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 was a stoic, a person who remains calm and self-controlled and appears to be indifferent to pleasure and pain. That was his philosophy. In Act II Scene 1, Cauis says, " I am not sick if Brutus have in hand/Any exploit worthy the name of honor" (374). In the same scene, Cassius states, "No man here/But honors you; and everyone doth wish/You had but that opinion of yourself/Which every noble Roman bears of you." Cassius believed that Brutus would have provided an honorable front for his own selfish deeds. Brutus was a man who cared more about the power of Rome than the people of Rome. This is how he justified murdering Caesar. Brutus admitted that he killed for the wrong reasons and the killing was justified. He came across as a moral snob who disliked debate or compromise and always insisted on getting his own way. His pride caused him to dismiss Cicero, a potential rival, even though Cicero was the greatest orator of the times. In his refusal to accept his human limitations, Brutus was as vain and ambitious as Caesar.
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...
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 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
His honor and loyalty shape the world around him. You can see how honor and loyalty shaped the world around him when Cassius comes to him to ask him for help in dealing with Caesar. Even thou Brutus love 's Caesar and knows that Caesar is a good man, he lets Cassius talk him into looking deeper and see that Rome can 't have a tyrant as a leader. He tells Cassius "Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, That you would have me seek into myself, for that which is not in me?" (1.2.65-67). Brutus knows that killing his best friend is not something he wants to do, but he 's ready to commit such crime because it 's for the good of the Rome and the people of
Brutus’ being his naiveness. Brutus was an optimistic man who thought everything and everyone were pure. Brutus thought that no one would ever delude him. Brutus has not done anything to wrong the world, he would never be wronged by the world,Brutus always believed in karma. This attribute of his lead to his demise. Everyone who Brutus relied on would delude him at one point or another in the story. Yet he allows this to happen to him, he is the way to trustful and doesn’t realize anyone 's evil intentions. This flaw consequently led to his demise. His first act of being naive was in Act II, Scene 1 when he had received all those fake letters from his future conspirator group which he believed to be the citizens of Rome. He had believed the letters which of course, was all a lie into getting Brutus to join the group. In Act III, Scene II, he allows Antony to speak in honor of Caesar, which in the end ruined him. Brutus allowing this to happen was the precursor to the war. ultimately this was not due to his naive nature but by pure inclination. In Act V, Scene II, Brutus starts the battle without telling Cassius. This choice consequently led to his suicide, because he would rather do that than to be dragged throughout Rome. This being said Brutus is evidently the tragic hero. He is an honorable and noble man and Antony says it perfectly at the ending, in which he says “This was the noblest Roman
He felt that if Caesar was left to his own devices, he would turn Rome into a monarchy instead of a republic. He thought that would turn Rome into an enslaved nation, under the rule of just one ruler instead of three like it had been before Caesar killed Pompeii. Brutus loved Caesar dearly, as he was one of his closest friends, but he chose to attempt to better Rome rather than allow Caesar to become king. Brutus, along with a few select other people, plotted to kill Caesar. This was one of many honorable acts Brutus performed for the sake of Rome. However, one of Caesar’s friends, Antony, turned the common people against Brutus, forcing him and the rest of the conspirators to run away. Despite his honorable decision, Brutus met his demise not too long after being forced to run away by killing himself. His own honorable character ultimately lead to his
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)
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.
To begin, the best reason Brutus gives to justify the killing of Caesar is that it will be for the best interest of the people(II,i,11). This is huge because the people of Rome stand for a republic, and Caesar wants to become king. Brutus is doing this act for the people, acts like this are
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.
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).
As a “speculative man of high motives and refined sensibility”(Catherine C. Dominic) Brutus does have his confusion of motives. Act I, scene ii, is the first we see his weakness, “his concern with reputation and appearance, his subtle vanity and pride”(Gayle Green). Yet the main bases of Brutus’s bewilderment of motives takes place in Act II, scene I, with his famous soliloquy beginning with “It must be by his death”. This speech may be the turning point in which Brutus feels better about the assassination of his once called friend.
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”
The play Julius Caesar depicts Brutus to be an extremely noble being who is well respected and honored by all Romans, even his enemies. 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 finished, even his enemies saw that he was the most respectable Roman of them all.