brutus in Shakespeare

    2471 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Act 1 Scene 2 we see that Cassius is trying to persuade and manipulate Brutus into thinking that Julius Caesar is becoming too powerful and that he needs to be stopped before it is too late. He does this using many different techniques. Cassius is able to make Brutus ... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • Quotes Of Manipulation In Julius Caesar

    531 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Persuasive Paper

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Quotes

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    Cassius needed a reason to motivate Brutus to join the conspiracy so that the plan would develop. “Brutus, I do observe you now of late: I have not from your eyes that gentleness…” (1.2.34) Cassius is saying that Brutus hasn’t been as affectionate toward him as he typically is. Maybe he suspects something is wrong with Brutus and he thinks it has something to do with Caesar. But I think he didn’t really care about how Brutus was treating him, he was just “buttering him up” so to say. Brutus thinks that Cassius is just being his friend and trying to help, when in reality Cassius is manipulating him. This manipulation of friendship is what drives the rest of the play. Brutus has a hard time seeing through this manipulation of Cassius and it ends up driving him to assassinating his friend, Caesar. Cassius fabricated letters to make them seen like they were from the people of Rome saying that they wanted Brutus as their leader. These letters were really the controlling factor of the assassination because they gave Brutus another reason to assassinate Caesar. Cassius then realized how easy it was to manipulate Brutus. “Well, Brutus, thou art noble. Yet I see thy honorable mettle may be wrought from that it is disposed. Therefore it is meet that noble minds keep ever with their likes; for who so firm that cannot be seduced?” (1.2.320-324) Cassius is saying that even

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Brutus Character Analysis

    1127 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many characters in Julius Caesar demonstrate qualities of contrasting ambitious objectives. Deception and manipulation appear to be two of the main qualities contributing to the plot for the assassination of Caesar. Although Brutus is seen as the leader of the conspirators Cassius established himself as a deceitful manipulator with an immoral agenda. Although seen throughout the play, Cassius’s soliloquy primarily demonstrates the immoral aspects of his character as he is driven by manipulating Brutus’s political position for personal advancement.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Essay On Julius Caesar

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is an intimate portrayal of the famed assassination of Julius Caesar and the complex inner workings of the men who committed the crime. In one particularly revealing scene, two of the men closest to Caesar, one a conspirator in his murder and one his second-in command, give orations for the deceased. Despite being simple in appearance, these two speeches do much of the work in developing and exposing the two characters in question. Though both have a love for Caesar, Mark Antony's is mixed with a selfish desire for power, while Brutus' is pure in nature, brought to a screeching halt by his overpowering stoicism. These starkly-contrasted personalities influence the whole of the play, leading to its tragic-but-inevitable end.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar And Brutus Manipulation

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a tragic drama, set in Ancient Rome about the horrendous death of Julius Caesar. Brutus, leader of the conspiracy against Caesar, begins as Caesar’s friend. Cassius, instigator of the conspirator, manipulates Brutus into killing Caesar. Brutus agrees to this plan because of his plans for Rome. The bond between these two connects when Brutus agrees to Cassius about killing Caesar for the best of Rome. Cassius, very power hungry, comes up with a plan that will succeed in both of them killing Caesar. They both rely on each other because they want the power that Caesar has been requested to make the best of Rome. This dream of making Rome better was manipulated by Cassius to Brutus. However,

    Read More

  • Brutus and Antony’s Use of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos in Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the beginning of the Book Cassius uses anecdotes of Caesar’s weakness and faults, argumentum ad antiquatum, and ethos on Brutus to persuade him to join the conspiracy to kill Caesar, this works on Brutus and shows that anyone, even people as stoic as Brutus, can be persuaded by appealing to their motivations. Cassius, a very suspicious character thru ought the play tells Brutus to “be not jealous on me” (827), in the quote he tells Brutus to not be suspicious of him because he is just a friend who genuinely cares. Cassius does this to put himself on Brutus’ side and not seem like a distant person, this allows him to criticize Caesar and suggest that he is a bad influence on Rome which appeals to Brutus’ desire to keeping Rome safe. After setting himself up as a friend to Brutus, Cassius uses harsh anecdotes on the weakness of Caesar to show that he isn’t fit to rule Rome. Cassius recollects on a time when he and Caesar went swimming in the river Tiber and Caesar screamed “Help me, Cassius or I sink” (828) to de...

