n the Spirit of Men There is no Blood: Idealists in Shakespeare

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Idealism finds itself as a common theme rooted in the very soul of Brutus, Portia, and Desdemona. The type of idealism employed by Shakespeare in his characters can be identified as metaphysical idealism, “which asserts the ideality of reality” (Robinson).

In Julius Caesar, Brutus is the well-respected idealist. In the beginning of the play, and up until Caesar’s murder Brutus is highly respected by the people which can be shown by Cassius’s comment to Brutus as he is introducing Brutus to the other conspirators:

no man here

But honors you, and every one doth wish

You had but that opinion of yourself

Which every noble Roman bears of you. (II. i. 92–95)

Cassius asks him to help him murder Caesar, and Brutus finds himself torn because he is being forced to decide what means more to him: Caesar or Rome? His idealism compels him to make the better choice for the majority: “It must be by his death: and for my part,/I know no personal cause to spurn at him,/But for the general” (II. i. 10–12). After Cassius persuades Brutus to help him murder Caesar, he and Decius also try to get Brutus to agree to murder Antony:

DECIUS. Shall no man else be touched but only Caesar?

CASSIUS. Decius, well urged. I think it is not meet

Mark Antony, so well beloved of Caesar,

Should outlive Caesar. We shall find of him

A shrewd contriver. And, you know, his means,

If he improve them, may well stretch so far

As to annoy us all; which to prevent,

Let Antony and Caesar fall together.

BRUTUS. 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.

We all stand up against th...

... middle of paper ...

...pted murder. If he would have chosen the path of mercy like she suggested no one would have even thought of charging him with attempted murder. She then forces him to beg to the duke and Antonio for his life and belongings. This dramatic change from her merciful approach, seems completely opposite of what an idealist would have done, but Portia makes Shylock beg for mercy. She tries to show him the power of mercy again, idealistically hoping that he will learn mercy from his experience.

Works Cited

Mabillard, Amanda. "Othello Character Introduction." Othello Character Introduction. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

Mahon, John W., and Ellen Macleod Mahon. The Merchant of Venice: Critical Essays. New York: Routledge, 2002. Print.

Robinson, Daniel Sommer. "Idealism (philosophy)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

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