Marcus Brutus and Charlotte Corday

1797 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: French revolution introduction

Men and women throughout history are remembered for their selflessness, compassion and dedication to their people; their honorable qualities are clear in the minds of many. The word “honor” brings to mind a numerous people: Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Franklin Delano Roosevelt are a few of the thousands at hand. However, honor is a subjective term; occasionally deeds which are socially unacceptable are deemed to be admirable under the circumstances, such as Brutus’ murder of Julius Caesar. One woman in French history, Charlotte Corday, has a similar story. Although she is infamous for nothing but her murder of an French Revolutionary leader, she, like Brutus, was truly an honorable individual.

Before her execution, Charlotte Corday stated that, “There are so few patriots who know how to die for their country” (GPS Faculty). This woman truly believed that if one is to be truly dedicated to their country, self-sacrifice is an inescapable deed. Although this frame of mind today is considered highly respectable, if not righteous, in Corday’s time her well-meaning actions were not appreciated by the French people. In eighteenth century France, honor was not so much based on one’s actions, but on their birth and status in society. Honor could be bought; the more money one had the more honorable they were assumed to be. Education also determined the level of honor; people assumed that an educated individual must have a clear knowledge of right and wrong. For this reason, the man Charlotte Corday murdered, Jean-Paul Marat, was loved by the majority of the French public. Marat had plenty of money, was very well educated and was wonderful with oratory. However, he instilled violence within the French people and Corday believed th...

... middle of paper ...

...s. Ed. GPS. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2012. .

Joubert, John. Execution of the Day. Ed. Wordpress. Wordpress, 17 July 1996. Web. 6 Feb. 2012. .

Lagasse, Paul. "Charlotte Corday." Colombia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2008. N. pag. EbscoHost. Web. 9 Feb. 2012. .

Lebrun, Elizabeth V. Famous Affinities of History. Ed. Lyndon Orr. Amazon, Oct. 2003. Web. 3 Feb. 2012. .

Lewis, Jone J. "Charlotte Corday." Women's History. Ed. About. About, n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2012. .

Show More
Related

  • Mary Surratt: An American Secret

    1804 Words  | 4 Pages

    James, Edward, Janet James, and Paul Boyer. Notable American Women, 1607-1950. Volume III: P-Z. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1971. Print.

    Read More

  • Brutus the Tragic Hero

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare’s complex play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar contains several tragic heroes; a tragic hero holds high political or social esteem yet possesses an obvious character flaw. This discernible hubris undoubtedly causes the character’s demise or a severe forfeiture, which forces the character to undergo an unfeigned moment of enlightenment and shear reconciliation. Brutus, one of these tragic heroes, is a devout friend of the great Julius Caesar, that is, until he makes many execrable decisions he will soon regret; he becomes involved in a plot to kill the omniscient ruler of Rome during 44 B.C. After committing the crime, Mark Antony, an avid, passionate follower of Caesar, is left alive under Brutus’s orders to take his revenge on the villains who killed his beloved Caesar. After Antony turns a rioting Rome on him and wages war against him and the conspirators, Brutus falls by his own hand, turning the very sword he slaughtered Caesar with against himself. Brutus is unquestionably the tragic hero in this play because he has an innumerable amount of character flaws, he falls because of these flaws, and then comes to grips with them as he bleeds on the planes of Philippi.

    Read More

  • The Divide betwen Truth and Honour or Happiness and Comfort in The Wife of Martin Guerre

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    In sixteenth century France, women were not independent and treated as equals as they are today. Women didn’t have much of or any identity of their own apart from their husbands, let alone any importance outside of their household duties; meaning, women didn’t have a voice within the home or publicly. Bertrande’s decision to go publicly to trail with the accusations of Arnaud being an impostor was a huge deal to the rest of the family; all of Martin’s family except for his uncle believed Arnaud was none other than Martin Guerre. This was pressure for Bertrande, to no longer go forward with the accusations against Arnaud. Determined, independent, honourable and brave were all qualities that Bertrande had shown through the actions she had taken to fight what she believed was the truth in the process of pursing the impostor. Bertrande proved women could stand up for themselves and not just stand behind their...

    Read More

  • Examples Of Honor In Julius Caesar

    910 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, has a heavy focus on honor. The characters in the play have a tendency to refer back to honor and the honor of Rome, but are they really as honorable as they say? Honor is a very abstract concept that is widely applicable in many situations, but what is it? To honor someone is to show them respect, and to be honorable is to act in a way that deserves respect and admiration. The characters of Julius Caesar, for the most part, are all seeking some form of honor, but do they achieve it? Three of the best examples of honor in Julius Caesar are Brutus, Cassius, and Portia. With varying levels of honor, these characters display the spectrum well.

