Julius Caesar : Ambition, Power, And Misinterpretation

Brutus was very naive and got influenced by Cassius very easily. Cassius was very smart and manipulated Brutus to make him agree with him. Cassius said, “If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius, He should not humour me.” (Shakespeare, p.13). Brutus believed that his friend, Caesar had a negative impact on Rome decided to join the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar. Even though Caesar was his friend, Brutus always showed loyalty towards Rome. Brutus' tragic flaw is that he is not good at figuring out other’s intentions, and trusted Cassius. If Brutus never listened to Cassius in the first place, he would not have joined the conspiracy, and might not have had a tragic end.

Power is the ultimate goal of many throughout their life. If power is taken advantage of it

Brutus, Cassius, Caesar, and the other Senators held the power to do things others could not. With this authority came their ability to use poor judgement. In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Julius Caesar the theme Power Corrupts is arrayed thoroughly. Murder, treason, and ethical/moral corruption were three prevalent themes that proved the overall topic of Power Corrupts.

    Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar is a tragic play, where the renowned Julius Caesar is on the brink of achieving total control and power by becoming emperor of the Roman Empire. Ironically enough, when he thinks he is one step away from pulling it off, his "friends" (most from the senate) decide to overthrow him, with Caesar's most trusted friend, Marcus Brutus, acting as leader of the conspirators. Though the fall of Caesar from the most powerful man in the world to a man who's been betrayed and stabbed 30 times is a great downfall, he is not the tragic hero. Shakespeare's main focus is Marcus Brutus, a noble man who brings upon himself a great misfortune by his own actions,

He states that Brutus is just as noble and worthy as Caesar. (Act 1, scene ii). He says that Brutus cannot see what everyone else does and recognize his worthiness. Cassius and the other senators do not want Caesar to be king because they would lose all their power. Cassius is slowly luring Brutus in to do his dirty work. He builds Brutus’s confidence up to make him thing that killing Caesar is the right thing to do. Cassius is basically playing with Brutus’s head because he knows Brutus will listen. So, Brutus joins the conspirators in killing Caesar. Cassius tells Brutus that it is for the good of Rome, and that he is saving them from a dictatorship. Cassius is going for Brutus’s weakest point, his care and concern for Rome. He knows that if Brutus believes the people distrust Caesar, then he will be convinced that Caesar must be thwarted. Brutus knew that if Caesar was crowned, he would never have a chance, and he was power hungry. This is what ultimately leads to the tragedy of Julius Caesar. After Brutus kills Caesar off, he starts to feel guilty for killing his friend, thus creating an internal conflict. Brutus was so confident that the plan would go exactly as planned that he fell apart when they encountered problems. If Brutus and the other conspirators had taken more time to think things through, they probably would have been more prepared for the situation that was handed to them.

In the play, it is evident that Cassius wanted to kill Caesar for selfish reasons(I, ii, 140-145). The citation shows that Cassius was jealous, but Brutus saw right through

He compares Caesar to a serpent in an egg which he must kill before it hatches. Brutus knows that Caesar is gaining too much power too quickly and it must come to an end. He shows his belief in a republic government by saying, “We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar / And in the spirit of men there is no blood" (II.i. 180-181). Cassius is a character who is jealous of Caesar’s power and also wants it to end. He forms a group of conspirators who are against Julius Caesar. He persuades Brutus to help him and the other conspirators to kill Caesar during the ides of March. Brutus joins but only due to his love for Rome and its people. He proves this by saying "Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius." (II.i. 179). This also proves his love for Caesar because he wants to kill him with some sort of honor. Brutus wants the citizens to look at him not as a murderer but for someone who cares for his country. He expresses his ideas toward the stabbing by saying , “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" (III, ii, 17-19).

Brutus was not right to join the conspiracy with Cassius to kill Caesar. When Julius Caesar returned to Rome, he was known as a hero. Other citizens of Rome were afraid that Caesar was going to be dictator for life and have too much power. Brutus was very close to Caesar and had to choose between his friendship with Caesar and to prevent Caesar’s goal to undermine the Roman Republic. Cassius had also convinced Brutus that Caesar was going to make himself a monarch and turned him against his own friend by manipulating him and making Brutus the one to kill Caesar. His reason for killing Caesar was he saw his power as tyrannical and he thought the Roman Republic Government was in danger. Brutus’ reasons are not valid because there was no need to kill Caesar. Brutus supported the republic with good intentions but bad character flaws.

