Preview

Relationships in Julius Caesar

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
386 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Relationships in Julius Caesar
Simón Crosby-Arreaza 2/2/13
Julius Caesar Essay In Julius Caesar, the relationships between Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus, Mark Antony and Caius Cassius are very important. They show the motivations for the characters' actions throughout the play. While some relationships may be sincere, others may be little more than one-sided political alliances. Brutus is manipulated by Cassius' plot against Caesar. Brutus' own naïve leads to the plot failing and ultimately his downfall. The relationship between Caesar and Brutus is a sincere friendship. While it isn't revealed how long they have known each other, they seem to be good friends. This friendship is the reason why, at first, Brutus is hesitant to join Cassius in his conspiracy. However, Brutus thinks that Caesar should not be in power because he will be corrupted by political power and look down on everyone else. When Brutus stabs Caesar, the latter asks "et tu, Brute?", seemingly in shock at the fact that his friend could have betrayed him. Mark Antony and Caesar were close friends. Antony adored Caesar and followed his every command without question. They were even related, thus being family. Antony faithfully avenges Caesar's death at the end of the play, amassing his army and defeating Cassius and Brutus' forces. Antony addresses the Romans at Caesar's funeral, acting as a powerful rhetorician and convincing the plebians that Cassius and the rest of the conspirators are wrong in killing Caesar. Cassius uses Brutus as the spearhead of his plan to kill Caesar. Since Brutus is well-respected, Cassius' conspiracy gains respect among those who know about it. Brutus sees Cassius as a close friend and thus joins him in the plot. Brutus does not seem to realize that Cassius wants to topple Caesar out of envy. Brutus shows his naïveté in believing that conspiracy is for the good of Rome rather than a political plot. The relationships between these characters in Julius Caesar ultimately lead to Brutus'

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The Roman's godlike worship of Caesar threatens the prominence of the Senate. To retain his dominance Mark Antony chooses to become a close ally to him. Cassius, Brutus, and the other conspirators however, plot Caesar’s demise. In the end, Mark Antony finds high esteem and the conspirators receive banishment and death. The play is an example, or maybe even a warning, that our actions and reactions have real effects. Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Cinna, Trebonius, and Cimber respond swiftly and without thought to Caesar’s rise and pay a heavy price for it in the end. Mark Antony sees the worth in being Caesar’s friend, and their friendship benefits him when Caesar is dead. In the play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare the principal characters' initial reactions to Caesar’s rise affect their conclusive outcomes.…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cassies Conspires

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, there are a few characters with great soliloquies, who have an extremely dramatic effect on the plot of the story. One of those characters happens to be Cassius, Caesar’s enemy. During Act I, scene ii, Cassius starts plotting against Caesar, as he is now the new leader of Rome. Although Cassius is the one going against Caesar, he manipulates Brutus, Caesar’s…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To begin with, Brutus and Cassius both helped kill Caesar, but their motives for doing so were different. The motive that drove Brutus to killing Caesar was his love of Rome. Even though Brutus loved Caesar, he was convinced that Caesar would ruin Rome, which he loved even more than Caesar. This was proven when Brutus stated “Not that I loved Caesar less but that I loved Rome more."In comparison, The motivation…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Brutus’s internal conflict over killing Julius Caesar, a close friend and prominent political figure, is one of the main underlying themes of Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Though Brutus “loves Caesar well” and has no personal reason to want to harm him, he is worried that if Caesar was to become king he would become a tyrant.…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Brutus loves Julius Caesar; however Cassius manages to turn Brutus against Caesar by taking advantage of Brutus’s obsession with virtue. Cassius urges Brutus to “think of the world” and kill Caesar for the good of Rome (1.2 329). Cassius explains to Brutus that Caesar must be killed in order to preserve Rome, and not because of any other reason, like Cassius’s jealousy. Cassius explains that Caesar is unfit, saying that “Caesar cannot even swim”, and unworthy to rule Rome, saying that Brutus is more fit. Brutus does not respond to the statements made by Cassius, and draws more attention to the “general shout[s]” of the people (1.2 139). Brutus avoids the questions and must “recount hereafter” of Cassius’s reasoning, Brutus needs time to consider if the conspiracy is virtuous or not (1.2 174). If…

    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Caesar's relationship with Brutus is mostly based on respect. Just the fact that Caesar allows Brutus to speak to him shows how much he respects him. Caesar feels that Brutus is noble to him and does the right thing regardless of personal danger. On the Ides of March, as Caesar was assassinated, Caesar's last line is: "Et tu, Brute?--Then fall, Caesar." (Act 3, Scene 1). This shows that Caesar would not die without Brutus' stab. Caesar realizes that there must be a noble reason for this assassination if Brutus was in it. This also shows how much Caesar respects Brutus and the decision he had made.…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Julius Caesar Thesis

    • 1118 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Cassius is one of the sly conspirators out for Caesar. He feels that Caesar will grow too ambitious, so he must be stopped before he's out of control. Therefore, he plans to murder Caesar. In order to make his murder look like a sacrifice for Rome and not a bloody plot, he must get Brutus in on his plan. With Brutus' good reputation the murder would be looked upon as a good deed. In order to appeal to Brutus, Cassius disguises his personality. In guise of a devoted friend, Cassius flatters Brutus to his fullest extent. He says, ."..Thoughts of great value worthy of cogitations/Tell me, good Brutus, Can you see your face?" (1.2. ). By pretending to flatter Brutus, Cassius hopes Brutus will join the conspiracy. Cassius plans ends up working and Brutus fears that Caesar will eventually become power hungry. Cassius is pleased that his false words have had an effect on Brutus, and he states to himself, "I am glad that my weak words/Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus" (1.2. ). Cassius' appeared to be considerate of Brutus' feelings, but in reality Cassius was really stabbing him in the back and "forcing" him to join the…

