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Steven Kraplin – Yale11/27/07Mr. AronsonLiterature
 Julius Caesar 
Essay
 Brutus, the honorable man
In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus, one of the key conspirators in the murder of Caesar, was an honorable man. Brutus had an internal conflict; he could either be loyal to hisfriend Caesar, or to Rome. He was honorable because he betrayed his friend out of the love for the greater good & the Republic. Brutus was honorable because he did what he thought wasright, and for that Brutus deserved honor. Throughout Julius Caesar there are many examples of Brutus displaying his honor.Brutus loved Caesar as a close friend would love, but Caesar was growing close to becoming a king, and Brutus feared for the Republic. “What means this shouting? I do fear the people choose Caesar for their king.” (I, ii, 85-86) Cassius took what Brutus said, and worked off of it to build up his argument against Caesar. Brutus still loved Caesar, but Cassius’ plotting andmanipulating convinced Brutus to finally join the conspirators. After he received the letter Cassius left for him he decided to do something about Caesar. Brutus participated in theassassination of Caesar purely for the greater good of Rome.Brutus is a selfless man who does everything for the wellbeing of the Roman citizens.“No, not an oath. If not the face of men, the sufferance of our souls, the time’s abuse – if these bemotives weak, break off betimes, and every man hence to his idle bed. So let high-sightedtyranny range on till each man drop by lottery.” (II, i, 125-130) Brutus tells the conspirators thatthere is no need for an oath because they join for the same and common cause, and thus they donot need the oath. He believes so strongly in what he wishes to accomplish that he does not fear for oath breakers if they all serve the Roman people and are being self righteous in their act.
 
What Brutus considers self righteous he also considers honorable, even if it means betrayingCaesar for the better of Rome. Thus Brutus considers his act of disloyalty honorable.Antony is not on Brutus’ list of dangerous men, for Antony is but a part of Caesar, and if Caesar dies Antony’s power dies with him. This is Brutus’ philosophy when he convinces theconspirators not to kill Antony. “Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius, to cut the headoff and then hack the limbs, like wrath in death and envy afterwards; for Antony is but a limb of Caesar” (II, i, 175-179) Since all the conspirators wanted Brutus’ help they follow what Brutussays and does. Brutus does not wish to spill more blood than has already been spilt. He isdefending that which will be left of the remnants of Caesar after they kill him. This is honorablein a abnormal way; Brutus is possibly trying to make up for what he plans to do. Not to killAntony would be like saving the limbs of Caesar and offering him a quick death.Brutus’ intentions are clear; he loves Rome as much as he loved Caesar. After the death of Caesar he goes out into the public, wishing for the commoners to know what he accomplished.All he wished for was “Peace, freedom, and liberty!” (III, i, 122). What is honor, if not the lovefor another so strong that one would kill that other to achieve it? Brutus was honorable in his actand position in the murder of Caesar. He fought for the right cause and for the right people, and,in many minds did the right thing. Only the “limbs of Caesar” thought him evil for what he andthe conspirators did. “O Antony, beg not your death of us! … With all our kind love and goodthoughts, and reverence.” (III, i, 180-192) Pity and promise of power lead these men toassassination of Caesar, yet Brutus is the only one who defends the conspirators and what theydid. Brutus was the only one who had clean intentions; all the others did it for personal gain.In his speech to his Roman countrymen, Brutus speaks of what he did. One idea in hisspeech stands out more than all the others. “If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, to him I say that Brutus’ love to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend demand
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