In “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare, Caesar’s death is a butchery because it was meant to benefit conspirators, such as Brutus, Cassius, and so on, rather than benefiting Rome. Brutus creates lots of conflict throughout the play to push the idea that Caesar’s death was in fact a “sacrifice”. Brutus tries to convince himself and others that Caesar’s death will be meaningful, honorable, and will be beneficial to Rome. Brutus wishes that he could eliminate Caesar’s tyranny without actually killing him by saying “...could come by Caesar’s spirit/ And not dismember Caesar” (Act 2.1; lines 182-183). Brutus does a lot in the play to convince himself that Caesar’s death will be a sacrifice. Brutus wasn’t always a conspirator
For even his good intentions and conviction that "did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake" could not convince the Roman people to adopt his worldview (4.3.19). And, despite the fact that Brutus "only, in a general honest thought and common good to all, made one of [the conspirators]," he had to die with his vision unfulfilled and with the Roman republic in a worse state than it started the play in (5.5.72-73). Due to the errors Brutus makes throughout the play and the harm that befalls him as a result, he represents the true tragic hero of Julius Caesar. For despite holding one of the few sets of good intentions in the play, Brutus ultimately suffers and dies farther away from achieving his dreams than he started from.
He shows just how deceptive he is when he kills Caesar. Brutus was very close to Caesar
From the start of the play we see Brutus set aside from the rest of
“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
The character of Brutus in Shakespeare’s epic play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar undertakes a great fall from his position as a well-loved senator. Brutus was a man of the common populace. After Caesar’s assassination, he is considered a traitor to the Romans. A man unaware of his follies until the end, Brutus is manipulated and used by the conspirators to achieve their own goals. However, throughout the course of this play, he remains loyal to the Roman people and what he believes to be their opinions. Brutus, a loyal man of the Roman Republic, is most definitely a tragic hero.
Brutus emerges as the most ambiguous and complex character in Julius Caesar and is also the play’s tragic hero. In his soliloquies the audience gains insight into the complexities of his motives. In Brutus’s first soliloquy he states “It must be by his death and for my part I know no personal cause to spurn at him But for the general”(Act 2,scene 1, Julius Caesar). This highlights the internal struggle brutus is going through. He loved Caesar as a friend but yet he loved Rome more, he had to make a decision to kill his best friend for the good of the Roman empire.
Brutus is shown as being easily manipulated in the play. This trait is shown a few times in the play. At the beginning, Brutus is tricked by Cassius into believing that killing Julius Caesar would be for the better of Rome (1, 2, ll. 32-321). Cassius is able to deviously influence Brutus into thinking that Caesar is no different from Brutus. He says, “Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that Caesar?/ Why should that name be sounded more than yours?” (1, 2, ll. 142-143) Cassius also uses many other examples to manipulate Brutus. Later on, when the conspirators gather at Brutus’ home, Brutus believes that the other conspirators are killing Caesar for the good of Rome as well (2, 1, ll.114-116). After Brutus and the conspirators have killed Caesar, Mark Antony masks his anger ...
Brutus’s relentless determination for the greater good of Rome contributes to his identification as the tragic hero. Even though Brutus is not a good judge of character, all of Brutus’ actions are intended for benefit others. He truly believed that if the conspirators “motives” are pure —as he was “sure they” were—they “bear fire enough” to sustain unwavering loyalty for the cause without need for an oath (2.1.127-132). Brutus articulates this to maintain the integrity of the act for both the conspirators, and the audience. For the audience, this statement enhances the play with the use of verbal irony because they are already aware that not all of the conspirators are murdering Caesar for Rome’s best interest; rather, for their best interests. From this statement, Brutus can be characterized as apprehensive about joining the conspiracy yet still honorable. He can be seen as apprehensive because he feels the need to orate why the conspirators are slaying Caesar. It is said so repetitively that it sounds like he is still convincing himself of the righteousness of the act; however, this lends to his characterization as being honorable. Because Brutus goes through so much deliberation, it is revealed to the audience that Brutus is slaying Caesar not for personal motives: but for the good of Rome.
In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus is presented as an honourable and loyal servant to Rome. In the opening Act of the play, the audience learns that Brutus is devoted to both Rome and Caesar. As the play continues to progress into Act II, his intentions are slowly corrupted by a band of conspirators and Brutus turns against Caesar. This process of corruption in the opening couple of Acts shows that Brutus is an honourable Roman who is taken advantage of to suit the needs of others.
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.
It is shown that Caesar is a tragic hero when he is wronged by the people nearest and dearest to his heart. One reason Caesar died an unhappy death is because of the way he was killed. For example, Octavius says, “Never, till Caesar’s three and thirty wounds/ be well aveng’d; or till another Caesar/ Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors” (V.i.53-55). A happy death would be accidental or of natural causes. Caesar’s death was unhappy because he was murdered by his friends. They purposefully stabbed him, which made his death so much more unhappy. The number of times he was stabbed shows how angry the conspirators were and how much they wanted him dead. Being stabbed to death is a very painful way to die because it is not a sudden death. Caesar had to suffer through thirty-three stabs until he died! Caesar’s death was so tragic because it was done by his best friends. Brutus said, “Grant that, and then is death a benefit:/ So are we friends, that have abrig’d/ His time of fearing death…”(III.i.103-110). One source states, “The conspirators kill Caesar because of his egotism: as republicans, they fear he will become a dictator”(“Shakespeare’s World of Death”p. 76). Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Cimber, Decius, Metallus, Lagarious, and many others were involved in the stabbing. His death is so tragic because he never would have thought that his best friends would betray him. They were jealous of his power and the
be sacrifices, but not butchers”(The Tragedy of Julius Caesar). Brutus shows forth his self-righteousness as he makes the murder to be a ritual sacrifice. This attitude continues over to Act III, scene I , after they kill Caesar. Brutus is the one to call everyone to bathe their hands in Caesar’s blood. This is a symbol of righteousness.
Julius Caesar’s death is referred as sacrifice, as Brutus says that “let’s be sacrificers but not butchers” Cassius in Act 2.1, line 179. This is means that Brutus wants Caesar to die not because of political reasons; he wants it for the sake and the good of Rome. Brutus didn’t mean to butchery, as it refers to murder. “We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar, And in the spirit of men there is no blood” (Act 2.1, lines 180–181). Brutus says that Conspirators wanted to destroy Caesar’s potential threat to Rome, and not Caesar’s itself.
Brutus also frequently demonstrated many acts of affection toward others. In Act 1, Scene 2, he is reluctant to join Cassius's conspiracy because he did not want to betray Caesar. He had to weigh his choices and in Act 3, Scene 2, Brutus kills Caesar only because he is afraid of what will happen to Rome if Caesar remains ruler. He knew the commoners life would be difficult with the ruling of Caesar. He realizes what a honorable man Caesar was. This is shown again in the same Act and Scene when Brutus allows Mark Antony to speak at Caesar's funeral even though Cassius highly disagreed. Brutus realized Caesar deserved an proper ceremony, and that the best way to do that would be to let Caesar's best friend speak.