The calamities of Julius Caesar
Tragedies most often refer back to the actions of men. The play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, provides a good example to how the quote is shown to be accurate." The calamities of tragedy do not simply happen, nor are they sent [by the gods]: they proceed mainly from actions, and those actions of men." This statement is profoundly proven through the past and present actions of the conspirators throughout the play. From the beginning of the play, the reader can identify who will necessarily betray and plot to murder Caesar.
Cassius, main conspirator in this play, initially draws Brutus into the inner circle. From the beginning of the play, Cassius seeks Brutus for the newest addition to the plot and knows if Brutus is added, the plot will be successful. Even in the first scene of Act II Cassius is flattering Brutus in order to entice Brutus into joining the murderous group. "Your hidden worthiness into your eye, that you might see your shadow. I have heard where many of the best respect in Rome, speaking of Brutus, and groaning underneath this age's yolk, have wished that noble Brutus had his eyes." (p. 350 ln. 55-60) This quote depicts when Cassius first starts to flatter Brutus and say Brutus is the most respected and noble man in Rome. These compliments and forms of flattery are what first showed Brutus was kind of man the people see him as and what time of power Brutus could produce in himself.
Actions at some moments in Julius Caesar speak louder than words. A prime example is when Cassius wants the men to make a pact to follow through with the murder, but Brutus speaks up and says that the pact is unnecessary. Brutus feels as though every man is a true Roman and each man is as trustworthy and noble as he. As for Antony's speech, this is a whole different story. The words Antony spoke to the public helped motivate the people to go against the conspirators. Thought the action of killing Caesar was a publicized one, Antony's speech was far from being unnoticed.
All of the things which went on throughout the play all relate back to the actions of Cassius.
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 ...
I read it over the long hours of one night, unable to put it down, until suddenly the light of the sunrise penetrated my blinds. As I closed the book with a satisfied smile, tears streamed down my face until the title of the book became one big blur. Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven had sparked a much-needed emotional reformation inside my heart. It had quenched my thirsty body with a hope and comfort I had been seeking for the longest time.
The Giver is actually one of my all-time favorite books, so I’ve looked into why she left the book so inconclusive in the past. The Giver is basically about a boy named Jonas who lives in a perfect society. He lives in a household with his two parents and his little sister Lilly. When he becomes a 12, he goes through a huge ceremony and all the elders assign them their jobs. In this community, there is no lying, stealing, racism, pain, sunlight or color. Jonas was chosen to be The Receiver, and he didn’t know what to do because this job was such a big deal. Jonas then goes through training with the current Receiver, who is now The Giver. Training consists of The Giver passing down the memories from when the community was not what it is today. Memories that are passed down are things that are normal to us. Memories of sun, snow, pain, and sorrow.
Lowry writes The Giver in the dystopian genre to convey a worst-case scenario as to how modern society functions. A dystopia is an “illusion of a perfect society” under some form of control which makes criticism about a “societal norm” (Wright). Characteristics of a dystopian include restricted freedoms, society is under constant surveillance, and the citizens live in a dehumanized state and conform to uniform expectations (Wright). In The Giver, the community functions as a dystopian because everyone in the community conforms to the same rules and expectations. One would think that a community living with set rules and expectations would be better off, but in reality, it only limits what life has to offer. Instead, the community in the novel is a dystopian disguised as a utopian, and this is proven to the audience by the protagonist, Jonas. Jonas is just a norma...
Brutus had a strong relationship with Caesar but a stronger relationship with Rome and its people. I think during Roman times, the only way for someone to get close to a person of high rank is if he/she is a close friend or relative to him/her. Brutus loved Caesar but feared his power and ambition. In the early acts of the play, Brutus says to Cassius, "If it aught toward the general good, set honor in one eye and death in the other, and I will look on both indifferently…,,"(act 1, scene 2, ll.85-89), as he is speaking to Cassius. "He then unto the ladder turns his back..."(act 2, scene 1, line 25). As the quote says, Brutus would not allow Caesar to rise to power and then turn his back on the people of Rome. This is the only reason Brutus would conspire against Caesar. Brutus says to himself, "I know no personal cause to spurn at him...How that might change his nature..."(act 2, scene 1, and ll.11-13)
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.
Abraham Lincoln once voiced “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” One key term in Lincoln’s statement is “adversity,” which means a hardship and suffering of humanity. Another important word in Lincoln’s statement is “character,” which means people’s traits, features, and morality. Overall, Lincoln means that men should not be judged by what they experience, but what their actions are when they have control. Furthermore, Lincoln implies in his statement that people should not be trusted unless they have been given authority, revealing their true nature. Finally, when looked under the Lens of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln’s statement can be proven true through Shakespeare’s use of the politics and power motif.
In the beginning of the Book Cassius uses anecdotes of Caesar’s weakness and faults, argumentum ad antiquatum, and ethos on Brutus to persuade him to join the conspiracy to kill Caesar, this works on Brutus and shows that anyone, even people as stoic as Brutus, can be persuaded by appealing to their motivations. Cassius, a very suspicious character thru ought the play tells Brutus to “be not jealous on me” (827), in the quote he tells Brutus to not be suspicious of him because he is just a friend who genuinely cares. Cassius does this to put himself on Brutus’ side and not seem like a distant person, this allows him to criticize Caesar and suggest that he is a bad influence on Rome which appeals to Brutus’ desire to keeping Rome safe. After setting himself up as a friend to Brutus, Cassius uses harsh anecdotes on the weakness of Caesar to show that he isn’t fit to rule Rome. Cassius recollects on a time when he and Caesar went swimming in the river Tiber and Caesar screamed “Help me, Cassius or I sink” (828) to de...
Alex Kershaw’s “The Few The American ‘Knights Of The Air’ Who Risked Everything To Fight In The Battle Of Britain” doesn’t just tell the story of the seven American aviators who flew for the British as but also their enemies, the Luftwaffe’s point of view. This book is told through this group of Americans and from the viewpoint of the Royal Air Force pilots they fought with but also the perspective of the Luftwaffe fliers that they fought against during the battle. For example, in one part of the book, there was this one German lookout who had commented on how much of an advantage the British had because of their radars that could locate enemy planes while they crossed the English Channel; the lookout considered the radar an “unfair” tool.
Cassius chooses to compliment Brutus in order to get what he wants. He wants Brutus to join his conspiracy against Caesar so he uses flattery as a manipulation to gauge Brutus. “That you might see your shadow. I have heard where many of the best respect in Rome.” (I.2.55) Cassius tells Brutus that he is very well known and loved in Rome and suggests that the people are clamoring for Brutus to lead Rome instead of Caesar. By saying “respect” Cassius is referring to his reputation. By saying “shadow” he is also referring to the “reflection” of what others think of him. “Have wished that noble Brutus had his eyes.” (I.2.55) Cassius mentions words such as “noble” to compliment the vulnerable Brutus by stroking his ego. “O, you and I have heard our fathers say. There was a Brutus once that would have brooked Th' eternal devil to keep his state in Rome. As easily as a king.” (I.2.161) This refers to an ancestor of Brutus’s who, in the sixth century B.C. helped to expel the last king from Rome and set up the Republic. Cassius reminds Brutus that his own ancestors were responsible for founding the Roman republic. This manipulative phrase flatters Brutus and convin...
In Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, the concept of sacrifice repeatedly emerges throughout the novel. Dickens expresses his views on sacrifice through Sydney Carton’s sacrifice of life to Lucie, Mr. Lorry’s transformation from giving up his personal life for his job to sacrificing his professional duties for his personal life, and Miss Pross’ self sacrifice in order protect Lucie. Charles Dickens uses different motivations for sacrifice in each case, but he uses the concept repeatedly to show that it is important for people to sacrifice for the sake of loved ones rather than themselves.
The very first signs of sacrifice are noted in the opening scenes of the book. Dickens writes of a “fated revolution” by metaphorically comparing the woodsman and the forester to the creation of the guillotine. Dickens notes that in the midst of a revolution, heavy bloodshed must be made in order to achieve the vengeance that the peasants desire. Though the peasants were originally people of good faith, they were forced by the aristocratic government to take drastic actions. Poverty, the mother of all crimes, along with the aristocrats “crushing of humanity out of shape once more” gave the peasants no choice.” Dickens conveys here that because of the negligence of the government, the people were forced to sacrifice their good nature and engage in the violent acts that caused a time of great animosity and dejection.
Manipulation influences decisions and changes others’ thoughts. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, manipulative language acts prominently between the characters. Brutus struggles to decide if the safety of the Roman Republic appears more important than his friendship with Julius Caesar. Cassius tries to persuade him to join the conspiracy that decides to kill Caesar. Envious of Julius Caesar’s power, the Senators believes that when Caesar becomes ruler, the change of government forever affects Rome. Brutus agrees that it seems for the best of Rome for Caesar never to become dictator, but he never wishes to change his opinion on his death. In a persuasive manner, Cassius sends anonymous letters to Brutus to convince him to join the conspiracy. The conspiracy consists of senators and aristocrats who gather to converse about the Julius Caesar’s assassination. Cassius nominates Brutus as the leader of the conspiracy in order to gain his vote. They decide to kill Caesar on “the Ides of March.” On the morning of March 15th, Caesar’s wife persuades him to stay home because of an eerie dream. Decius, a conspirator, convinces him that the dream retains good omens. In a rush to become king, Caesar goes to the Capitol where the conspirators murder him. Therefore, Antony begs to speak at his funeral where he convinces the plebeians that Caesar never means harm. At this point, Antony declares war on the Caesar’s killers. In the end, he defeats Brutus and Cassius, and the two conspirators kill themselves. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare declares that language expresses a powerful weapon, and in the hands of a skilled person, it manipulates others through the use of foreshadowing, imagery, and verbal irony.
As the play opens, Brutus is known as a Roman nobleman and a member of one of the most illustrious families in Rome. He is first seen in Act I, scene ii, as one of Caesar’s “close friends” who is part of his entourage. But while alone with Cassius he is persuaded into taking a part in the assassination of Caesar. He is weary at first, and it seems as though it took Cassius some time to talk him into agreeing, yet Brutus looked at Caesar as some type of threat as well.
How would one feel and behave if every aspects of his or her life is controlled and never settled. The physical and emotional wrought of slavery has a great deal of lasting effect on peoples judgment, going to immense lengths to avoid enslavement. In the novel, Beloved, Toni Morrison uses the characters adversity to expose the real struggles of slavery and the impact it has on oneself and relationships. Vicariously living through the life of Sethe, a former slave who murdered one of her kids to be liberated from the awful life of slavery.