Why Nero Was An Iconoclast?

In the later Annals, Tacitus expressed displeasure when Nero 'forces him to commit suicide.' Out of all the characters Tacitus has shown the reader that Corbulo is the one who he feels should have been emperor. Overall, my impression of Tacitus is one who has had his views tainted and distorted by tyrannical rulers and unjust emperors. He heavily criticises Nero for his extravangance and habits, but especially for his short - sightedness. The omens, his hatred of megalomaniac women like Poppaea and his brilliant creation of speeches (Agrippina's death) all contribute to his unique narrative style.

The first was letting Mark Antony live and the second was letting him speak alone at the funeral. When Cassius first suggested that they should kill Mark Antony, which they should of, but the noble Brutus said “Our course will seem to bloody.” That was not his only mistake with Mark Antony he also let him speak at Caesar funeral. He was warned by Cassius, but Brutus ignored him as usual. When Mark Antony spoke he got crowd on his side and they killed all the conspirators except for Brutus and Cassius (they excepted the angry mob and left Rome). This was some more trouble that was caused by Brutus.

Caesar’s untimely and unnecessary death created a unique rhetorical moment that Marc Antony seized. Bitzer states in his article “The Rhetorical Situation” that “a particular discourse comes into existence because of some specific condition or situation which invites utterance” (Bitzer 41). According to the assassins, Caesar’s murder was necessary for the good of all the Roman citizens, who unquestioningly believed Brutus’s accusations that Caesar was ambitious and unfit to govern Rome. Marc Antony used his speech to win back the citizens and unite them in grief and outrage at Caesar’s murder. One of Marc Antony’s objectives as he ascended to the pulpit was to refute the claims of Caesar’s guilt of ambition: “I thrice presented him a kingly crown, / Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?

Brutus believes he was thinking on behalf of Rome’s common good. The conspirators focus on Caesar’s hubris; therefore, forgot all the good that he had achieved. Caesar’s assassination cannot be justified because Brutus and Cassius kill him too soon to see if he would be a poor ruler like they believed.

To whoever was burned out of office as a choice of the public should not be reelected, and if any magistrate was to execute a roman citizen without a legal trial, shadowing his brother’s death, that controversy must be brought into the public sphere (Plutarch). Gracchus’s intention proposing these laws was to please the people and weaken the power of the senate that has been inequitable. After his brothers death he... ... middle of paper ... ...resent him as. Gaius Gracchus faced many obstacles in his tribuneship, from the senators, to the consuls and even at one point, the public. After Gaius was murdered by Optimus’s army and had his “head was cut off” (Plutarch), his reform still stood in place after his death (Lenski).

So in reality by killing Caesar it wasn’t displaying loyalty and honor it was really showing stupidity. But Brutus’ tragic flaws are the real reason of his own downfall, as well as Rome’s. Unfortunately Rome’s downfall was because Brutus had caused his own downfall. It first started when the conspirators killed Caesar, but what had made the situation worse was allowing Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral. After the funeral the locals of Rome was so moved by Antony’s speech that they were in a blind fury and had to kill any conspirator that they had found, which ended up in the death of Cinna the poet.

As Caesar was imperfect like everyone else he compared himself to an immortal god and thus we see his arrogance. Caesar did originally think of cassius as a threat. Although somehow Caesar pushed his caution off the edge because he thought he the great and powerful Caesar was untouchable. In the end Caesar was stabbed by many conspirators but namly Cassius and Brutus. Caesar was stabbed by those he overlooked and through his arrogance pushed them to kill him.

Brutus was pulled into the scheme by letters brought to his house by Decius to make him think that the people of Rome wanted him to replace Caesar. Brutus also feels that Caesar is being given too much power and will destroy Rome's democracy. Brutus' reason for killing Caesar is to benefit Rome, he proves this when he states"If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more." After losing to Mark Antony and Octavious, Brutus runs onto his own sword. He sticks to his beliefs, not altering them for others.

Brutus feels he needed to kill Caesar because he believes that Caesar wouldn’t be a rightful ruler for Rome. He had thought of killing him not for his own good, but for the good of the people. Even though Brutus had thought that doing this act would turn out better in the end; it did the opposite. It had caused the Roman citizens to go against Brutus and he had killed himself in the end. Deception, a scheme used against someone so they can get what they want, had been use against Brutus in this Shakespeare p... ... middle of paper ...

In Act III, Scene II, Brutus speaks to the masses and explains why Caesar had to be slain for the good of Rome. Then, Brutus leaves and Antony speaks to the citizens. A far better judge of human nature than Brutus, Antony cleverly manages to turn the crowd against the conspirators by telling them of Caesar's good works and his concern for the people. Another hideous act of the mob was the killing of Cinna the poet. They realize that he is the wrong Cinna, but they are so enraged, they slay him anyway.