    • 1118 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Roman Empire and Brutus

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Brutus is a patriotic middle aged man, who truly cares about the well being of his fellow people. “I do fear, the people, Choose Caesar for their king,” says Brutus. (Act 1 scene 2, 80) Despite Brutus’ friendship with Caesar, he much rather prefers Rome to remain a republic. He puts the masses before his own friendship. Brutus in return, is seen as trustworthy and reliable by the people. Indeed, Brutus is a noble man. Brutus says, “For let the gods so speed me as I love, the name of honor more than I fear death.” (act 1 scene 2, 90) He values honesty, fairness and balance. He is willing to lay his own life for what he believes. He is passionate and will do as much as what is needed so that what he believes is right will shine through. Brutus is easily swayed by Cassius in Act 1 scene 2. “Brutus and Caesar—what should be in that “Caesar”?” says the sly Cassius. (Act 2 scene 2, 140) After Cassius’ speech, Brutus considers the proposition of plotting against Caesar and does not shun the idea at all. Brutus is so willing to believe in his worthiness and Cassius’ call for action. He fails to truly listen to the Romans because he is too engrossed in doing what he believes is best for them.…

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cassius Domino Effect

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Cassius’s is seen as the leader of the conspirators, the manipulative master behind the cruel plan. He, with many others, disdain Caesar for his arrogance, yet Cassius encompasses the same exact trait. His arrogance is shown in Act I, when he and Brutus are talking, and Cassius notices the unease in Brutus’ eyes when they believe Caesar is crowned. He says, “I was born as free as Caesar,” (1.2, 104). In this speech Cassius is trying to convey the idea that Brutus is as good as Caesar so that Brutus will be more inclined to join the conspiracy, but Cassius uses the first comparison of Caesar to explain that Caesar is no better than he. His cunning, manipulative nature bleeds through in his very first speech, his arrogance is clearly shown and his motives laid down. Cassius’ jealousy leads to his revulsion of Caesar. Only Caesar’s death being the answer to Cassius’ insecurities.…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Caesar sees Brutus stab him and speaks. “Et tu Brute? – Then fall, Caesar” (III. i. 84-85). The conspirators know everyone thinks of Brutus as such a noble man, that he is used as a way of getting what the conspirators want, which is killing Caesar, without punishment.…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Julius Caesar

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the beginning of Julius Caesar, Brutus was known as an honorable man who cared more about the state of Rome than anyone else did. When Cassius was talking to Brutus, he mentioned that he knows Brutus has “virtue to be in him” (1.2.97). Brutus was well known for his integrity- enough that others praised him for that. This allowed him to be easily manipulated if he believed it was for the greater good. It was because of this weakness that Cassius wanted to have Brutus join him in his conspiracy. This was done in order to legitimize his conspiracy. During the time when Cassius began to convince Brutus to join the conspiracy, Brutus tells the belief, he would “rather be a villager” (1.2.181) than to live under tyranny. This shows that Brutus would sacrifice everything to prevent Rome’s fall, and it’s rise to tyranny. Only a man who was incredible virtuous would sacrifice his social status and way of life just to protect his country.…

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the act, Cassius succeeds in manipulating Brutus by creating fabricated letters by Roman citizens calling for Brutus to save them from Caesar. Once he is convinced that Caesar is a plight to the Roman people, Brutus only then decides to aid Caius Cassius in assassinating Caesar. Through these events, Brutus displays remarkable selflessness and dedication to the well-being of Rome. Once the conspiracy against Caesar succeeds, Brutus again exhibits honor by allowing a close friend of Caesar, Mark Antony, to speak at Caesar’s funeral. Even after killing the most powerful man in Rome, Brutus still demonstrates a trusting nature by allowing Antony to speak to the Roman people.…

    • 994 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When Antony says “Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death to see thy Antony making his peace, shaking the bloody hands of thy foes, most noble in the presence of thy course?” He makes it appear as if he is making a pact of concord to Brutus and the other conspirators by shaking hands with them. Antony then goes on to say “Friend am I with you all, and love you all.” Antony cunningly uses this all to outwit Brutus. Antony then uses his charisma to convince Brutus to let him talk at Caesar’s funeral unsupervised and is successful in turning the plebeians against…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Brutus Tragic Hero

    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “Et tu, Bruté?” (III.i.85). This quotation by Caesar sums Brutus up as a character in the William Shakespeare play, The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar. It shows his flaws and his ambition. Brutus’ flaws are shown when he turns on one of his friends. His quest is to save Rome from the power of Caesar. Brutus is also a great leader and is always loyal to Rome no matter the circumstances. Brutus’ flaws, heroic qualities, and his quest to save Rome show he is the tragic hero in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.…

    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Julius Caesar Composition

    • 600 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Has someone close to you, a best friend, or a wingman ever betrayed you? That is what the play “Tragedy of Julius Caesar”, by William Shakespeare is all about. In the play Julius Caesar is the new ruler of Rome. Cassius, who is conspirator, does not want him to be ruler. So Cassius skillfully convinces Brutus that he would be a better ruler of Rome than Caesar. Cassius convinces Brutus by telling stories about Caesars personality flaws that make him a weak ruler and Brutus a better one.…

    • 600 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays