Was Julius Caesar Justified Essay

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).

As noble and great as Brutus might be, all tragic heroes have some tragic flaws and make some errors of judgment, which leads them to their downfall. In this case Brutus's great flaw is that he is too honorable, and he's too naïve when he is dealing with people. An example of an error of judgment is when Brutus underestimates Antony, and thinks him incapable of being dangerous after Caesar's death, "For Antony is but a limb of Caesar...he can do no more than Caesar's arm When Caesar's head is off."  This turns out not to be the case. One example of Brutus's excessive honor being damaging to him, is when he decides that only Caesar should die and no one else even if they seem to threaten his cause, as Cassius warns repeatedly that Antony does.

“I do fear the people/Choose Caesar for their king” (I.ii.79-80). Brutus, Caesar’s noble friend, was a marvelous, lowly, and gentle person. He was a very respected and honest man. Brutus joined the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar because of his love for Rome. Brutus saw Caesar’s growing power as repressive. The love Brutus had for Rome and the sense of duty to protect it ultimately forces him to choose between a man he greatly admired or to serve the greater good. In his mind, Brutus was doing what was “noble’ and morally right. In this manner the assassination of Caesar had moral and political justification.

In “The Tiger Who Would Be King”, the tiger quickly reveals his ambition for glory by proclaiming that when the moon rises, “it will be a yellow moon with black stripes, in my honor” (Thurber 1). Thus, one of the tiger’s motives for overthrowing the lion is to gain glory and honor amongst the other creatures. In Julius Caesar, Brutus’s motive for joining the conspirators and assassinating Caesar seems clear. Brutus explains "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, 21-24). Consequently, Brutus establishes that his true motive for killing Caesar was the wellbeing of Rome. Throughout the entire play, other characters perceive Brutus as a noble man. However, he is the tragic hero of Julius Caesar and several of his tragic flaws come to light throughout the play. For instance, Brutus demonstrates that he is arrogant and egotistical when he tells Cassius he is not afraid of his threats because he is armed (III, iii, 69-77). Brutus is fully aware of his portrayal as a nobleman and thinks very highly of himself. Hence, Brutus’s reason for joining the conspirators may have been to cling onto his title as a nobleman while gaining the glory and support of Rome’s citizens. Moreover, Brutus chooses to join the conspirators upon receiving fake letters from citizens urging him to lead Rome (I, ii, 327-334). Undoubtedly, Brutus is not greedy or interested in acquiring power. Brutus only wanted to assassinate Caesar to save Rome from the potential negative effects which Caesar could cause during his rule. Yet, Brutus has an underlying motive to gain honor and glory because he knows killing Caesar to save Rome and please the citizens will allow him to appear heroic and honorable. Hence, Brutus illustrates how a desire for glory can

As Brutus once said “What means this shouting? I do fear the people choose Caesar for their king.” (Act I, Scene ii, Line 78-79). This quote indicates that Brutus is not in favor of Caesar being in power and in fact fears the thought of Caesar becoming their king. I believe that Brutus does not feel it is right to kill Caesar since he has done nothing wrong.

In the play as the story goes on Brutus was the only noble roman in Julius Caesar. Although many people argue that a noble man would have not killed Caesar. In some ways that is true, but Brutus’ was different. As said before noble man would only do for the good of others and some can argue that is what Brutus did. He killed Caesar because he was afraid of how powerful he would become. Through the first part of the play you see Brutus struggling to decide and even then, he had a hard time doing it, and that is what separates Brutus from the other conspirators, every other conspirator had little or no reason to kill Caesar. While Brutus was willing to do anything for Rome. During his speech to the people about Caesar’s murder Brutus stated, “I have the same dagger for myself when it shall please my country to need my death” (III.ii.45-46). This shows how Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (III.ii.20-22). He showed that

To conclude, some people may think killing Caesar was inhumane, but it was done for the people of Rome. Brutus loved Rome so much that he didn’t want to see his people taken as slaves. Brutus loved Caesar, but he loved Rome more. Rome is Brutus. He did what he thought was best for

When it is time to kill Caesar, all the conspirators want Brutus on their side because all the countrymen respect him. Cassius wants to kill Caesar because he does not want Caesar to be higher than him in status, but he himself does not wish to be king. Cassius asks Brutus if he can help the conspirators and him to kill Caesar and Brutus answers them, “If it aught toward the general good” (1.2.93). The only reason Brutus helps the conspirators to kill Caesar, if it is good for the people. He only cares about the people and does not kill Caesar for personal reasons.

