The Assassination Of Brutus In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

617 Words2 Pages

“E Tu, Brutus?” The famous quote from Shakespeare's play is the most common thought associated with this assassination, however, let not the historical context of the true event be lost. Julius Caesar was a genius tactician who ruled over the vast and powerful Roman Empire until his demise on the Ides of March. As he walked into the senate building, politicians suddenly rise from their seats and rush him while unsheathing their daggers. He is stabbed 35 times before finally bleeding out. However, these men, some who were close friends with Julius, were simply upset Julius took power from them. He actually helped the city of Rome considerably. Therefore, the assassination of Julius Caesar was unjust because he was actually benefiting the Empire despite the claim Julius was a tyrant. His death also led to great instability in the empire.

Julius, while more than willing to exercise the extent of his powers, actually got the nation out of debt, reduced unemployment, and began work on construction projects (Ancient History Encyclopedia, 1). …show more content…

Along with the other senate members, he created a plot remove Caesar. On the fifteenth of March, 44 BCE, now known as the Ides of March, (History, 1) they succeeded in their goal. Brutus immediately tried to assume control of the throne, until it was revealed that Julius had actually left his inheritance to Octavian, a nephew (UNRV History, 1). One other man, Marcus Antony, tried to garner support by painting Julius as a hero and turning the public against the assassination. Octavian also did not approve of the assassination and had planned to hold the senators accountable. These three proceeded to duke it out on the battlefield, causing chaos and civil war until Octavian became the unquestioned Emperor (UNRV History, 1). Quite obviously, Caesar’s untimely end was a shock the empire could not

Show More
Related

  • Brutus versus Cassius in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    also a man of strong pride and self confidence which led to the fate of this

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Dbq

    529 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people were involved with the murder of Caesar however, Brutus had the biggest part in the assassination. According to Source four (by Plutarch, a historian) “Brutus kept him (Caesar) outside the house, and delayed him with a long conversation on purpose.” Therefore, Brutus made sure that the other people planning to kill Caesar would be ready. Also, according to Source Eight, Brutus said to Caesar, “…Nonsense. Don’t be troubled by such things. Hurry, the men await at the senate to crown you king. We mustn’t keep them waiting.” He basically told Caesar to hurry to the Senate so they can kill him. This proves that Brutus didn’t acknowledge that Caesar shouldn’t go there because he would get hurt. Lastly in source nine, the letter from Marcus Brutus to Gaius Cassius states, “I will meet him at his home on March 15th and bring him to the Senate. Here, this unthinkable but

    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 Traitor

    572 Words  | 2 Pages

    “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

    Read More

  • Fall of Rome

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    Julius Caesar emerged. He was able commander who led many conquests for Rome. In 59 B.C. Caesar set out for a new conquest. After nine years of constant fighting, he finally conquered Gaul. Pompey grew jealous of his achievement and had the senate order him to disband his forces and return to Rome. Caesar secretly crossed the Rubicon and killed Pompey then entered Rome. After crushing many rebellions, Caesar forced the senate to make him a dictator. Caesar launched many reforms such as public work programs and giving land to the poor. According to legend those in the senate murdered Caesar on March 15. Caesar's Grandnephew, Octavian, and Marc Anthony joined forces to capture his killers. However bitter feuds grew it soon became a battle for power.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesars Impact on Rome

    1460 Words  | 3 Pages

    From 100 BC to 44 BC, Julius Caesar changed Rome through his rise to political power, conquest, feuds and assassination. Over time Caesar gained acclaim through his multiple political roles in Rome such as Pontifex, governor and Praetor, leading him to become dictator. He formed an alliance with Crassus and Pompey that ruled Rome for seven years, but led to a civil war later on. Julius Caesar conquered many countries that helped him change the map such as the conquest of Gaul. Caesar played a vital role in the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Empire, which cause him to be assassinated and make rise to Octavian as the next ruler. All of these aspects are what allowed Julius Caesar to change Rome.

    Read More

  • The Events of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

    1409 Words  | 3 Pages

    Julius Caesar’s ambition for power drove the honorable Brutus to think negatively about Julius Caesar’s position of being the King of Rome. Negatively speaking, Julius Caesar’s ways of having most of the power and deciding not to listen to others except the ones that only tell him things he likes to hear, drove the power-hungary conspirators and the honorable Brutus to take his life away. The honorable Brutus shows his love for Rome by committing an act which he seems best fit for his city. Trying everything he can to put Rome in a democracy, the only solution he saw was to join the conspirators to murder Caesar and explain to the people why they committed such an act. A great friend of Julius Caesar Mark Antony, stood up for many things Caesar had in mind and he was one of the few that Caesar thought was very trustworthy besides Brutus. After Caesar’s death, Mark Anthony told Caesar that he will take revenge for him and that shows great passion for the love that he had for him.

