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Elizabethan era influences in Shakespeare's works
Elizabethan era influences in Shakespeare's works
Elizabethan era influences in Shakespeare's works
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In William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar” the character, Brutus, is held high in society and is respected; he is always in a high position of power. Before murdering Caesar, Brutus was still entrusted with a fairly large amount of power. It is seen throughout the play that Brutus speaks well, so one can assume that he is well educated. Despite all of these traits that are shown, and despite him appearing as if he is doing the right thing, Brutus was mistaken. Brutus, and his fellow conspirators, were unjust in murdering Caesar. The first reason why Brutus was unjust, was that there was no cause for Caesar’s death. The conspirators were plotting to kill Caesar even before he had the chance to rule Rome. Brutus, a friend of Caesar, …show more content…
Part of him may have even felt that what he was doing was wrong, but he was too brainwashed by what Cassius was saying. Obviously murdering the most beloved person in all of Rome was going to have consequences. However, Brutus was so caught up in the positive effects of the plan, that he completely ignored any of the possibilities where Rome would suffer as a result. He contradicts himself quite a lot. For instance, he murders Caesar, but saves Antony because he wants to be a sacrificer, not a butcher. “Stoop, Romans, stoop, and let us bathe our hands in Caesar's blood up to the elbows, and besmear our swords.” (3. 1. 106–8). When Brutus says this, he contradicts what he said not too long ago in the play about not wanting to butcher people. Boasting about a murder and showing it off to the Romans is not the actions of a sacrificer. The betrayal of Caesar should have been hard for the conspirators to live with, yet, the reader sees Brutus here celebrating the death. These actions show the flaws in Brutus which allows one to perceive him as the …show more content…
The slaughter of Caesar was when the play took a turn for the worse. Following this, Brutus showed a certain recidivism in which he continues to disturb the peaceful life that used to take place in Rome. His character would suggest otherwise, but he is the reason why Julius Caesar is a tragic play.
Works Cited
Boyce, Charles. "Marcus Brutus." Critical Companion to William Shakespeare: A
Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literature, Facts On File, Inc.
Honigmann, E. A. J. "Sympathy for Brutus." Shakespeare: Seven Tragedies Revisited:
The Dramatist's Manipulation of ResponseHoundmills, UK: Palgrave, 2002: 30–53. ©
1976, 2002 by E. A. J. Honigmann. Quoted as "Sympathy for Brutus" in Bloom,
Harold, ed. Julius Caesar, Bloom's Shakespeare Through the Ages. New York: Chelsea
House Publishing, 2007. Bloom's Literature, Facts On File, Inc.
Tobin, J.J.M. "Antony, Brutus, and 'Christ's Tears over Jerusalem.' (characters in
Dramatist William Shakespeare's Play 'Julius Caesar;' Play by Dramatist Thomas Nashe)." Notes and Queries 45.3 (1998): 324. Literature Resource Center. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Shakespeare, William. “Julius Caesar.” Grade 10. Practice Hall Literature. Upper
Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2012. 893-1000.
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.
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
Throughout the entire play, Brutus proves to have Rome’s best interest in mind and strives to be honorable. In the beginning of the play, Brutus is talking to Cassius and he remarks, “set honor in one eye and death i' th' other, and I will look on both indifferently, for let the gods so speed me as I love the name of honor more than I fear death” (1.2.88-91). Brutus feels very strongly about having a humble mindset. Brutus is so humble that he worries more about
Throughout the play many characters are not who they turn out to be. Julius Caesar is a very good judge of character, he does not ruts Cassius, he says “ He thinks too much man, such men are dangerous”( shakespeare,1.2.195). Caesar foreshadows now dangerous Cassius is, Cassius is one person who stabs Caesar. Unlike Caesar, Brutus trusts people too much to see who they are. After Caesar 's death, Brutus trusts Marc Antony to give his speech, but Cassius says “ You know not what you do. Do not consent./ that Antony speak in his funeral. I know you how much the people may be moved/ by that which he will utter.” (shakespeare,3.2.333-335). Caesar was an amazing military leader, Brutus was not. Before Caesar becomes king, he gained land back to Rome “ Julius Caesar has just returned to Rome after a long civil war in which he defeated the forces of pompey” (applebee) Caesar led his military to victory and has the chance to take full control of Rome. brutus is a humble military leader company to Caesar. After Brutus won his battle over Octavius’ army, he left his men begin looting. Instead of helping Cassius’ army “ O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early,/ who, having some advantages on Octavius/ took it too eagerly. His soldiers fell to spoil/ whilst we by Antony are all enclosed .(Shakespeare,5.3.5-8) Brutus had a bad call when he did not send his army to help Cassius. With Caesars flaw being
“Remember March, March 15th. Didn’t great Caesar bleed for the sake of justice?” afterwards Brutus reminds Cassias of the reason he killed Caesar it was to save Rome, Great Caesar bled so Rome could live. Brutus loved Caesar as a friend, but he did not think he would be right to lead. “The only way is to kill Caesar. I have no personal reason to strike at him—only the best interest of the people”Nevertheless Brutus did not strike down Caesar for personal gain, he striked Caesar so that Rome could live. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius, To cut the head off and then hack the limbs, Like wrath in death and envy afterwards; For Antony is but a limb of Caesar: Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius” However Brutus was against killing Marc Antony, he was not willing to kill a man out of coldblood, and he would not be marked as a killer in the eyes of the people, he would rather be seen as a defender of the country, he also was against spilling unnecessary blood. Brutus did not want to be a butcher he had only one intention and that was to save Rome. Not start a blood bath. Brutus was against spilling unwanted blood, why kill a man who did nothing to deserve his
Since Brutus was a part of the conspirators that does not make him a bad person. He did it because he cares for the people and nit just himself. In the story Brutus says,” Let us be sacrificers but not butchers, Caius.” He said this to Caius because he wanted them to know Caesar was killed for a reason. He also did not want the people of Rome to think the conspirators were murders.