The definition of ambition is a strong desire to achieve something, usually requiring determination and hard work. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare based on true events from Roman history. This play demonstrates ambition through Caesar. Caesar is a highly successful but ambitious political leader of Rome. The people of Rome wanted him to become their king, and conspirators saw that as a threat. Many of the conspirators feel that he is too ambitious and going to become a tyrant, so they plot to murder him. Caesar’s ambition is also what worries Brutus, and ultimately leads to Brutus joining the conspiracy to murder Caesar. The conspirators along with Brutus successfully murder Caesar. Throughout the play there are multiple instances where Caesar’s overly ambitious character was detrimental and lead to his downfall. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar written by Shakespeare, through Caesar, demonstrates how ambition may be the force propelling one towards accomplishment, it can still lead to one’s downfall.

Desire for power is a fundamental human concern that connects Niccolo Machiavelli’s 16th century speculum principum The Prince, and Shakespeare’s 1599 historical tragedy Julius Caesar, through the contextual barrier.(respond to question) Machiavelli’s Italy has become “beaten, despoiled” by constant infighting whereas Shakespeare’s Elizabethan England is fear ridden with rife possibility of aristocratic war to acquire the throne of heirless Queen Elizabeth I when her reign ends. These contexts of different time period, but filled with the same political tension, shape their criticism of Renaissance humanism’s hubristic depiction of man created “in the image of god” especially through utilisation of historical antiquity, a Renaissance technique, to explore the compromising influence of human desire for power on their moral integrity and state’s stability and glory. Therefore, the comparison of both texts (incl. their given extracts) with different contexts but similar treatment of key human and state values, reveals the impossibility of a perfect human governed state. (respond to question)

Jealousy drove Cassius to have Julius Caesar killed. Cassius was Caesars closest advisor and used that as an advantage to convince Brutus to destroy the life of Julius Caesar because he felt as if Caesar wasn’t fit to be Roman King. Cassius was also motivated to kill Caesar because he believed that Caesar sought to subvert the republic into his own identity. He felt that is Caesar was Roman King, a dictatorship would form. Cassius’ main intention was to convince Brutus that removing Julius Caesar from power would be a good way to help the republic prosper.

In the play, Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, Caesar is seen as greedy and ambitious by many people. For the most part, the betrayers who murdered Caesar, including Casca, see him as an icy ruler who, if he gets ahold of too much power, would destroy Rome. Since the betrayers only see him as something which could turn out to be very wicked, they attempt and succeed in murdering Caesar. When Casca sees Caesar turn down the crown, he sees a man who becomes weaker and weaker under the crown's power. Each time that Casca saw Mark Antony offer Caesar the crown, it seemed as though he was about to say yes. However, under great strength and determination, he said no. Through Casca's own eyes the only thing to be seen is an ambitious

Even though Brutus’ actions align with those of the other conspirators, his motives do not. The other conspirators motives included envy, hatred, and revenge, “Take heed of Cassius. Come not near Casca. Have an eye to Cinna. Trust not Trebonius. Mark well Metellus Cimber. Decius Brutus loves thee not. Thou hast wronged Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent against Caesar.” (Shakespeare, 2.3.1-9) however Brutus’ motive was solely to protect Rome. In the play, Brutus states that he wished he could harm Caesar’s spirit instead of his body, “Oh, that we then could come by Caesar’s spirit and not dismember Caesar! But alas, Caesar must bleed for it.” (Shakespeare, 2.3.76-78) showing that Brutus did not necessarily want to kill Caesar, but saw that it was the only way. This was even recognized by one of his enemies, Mark Antony “This was the noblest Roman of them all. All the conspirators save only he did that they did in envy of great Caesar. He only in a general honest thought and common good to all, made one of them.” (Shakespeare, 5.5.73-77) As well As having different motives for killing Caesar, Brutus’ actions do not completely align with the desires of the other conspirators. In the play, the other conspirators suggest that they kill Mark Antony, along with Caesar, because he would have the power to cause them harm. Brutus recognizes that they would only be killing Antony for personal gain, and not for the good of Rome, and shuts down this suggestion, “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.”(Shakespeare,

Power is a natural desire for humans. It is what structures society, makes the world turn, and to get more of it, people will do almost anything. Yet society often follows whoever is in power without a second thought. Because the Romans follow whoever is in power without considering that person’s morals and ideals, they are responsible for the anarchy that ensues after Caesar’s death.

Anthony is showing that Caesar was not ambitious at all, Caesar was trying to help and make Rome a better place. He brought wealth to the city and also listened to what the Roman republic wanted and try to help them get the things that they wanted. Although Caesar knew what power is he didn't know how dangerous it might be in his hands. Caesar's friends saw what Caesar didn't in himself. Furthermore, during Brutus’ soliloquy in Act Two Scene One, Brutus mentions Caesar’s greed for power.