    Read More

  • Jean Paul Marat: Target and Martyr of Liberty

    3987 Words  | 8 Pages

    The French Revolution produced countless influential politicians throughout its tumultuous course. As a political figure in the French Revolution, Jean Paul Marat began as a nonentity and became a martyr to the revolutionary patriots of France. His influence is often misconstrued, and sometimes overlooked. Although he was not a political leader like Robespierre, his influence was substantial in that he motivated many people through his writings and powerful personality. Through his involvement with the Cordeliers’ Club and his journal Ami du peuple, started September 1789, Marat was able to express the indignation of the bourgeois class through his hopes for social revolution. His conspiracy theories and alleged prophetic outlook on the Revolution created an aura of mystery and intrigue around him, as well as detestation. Because he often stood alone behind his radical ideas, Marat became marked as the scapegoat for various controversial events of the period, and was several times forced into hiding to evade the law. Targeting Marat was an easy and effective way for the warring factions in the National Convention to assert their political dominance. It is curious how a virtual unknown and newcomer to government could become so crucial to the politics of the French Revolution, only to be murdered by another unknown in a seemingly isolated event. Marat’s assassination played a great part in what became the cycle of the Terror. Even though he was not a preeminent leader, both his life and death had an impact on the course of the Revolution. Because of his incendiary political beliefs and bold nature, the government targeted Marat, however, his assassination by the outsid...

    Read More

  • Catherine De Medici's Black Legend

    2162 Words  | 5 Pages

    Neale provides a corrective arguing a ‘dominant maternalism’ drove Catherine’s policies. Sutherland critiques Neale, suggesting he is guilty of using misconceived qualifying phrases from the ‘Black Legend’ stemming from the contemporary pamphlets, instead

    Read More

  • Queen Elizabeth I and Virginia Stephen-Woolf

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is obvious that the similarities between Queen Elizabeth I and Virginia Woolf outweigh the differences. Both were learners and thinkers, advocates for they believed in and strong women despite all of the issues that had happened during their short lives. It is important to recognize the similarities between these women, for the traits of bravery, persistence, and wisdom are what make brilliant role models for people throughout time. By pointing out the similarities and differences between these two women, it is easy to see examples of what people in modern times should follow: advocacy for what one believes in and triumphs over life’s dilemmas.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Shakespeare’s Marcus Brutus to Other Tragic Heroes

    1388 Words  | 3 Pages

    The tragic hero is one of literatures most used (and sometimes abused) characters. The classical definition of a tragic hero is, “a person with heroic or potentially heroic qualities. The person is doomed by the Gods or some other supernatural force to destruction or suffering. The hero struggles against the fate, but due to a personal flaw, ultimately fails in the battle against fate. It is my personal opinion that Brutus,as he is portrayed in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, is a tragic hero by this definition. I came to this conclusion due to the fact that Brutus shares many similarities with other tragic heroes in literature such as Oedipus, Hamlet, and Ralph from Lord of the Flies. All four characters share the two critical traits that are needed to be tragic heroes: a tragic flaw that eventually leads to a tragic downfall. The tragic hero was defined by Aristotle, yet the “invention” of the tragic hero goes to Sophocles.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Tragic Hero (Brutus)

    666 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play the Life and Death of Julius Caesar (just as in all of Shakespeare’s tragedies) there is much death, much tragedy, and of course, a tragic hero. However unlike most of Shakespeare’s plays this time the tragic hero is not particularly obvious. Throughout the play a few main characters present themselves as possibilities for being the tragic hero. But as being a tragic hero is not only having a tragic flaw but also entails much more, there really is only one person to fit the mold. The character Brutus is born into power and is higher/better then we are. He has a tragic flaw that causes his downfall and at the end he realizes his mistake (a trait none of the other characters can really claim).

    Read More

  • Honor In Cyrano De Bergerac

    690 Words  | 2 Pages

    Honor is a trait few possess in the modern world. Cyrano de Bergerac, a play by Edmond Rostand set in France during the sixteen hundreds, discusses honor in it’s truest form. But honor is not simply a code or a way to describe a man, there are characteristics that make a honorable individual. The main character, Cyrano, lives what many in his city would call an honorable life. Rostand uses this character to explore what characteristics make a man of honor. Some of the prominent traits the author presents as honorable are possessing controlled wit, bravery on and off the battlefield, and the ability to love unceasingly.

    Read More

  • The Need for Capital Punishment in America

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    Andre, Claire, and Manuel Velasquez. “Capital Punishment.” Our Duty or Our Doom. 12 May 2010. 30 May 2010 .

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar: Brutus Is The Protagonist

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    "He who will not reason is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Honor Quotes

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    What is honor? Honor coins an individual’s nature. A principle that exists on the purpose of perception, a martyr willing to conform and accomplish. In the case of Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus was the most honorable of men. A brother to Caesar, but a father to Rome, he persist and perish for the future of his child. The idea of ignorance, and the belief of a false faith, turns this noble man toward a vulgar grave, with virtuous notions.

    Read More

  • Snow, Yolanda by Julia Alvarez

    1194 Words  | 3 Pages

    Rivas-Rojas, Raquel. “FABULAS DE ARRAIGO VICARIO EN LA NARRATIVA DE JULIA ALVAREZ. (Spanish).” Canadian Journal Of Latin American & Caribbean Studies 33.66 (2008): 157-169. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

  • Debate On The Use of the Capital Punishment

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sarrat, A. (2014, April 27).What botched executions tell us about the death penalty.TheBoston Globe.Retrieved from

    Read More

More about Marcus Brutus and Charlotte Corday

Open Document