Julius Caesar - William Shakespeare

Train of Self Destruction

In the classic play, Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare the character Brutus becomes blinded by his trust towards others, his honorable status, and most of all his love for Rome. This eventually causes the tragic death of Caesar Augustus and himself. Brutus as a highly regarded Roman official always tries to make the best decision for himself and most importantly for Rome. Over time he becomes blinded by himself and eventually dishonors himself, the once most honorable man of Rome. Brutus’s trust towards other people becomes primarily exhibited in scene 2 in which Brutus says “It must be by his death (Caesar), and for my part I know no personal cause to spurn at him but for the general” (2.1.10-13). This quote demonstrates the unquenchable fire that is Brutus’s pure-hearted love for the common people and the empire that is Rome. He believes the only way to stop the tyranny to come to Rome is to kill the man he loves, as his best friend of course, Caesar Augustus. The trust that he exhibits implies that when he talks to someone he believes is honorable he takes their word for everything they say. He believes automatically that they have the best interest for himself and Rome, just as he would. Brutus’s nobility and prestige a leading factor in why he becomes involved with the conspirators. He becomes involved with the conspirators when they begin to see how close he has grown to Caesar. In scene two of act four Brutus’s power became displayed when the action of stage became, “Drum. Enter BRUTUS with LUCIUS, LUCILLIUS, and the army. TITINIUS and PINDARUS meet them” (4.2.0). Common people do not averagely know people such as Cassius and Antony because they are both nobility or higher ranked members of the Roman society. Cassius as one of the main conspirators takes advantage of Brutus’s trust and uses it to destroy what was supposed to be the future monarch of Rome. Brutus’s love for Rome killed himself and Caesar. Blinded by the glory that appeared to be the Roman empire, Brutus chose what HE thought would be best for Rome. Unfortunantely for Caesar it was his murder. Along with Brutus, Caesar was a very honorable man he says,“The valiant never taste of death but once” as a foreshadowing towards his own death (2.2.33)! Caesar ended up living a great life and was a great leader, only to be backstabbed for selfish reasons. However only one man killed him for what he thought was right, because he was manipulated into doing so, that man was Marcus Brutus. The conspirators say, “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. His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, 'This was a man! ' “ (5.5.73-80). Indeed he was a man, the best man of them all. Brutus the man of honor, the man of trust. These are two characteristics always seen with the character Brutus in the classic Shakespeare play, Julius Caesar. The characteristics of honor and trust lead to a sense a pride and blindness to unveil what he sees as evil. Eventually the blindness found with these characteristics will be his own demise because the man of great honor, in the end, dishonors himself. With the conclusion of the play we learn that Marcus Brutus was not just a common man, but a man of many talents, and he deserves the motto upon his grave entitled, “This was a man” (5.5.80).

Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. 822-912. Print.

Cited: Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. 822-912. Print.