Brutus was a devious man, even though what he thought he was doing was right. Brutus told his fellow conspirators to kill Caesar “boldly, but not angerly.”(3.1.256-257) Brutus was one of Caesars right hand men, and yet Brutus kills his own friend. When Antony asks to speak at Caesars funeral, Cassius says no, but Brutus tell him that Antony will speak, but only what Brutus tells him to say. Brutus also embraces the fact that he just killed his friend, and also tells the senators who had just witnessed it to not be afraid, but to stay because ambition has paid its debt.
Throughout most of the play Brutus is constantly internally conflicted. Does he do what he believes is best for Rome or stay loyal to his friend and leader? Should he assist in the murder of one person to benefit many? Although killing Caesar was in the end a bad choice, Brutus always tries to do what is best for Rome and for the people. However even though all of Brutus’ motives are good he still has the tragic flaw of pride, which ultimately leads to his downfall. The reason that Brutus gets caught up in the conspiracy is because Cassias appeals to his pride and flatters him with forged letters from the Roman people saying he is a greater leader then Caesar.
Brutus was a man of noble birth. He had multiple servants and was often referred to as “Lord”, which indicates a certain level of respect for him. He was a very highly thought of person in Rome. At no point did he ever betray anyone, although he did kill Caesar, he did it to better Rome, not to mislead him. Everything he did was for the advantage of someone else. Even after Brutus dies, Marc Antony says “This was the noblest roman of them all; all the conspirators, save only he, did that they did in the envy of Caesar; he only in a general honest thought and common good to all...” This shows that regardless of brutus killing Caesar, he is still considered noble because he had good intentions. Brutus was also the best friend of Julius Caesar, the most powerful man in Rome. Had he been a commoner, Caesar most likely would not have associated with him or trusted him as a friend.
On the other hand some people may believe that he is honorable. Some may say that Brutus had the best interest of Rome in mind while he murdered Caesar. Also, some might try and argue that Brutus would have made a better ruler and that is why is chose to do this act. What these arguments fail to consider is the fact that Brutus failed to stand up for his morals, agrees to take the life of a dear friend, and he goes to kill himself because he is too afraid to face the consequences. Brutus is a dishonorable man because he allows Cassius to make him go against his morals. Another thing is that he shows his weakness by going and not facing the consequences that came with his
Brutus was one of many Romans with noble bloodlines. Although Brutus was noble, he never used it to get ahead. There are many times when Brutus could have used the fact that he is truly noble but he didn’t. Many people argue that a noble man wouldn’t have killed Caesar. In some ways that is true, but Brutus’ case was different. A noble man would only for the good of others and that is what Brutus did. He killed Caesar because 7he was afraid of how powerful he could become. Even then he had a hard time doing it, and that is what separates Brutus from the other conspirators. Every other conspirator had little or no reason to kill Caesar. Brutus was willing to do anything for Rome. During his speech about Caesar’s murder Brutus stated “I have the same dagger for myself when it shall please my country to need my death” (III.ii.45-46). This shows how Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (III.ii.20-22). He was too passionate about his country to let Caesar turn it into a dictatorship. Mark Antony and Octavius recognized that Brutus was the one noble roman. In his final speech mark Antony said “This was the noblest roman of them all. / All the conspirators save only he/ Did that they did i...
Even though Brutus loves Caesar and knows that Caesar is a good man, he lets Cassius talk him into looking deeper and see that Rome can't have a tyrant as a leader. He tells Cassius "Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, That you would have me seek into myself, for that which is not in me?" 1.2.65-67. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary Brutus knows that killing his best friend is not something he wants to do, but he's ready to commit such crime because it's for the good of the Rome and the people of Rome.
The play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, has two main tragic heroes. Set in Rome and spanning from forty- four to forty-two B.C., the play tells of Brutus and Caesar whom both fall from the highest positions to the lowest of misfortune and then are enlightened on their mistakes. Brutus is the stronger example of a tragic hero in this story. Throughout this play, Brutus commits many faults, falls more drastically than all other characters, and regrets his previous actions by the end of the play.
The play ends in a tragic way, as most of the main characters are assassinated or chose to die themselves. In conclusion, Caesar is a man without fear, he believes in himself which leads to his arrogance, which is shown when he ignores the omens. Brutus realizes the faults of his actions and decides that death is the only way to put himself out of his misery. Both men made crucial mistakes which ultimately led to their downfall
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.