Julius Caesar Quotes

Brutus means big, dull, and stupid. Just knowing the origin of the name Brutus doesn’t make a person trust the fellow who has that name. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus is not stupid, but he is easily manipulated. Brutus was totally convinced that the Roman Republican government, a triumvirate, was perfect and was willing to join into a conspiracy with others to make sure the government stayed in the hands of senators. Some might believe that friendship or pride is an important theme in Julius Caesar, but conspiracy is the most important theme of the play. Many Romans for many reasons were conspirators. The number of those willing to devise secret plans, to manipulate people, and to create situations in order to kill the man who

He said, “I know no personal cause to spurn him” (Act II Scene i). Even though Brutus loved Caesar, Cassius used two strong motivations to convince him. First, Cassius manipulated him by using his family history. Brutus’s ancestors helped to found the Roman republic, and he told Brutus, “O you and I have heard our fathers say there was a Brutus once that would have brooked the eternal devil to keep his state in Rome” (Act I Scene ii). Cassius knew that “a monarchy would rob the Romans of their long-held liberties” (sparknotes). Family honor was important enough to help convince Brutus to join the conspiracy. Second, Brutus was prideful. When Cassius was trying to pull Brutus into the conspiracy, he forged letters from Roman citizens praising Brutus. Cassius also told Brutus that if any one person should be emperor, it should be Brutus. (Act I Scene ii). These flattering remarks were helpful in convincing Brutus to join the conspiracy. “Brutus’s inflexible sense of honor made it easy for Caesar’s enemies to manipulate him into believing Caesar must die in order to preserve the republic” (enotes). Brutus had served as a senator himself and had surely had his character tested in the past, but he was extremely loyal to the triumvirate form of government. Of the themes that are evident in Julius Caesar, conspiracy is the most important theme. Through manipulation and deception, conspirators