Brutus was an honorable man. He died for his honor, and as I mentioned before, he killed Julius Caesar whom he loved for Rome. I believe that is very honorable. Brutus killed Julius Caesar. It was a selfless deed. He had no personal issues with Caesar. Brutus killed Caesar purely for the wellbeing of others. He even states that he doesn’t have a problem with caesar, “I would not, Cassius. Yet I love him well.”(Act 1. Scene 2), here he is responding to Cassius’s question, “Ay, do you fear it? Then must I think you would not have it so.”(Act 1. Scene 2). Cassius is asking if Brutus wants Caesar to be king, brutus does not think he is a good king but likes him as a person. Brutus killed himself for his honor. In the beginning he states, “For let the gods so speed me as I love The name of honor more than I fear death.” (Act 1. Scene 2). Brutus is saying that he would rather die than to have no honor. In the end of the play Brutus does kill himself. He does this so no one else can say that they killed him. He wants to keep his honor even in death. He asked a few of his friends to help but they wouldn’t. When he finally got someone to help him he said, “Farewell, good Strato. (runs on his sword) Caesar, now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a will. (dies)”(Act 5. Scene 5). He is saying that it is easier to kill himself than it was to kill Caesar. He knows he is going to get caught and killed anyway so he decides to kill himself. No one else can take credit for

Brutus has killed himself, and Antony is standing over his corpse. Antony respects him by saying that Brutus was the noblest Roman and Brutus was actually a good person unlike the other conspirators. Although Brutus was a nobleman in Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Brutus becomes easily swayed by the rest of the conspirators to kill Caesar, developing his character. Brutus develops his character because of his conflicts and him trying to distinct between right and wrong, supporting the idea that good intentions can lead to bad things.

Once Brutus had decided that killing Caesar was the best thing for Rome was when the guilt began to overtake him. Brutus’ intention for killing Caesar was also entirely political, while the other conspirators were hungry for power, wealth,

Brutus wanted to kill Caesar for the better of the people, not for any self issue with the ruler. “Caesar now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a will” ( 5. 5. 56-57). He believed that once Caesar was crowned, he would become excessively overpowered and lead the country of Rome to a troublesome downfall. All of the common people of the nation thought of Brutus as a very loyal and noble man who is always looking for the best in others and the country. As said in Shakespeare and in regards to Brutus, “O’ he sits high in all the people’s hearts; And that which would appear offense in us. His countenance, like rich alchemy, Will change to virtue and to worthiness” (1. 3. 157-160). Brutus not only has the characteristics of a hero, but he also takes up heroic

Many people can agree that committing murder isn’t an honorable thing to do. The thought of killing Caesar eats Brutus up both consciously and subconsciously. Brutus said “From the time you decide to do something to the moment you actually do it, everything feels unreal, like a horrid dream” (II, i, 60-66). The realization of killing his best friend creates some turmoil inside Brutus. Even though Brutus claims he is still being honorable while he is in the conspiracy, his true underlying thoughts prove otherwise.

Brutus, although he loved Caesar, was willing to kill him because he believed himself a soldier of Rome. He loved Rome more than Caesar.

In addition, his speech is unusually impressive and convincing. With his clear, cool logic, Brutus convinces the concerned public that Caesar was a tyrant who had to be eliminated to be free. And that would be the best for rome. Brutus is the only one in the play who kills caesar not because of envy and jealousy but for the safety of rome. Brutus is a complex character.