    Read More

  • Brutus Character Analysis in Shakespeare's Tragedy of Julius Caesar

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, was mainly based on the assassination of Julius Caesar. The character who was the mastermind behind the assassination was, ironically, Marcus Brutus, a senator and close friend to Julius Caesar. But what would cause a person to kill a close friend? After I examined Brutus' relationship towards Caesar, his involvement in the conspiracy and his importance to the plot it all became clear. Brutus had one particular reason for killing Caesar and that was for the good of the people and the republic. Brutus had no personal reason for killing Caesar. Some of his most admirable traits were his morality and leadership skills.

    Read More

  • Brutus is the Tragic Hero in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

    934 Words  | 2 Pages

    The tragedy “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare should be renamed “Brutus” because Caesar is not the tragic hero. He is only in a small portion of the play and does not possess a major tragic flaw; however Marcus Brutus fits the description of tragic hero much better than Julius Caesar. Typically, tragedies are named after the tragic hero, which Aristotle describes as: a person of noble birth with a tragic flaw that leads to his or her downfall because of that flaw. Brutus exhibits all of these qualities, therefore rightfully naming him a tragic hero.

    Read More

  • The Flaws of Brutus in Julius Caesar by Shakespeare

    359 Words  | 1 Pages

    Brutus’ tragic flaws are part of what makes him a tragic hero. In Julius Caesar, Brutus is a great example of a tragic hero. His tragic flaws are honor, poor judgement, and idealism (Bedell). In Shakespeare’s plays, the tragic hero and his flaws cause the downfall of the play (Tragic Flaws).

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Pirates

    761 Words  | 2 Pages

    As Brutus and some of Caesar's friends planned to kill him. Early morning March 15, 44 BC, Caesar's wife told him to not attend his meeting. Being the political man he his he took no thought on his wife's prediction. Late afternoon during the meeting Caesar was stabbed 37 times by 13 different people (all of which supported Pompey). He was dead before stab 3 (Talk about overkill).

    Read More

  • Brutus Loyalty In Julius Caesar Essay

    470 Words  | 1 Pages

    Although Caesar was ambitious he was also very naive when it came to the assassination plot against him. The naive sense Caesar expedited later lead to his untimely death. Marcus Brutus was a nobleman, the people of Rome respected and valued his ideas. His ego, patriotic nature, and honesty are all flaws that can’t be masked within himself. Brutus’s ego for his family and his honesty is used by Cassius to persuade Brutus into joining in the plot against his dear friend Caesar. Brutus’s patriotic nature for Rome is the main reason he joined in the assassination. In the play Brutus confesses that he isn’t doing it out of jealousy but to save the Roman people. Antony was loyal individual, he honored Caesar and wanted him to become the dictator of Rome. Throughout the play you notice Antony’s loyalty, even after Caesar dies. Antony wants the conspirators to pay for the actions of killing his friend by persuading the Roman people to turn against Brutus and Cassius. Antony tricks the conspirators into thinking that he is their accomplice. Cassius was a jealous man but he was also very knowledgeable. He hated the fact that Caesar had gained all of this power over the Roman people and decided . He had

    Read More

  • Brutus: A Tragic Hero in Shakespeare´s Julius Caesar

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    The definition of a tragic hero is perceived as on who is neither wicked nor purely innocent, one who “is brave and noble but guilty of the tragic flaw of assuming that honorable ends justify dishonorable means”. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus takes the role of the tragic hero. Brutus’s honor, nobility, and self-righteousness makes him “a tragic figure, if not the hero” (Catherine C. Dominic).

    Read More

  • The Downfall of Brutus

    961 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Assassination of Julius Caesar

    1181 Words  | 3 Pages

    The assassination of Julius Caesar was due to his increased power and the senate’s fear of losing political relevance. They were losing their freedoms and thought the only way to resolve this problem was to kill Caesar. Killing Caesar never really did anything to help make the government a democracy like the senate had wanted. Marcus Brutus and Cassius ended up leaving Rome, so their plot did not do anything to help them. Caesar was the leader of Rome, the top of the Roman Empire. The people he thought he could trust most, his so-called friends, took him to the bottom of the Roman Empire, to his grave.

    Read More

More about The Assassination Of Brutus In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

Open Document