The Life of Brutus
Despite being close to Julius Caesar, Brutus was involved in the conspiracy that led to his death. This was not easy on Brutus, him being the last person to physically stab Julius Caesar. Brutus was a well loved politician amongst the Roman people, and they trusted him. Julius Caesar was proving to be a poor leader, and becoming a dictator while Rome was supposed to be a Republic. Brutus and his friends feared for the future of Rome if Julius Caesar continued to be its leader, causing them to conspire his murder with the intent to properly reinstate the Roman government. This betrayal towards his friend can be seen as a reflection of bad character, but is his sacrificing his own moral value and choosing to live with guilt
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He was trusted by people of higher authority, the Roman people, and put the Roman people before himself. “Sent one of his friends named Canidius to take charge of the king’s [Ptolemy] treasure...but since he [Cato] did not trust Canidius’s honesty, he wrote to his nephew [Brutus]..” (The Life of Brutus, 3) Brutus, as a young man, was already seen to be trustworthy and honorable enough to watch over massive amounts of wealth and to not steal any of it. Cato trusted his young nephew with this duty over a close friend. This shows the trust that people had in Brutus, even at a young age when people tend to be reckless. “... but acted only upon due reflection and a deliberate moral choice...no amount of flattery could induce him to grant an unjust petition.” (Life of Brutus, 6) As a politician, Brutus would not accept bribery. He would make decisions with thorough thoughts and debates, but would not accept money or other forms of bribery from those who could afford it. His denial of bribery shows that Brutus is a man of true integrity, even in times of temptation, who put the good of the Roman people over his own personal gain. On the day that Caesar would be murdered by the conspirators, Brutus’ wife died, but he did not allow himself to be distracted from the task at hand. “... but he did not forget his duty, nor did he allow his anxiety to make his mind dwell on private concerns.” (The Life of Brutus, 15) Even in …show more content…
when Brutus found that the city of Patara was offering a stout resistance to him, he hesitated the attack it…” (The Life of Brutus, 32) The Xanthians were a people whom Brutus and his forces attempted to invade and conquer, but they resisted the might of the Roman forces. The people tried to escape by swimming out f the city, and tried to set fire to the city. Brutus acknowledged his mistakes and wanted to avoid a revolt in Patara. He set free the women prisoners without a ransom, and these women persuaded the city to submit to Brutus because he was a kind and just man. Instead of resorting to brutality in order to conquer, Brutus used humanity. However, he was willing to give justice and punish those who deserved it, such as in the instances of the death of Pompey the Great and Lucius Petta. After Pompey was defeated in battle by Caesar, he went to Egypt seeking refuge. King Ptolemy feared helping Pompey because he did not want to offend Caesar. His council was debating if they should exile Pompey or if they should help him. Theodotus, however, proposed they kill Pompey. Assassins were hired, Pompey was killed, and they all received their money, including Theodotus. “... he [Theodotus] was discovered by Brutus… and punished.” Brutus punished him and put him to death for unjustly murdering a man who should have been sent to Brutus to decide his
Brutus joins a group of conspirators to help kill one of his very close friends because he thinks it will benefit Rome. Although Caesar was one of Brutus’s closest friends, he was part of the conspiracy in his demise. He didn’t do it out of selfish reason or envy like the rest of the conspirators; he did it because he truly believed that it would be the best thing for his country. “Not that I loved Caesar / Less, but that I loved Rome more” (III. ii. 21-22). Brutus said that during his speech at Caesar’s funeral. It basically says his reasoning for the all too great and powerful dictator to he killed. In...
Brutus was a very selfish and self-centered person. He continually ignored Cassius’ and the conspirators’ ideas. He was the leader and everyone was supposed to go along with them. Not to mention that all of his decisions went against Cassius and they were all the wrong moves. Brutus refused to admit that he was wrong or listen to other people.
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.
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.
The fact that Brutus killed Caesar for his country meant that even though he murdered somebody, a friend, he still did it for something much bigger than himself. Like Brutus said, he killed Caesar because it was “not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (Julius Caesar Act 3 Scene 2 Shakespeare). I think that is very noble of him, because if it weren’t for the act of murder, he would most definitely be a hero. If it were not for him not giving Caesar a chance first, he would most definitely be a hero. If it weren’t for his morals being manipulated by another person, he would most definitely be a hero. There is a lot of controversy about the topic and what makes Brutus a hero or villain. The question about which one he really is makes you think. I feel that even though he was a good man, the small details made the “villain” side of him surface much more than the “hero”
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.
In his Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare uses a metaphor, aside, antithesis, and rhetorical questions to craft Brutus as an honorable and noble man manipulates by the conspirators in order to kill Caesar with the belief that Caesar’s death will benefit Rome. He is a loyal person who believes in the doing good for Rome and for his friend Julius Caesar. But in order to save Rome, he chooses his country, Rome over his friendship with Caesar. This task is hard on Brutus but killing a friend was what he had to do to save Rome.