    Read More

  • Cassius Use Of Manipulation In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    In act 1, scene 3 during Cassius’ conversation with Casca, he proclaims, “Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius. Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong; therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat” (Shakespeare 41). When he repeats “ye gods”, Cassius is attempting to put an emphasis on his strain, or anger, with the gods for giving a man like Caesar power over anyone else. This use of repetition catches the reader's eye and attention and gears their focus onto what he is trying to express. Moreover, Cassius’ word play and way with words help him in colluding and persuading others to join his cause. While talking to Brutus and the conspirators, Cassius states, “We’ll leave you Brutus. And, friends, disperse yourselves; but all remember What you have said and show yourselves true Romans” (Shakespeare 63). Cassius’ use of the word “friends”, in regards to specifically Brutus, is intended to create a personal connection among the group, in hopes of ensuring that Brutus feels as though he is making the right decision. Overall, Cassius’ way with words successfully gives him a sort of power over the other orator’s, making his language and syntax the most eye- catching and

    Read More

  • Manipulation in Julius Caesar

    993 Words  | 2 Pages

    The senators believe that anything they do to Caesar will look bad in the eyes of the people, but Brutus, whom the plebeians love, will make their actions appear honorable. In order to achieve this, Cassius creates a plan in order to prod Brutus in favor of the assassination: In several hands, in at his windows throw, As if they came from several citizens, Writings all tending to the great opinion That Rome holds in his name, and wherein obscurely Caesar’s ambition shall be glanced at. (I,ii,312-316) By deceiving Brutus into believing that the Roman people, who respect him, think that Caesar is becoming too ambitious, Cassius is able to convince Brutus, a noble Roman, to join the plot against Caesar. Because he only wants to do what is best for the people, Brutus joins the conspiracy.

    Read More

  • The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

    1996 Words  | 4 Pages

    Manipulation influences decisions and changes others’ thoughts. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, manipulative language acts prominently between the characters. Brutus struggles to decide if the safety of the Roman Republic appears more important than his friendship with Julius Caesar. Cassius tries to persuade him to join the conspiracy that decides to kill Caesar. Envious of Julius Caesar’s power, the Senators believes that when Caesar becomes ruler, the change of government forever affects Rome. Brutus agrees that it seems for the best of Rome for Caesar never to become dictator, but he never wishes to change his opinion on his death. In a persuasive manner, Cassius sends anonymous letters to Brutus to convince him to join the conspiracy. The conspiracy consists of senators and aristocrats who gather to converse about the Julius Caesar’s assassination. Cassius nominates Brutus as the leader of the conspiracy in order to gain his vote. They decide to kill Caesar on “the Ides of March.” On the morning of March 15th, Caesar’s wife persuades him to stay home because of an eerie dream. Decius, a conspirator, convinces him that the dream retains good omens. In a rush to become king, Caesar goes to the Capitol where the conspirators murder him. Therefore, Antony begs to speak at his funeral where he convinces the plebeians that Caesar never means harm. At this point, Antony declares war on the Caesar’s killers. In the end, he defeats Brutus and Cassius, and the two conspirators kill themselves. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare declares that language expresses a powerful weapon, and in the hands of a skilled person, it manipulates others through the use of foreshadowing, imagery, and verbal irony.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Politics In Julius Caesar

    421 Words  | 1 Pages

    In William Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar. Political leaders usually act in the best interest for their country is a theme that is portrayed throughout the play. Caesar defeating pompey, Brutus and Cassius plotting to kill caesar because they think it's the best for Rome, and Antony waging war against Brutus and Cassius for the best interest of Rome are examples of the theme.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar - A Comparison of Brutus and Cassius

    1631 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the play Julius Caesar, written and preformed by William Shakespeare, there are many characters, but two, Brutus and Cassius, stood out. The play begins in Rome where a celebration of Julius Caesar's victory over the former ruler of Rome, Pompeii. The victory leads to Caesar's betrayal by his jealous companions. Senators and other high status figures are jealous of Caesar's new and growing power, while others, like Brutus, fear the tyrannical rule Caesar could enforce. The conspirators, Brutus and Cassius being the most important, assassinate Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius, better known as Antony, and Octavius Caesar, Caesar's heir to the thrown, revenge Caesar's death. Antony convinces the Roman populous to destroy the conspirators and eventually begins a war with Cassius and Brutus' armies. Both Cassius and Brutus commit suicide to save their honor and Antony and Octavius win the war. The characterizations of Brutus and Cassius show a distinct contrast in their character traits and motives for the assassination of Julius Caesar.

    Read More

More about Examples Of Manipulation In Julius Caesar

Open Document