Brutus has several tragic flaws. One of these tragic flaws is how he trusts people a lot. Brutus says that he “know[s] that we shall have [Antony] well to a friend” (1140). He trusts Antony will be a friend of the conspirators, yet he seems to not realize that Antony is obliviously against them, because they killed his friend. Brutus trusts Antony so much, that he lets Antony speak to the public alone. Antony turns the people against Brutus and the conspirators, leading to the wars where Brutus takes his own life. Brutus also receives letters, supposedly from the people of Rome. As he reads the letter out loud, Brutus remarks “‘Speak, strike, redress!’ Am I entreated to speak and strike? O Rome, I make thee promise, if thy redress will follow, thy receivest thy full petition at the hand of Brutus” (1118).
Brutus had an underlying thirst for power, and when he was instigated by the flattering notes at his doorstep, he began to want the power and reputation that came with “saving Rome”. He let this greed blind the wrongness of what he was doing, and he claimed that his actions were for the greater good of Rome. Although that might have been true in a way, the want for power cancelled out his good intentions. Cassius says to Brutus, “Why should that name be sounded more than yours?” (I, ii, 145-146), in an attempt to awaken Brutus’ ego and bring him to their side. In the end, it works, and Brutus decides he wants all the fame and glory that he thinks would come with killing Caesar. And lastly, one of the most famous quotes in the whole book, “Et tu, Brute?” (III, i, 87), spoken by Caesar as his best friend lands the last blow, the one that breaks his heart and causes his death. Brutus claimed that he was trying to be honorable by killing Caesar, but that cruel move exposes what he really wanted. He was jealous of all that Caesar had, and he took it from him in the most painful way possible. Although Brutus deluded himself in believing he was doing things for the greater good, his actions resulted in nothing but pain for everyone around him, and it was all caused by his want for power and
Brutus delivers a speech in front of the plebeians in the form of a monologue after the conspirators kill Caesar. He supplies the mob and Anthony with an understandable reason for killing Caesar. He wants to justify his acts so the plebeians as well as the rest of Rome take his side and come to an understanding. Brutus says,. “…this is my answer: Not/ that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.”(III,ii, 21-22).This quote emphasizes that Brutus possess the qualities of a noble character. Even though, he adored Caesar, his noble character and beliefs make him oppose him for the benefit of Rome. These character traits emphasize his hero like qualities that lead to his catastrophic downfall. He justifies his act in front of an angry mob of plebeians to show his loyalty to Rome. Later in the play, he follows through with the fight against Anthony knowing that he will die. Brutus knows of his noble beliefs and kills himself knowing that he devotes his life to Rome and its people. Brutus commits suicide because his noble personality. After he commits suicide, everyone gathers around him including Anthony, the leader of the opposing side. Anthony respects Brutus because his motives seem different from the others. His actions show that he possesses characteristics of a true Roman. Anthony says, “This was the noblest Roman of them all.”(V,iii,68). Shakespeare directly characterizes Brutus in this quote. As seen in the beginning of the play, he always put his loyalty for Rome before anything else. The others contained a great amount of envy for Caesar while Brutus only fought for the citizens of Rome and nothing else. This characterizes Brutus as a tragic hero because he finished what he started knowing that it contained a huge chance of him dying. Nothing stopped him and his noble character
Brutus is so trusting in the people of Rome that he becomes oblivious to things. In this play in a few places it is obvious that Brutus is very trusting and he kind of does not realize other things that could happen and are happening. For example when Brutus dies thinking that everyone is true to him and no one has ever done him wrong. “My heart doth joy that yet in all my life/ I found no man but he was true to me.” (5.5.34-35). Brutus is saying that his heart is happy because his whole life everyone in Rome has been nothing but true to him. When reading this quote it reveals that Brutus is very oblivious to the fact that the men he was closest to were not true to him. The men in the conspiracy lied to Brutus about why they actually going to kill Caesar and they also lied just to get Brutus in the conspiracy in the first place. Brutus trusts these men but it leads to his
Another element to Brutus' name of stoic was the depth of his emotion of Portia's death. In his argument with Cassius, Brutus is reduced to a squabbling child. Perhaps he was mad with grief over the death of his wife, as seen in Act III Scene III, " No man bears sorrow better, Portia is dead" (413). In the end, he took his own life, in violation of his stoic philosophy. "Do so; and not let no man abide this deed but we the doers." (384) Here in Act III, Brutus appears high-minded, but his principles did not seem to prepare him for dealing with a corrupt world. Despite the honorable thoughts conspirators may have had toward Brutus, he was was plagued with stoicism and loved Rome more than Caesar, which leaded to Caesar's death.
Brutus was a supporter of the republic as well as Caesar’s truthful friend. However much he loved Caesar, he opposed the fact that a single man ruled Rome and he feared Caesar would rise to hold that power. Brutus was a good leader. He was truthful and honourable. Brutus tries to justify his reason for killing Caesar and he says
Brutus was a loving friend of Julius Caesar and wished anything but death on his comrade, but his love and dedication to the majestic city of Rome would force him to commit anything. He fights a war to defend Rome from a king or emperor's tyrannical rule. When the war was over, even his enemies saw that he was the most respectable Roman of them all. This (Brutus' body) was the noblest Roman of them all. All conspirators, save only he did what they did in envy of great Caesar....