Olivia Taylor

Period 7

April 1, 13

Sometimes our judgment can lead to a bad consequence. In the play Julius Caesar

by William Shakespeare, each of the conspirators has a different motivation for killing

Caesar. Brutus is a loyal man who loves Caesar. Because Brutus is so easily manipulated,

Cassius can easily trick Brutus into being one of the conspirators. Cassius sends letters

through Brutus’ window as the local Roman citizens. The tricked letters consists of local

citizens pretending to be upset because Caesar is about to become King. After reading

these letters, Brutus joins the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar because of his love

for Rome, but also because Brutus is gullible and naïve. Brutus’ motivation is not

motivated by ambition but rather by the desire to save Rome; which causes him to have

flaws in his decisions.

Brutus thinks of a plot that will kill Caesar. Caesar has not yet abused the power

granted to him, but he might. Brutus thinks that he might become corrupted with the title

of “King” and the crown that will be given to him. Brutus uses a metaphor to describe his

plan in killing Julius Caesar:

“The lowliness is young ambitions ladder

Where to the climber–upward turns his face

But when he once attains the upmost round

He then into the ladder turns his back

Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees

By which he did ascend (2.1. 22- 27).

Caesar climbing this ladder describes the motivation he has in striving to become king,

but also, once he reaches the ladder he won’t look down at the people who helped him get

there. He would “look in the clouds” and see the wealth and motivation, which caused

Brutus to remember that this is for the good of Rome. Also, Caesar was compared to a

serpents egg. Brutus states to Lucius, “And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg/ which

hatch’d would as his kind grow mischievous/ and kill him in the shell” (2.1. 32-34).

When Caesar was part of the Senate he was not poisonous, just as a serpent is while it is

in the egg. As the serpent hatches, he is powerful and can attack at any moment. Caesar

hatched too because he can be poisonous to the well being of Rome. Thus, led to Brutus

joining the conspiracy because it’s not a one-man job.

If the Conspirator takes an oath, their intentions will look evil and it will not be

for the good of the people. Brutus believes that men should be trusted based upon their

integrity that is why he shuts down the idea of taking an oath. Brutus feels that taking an

oath would symbolize to Rome that they are killing Caesar and not actually saving Rome

and being honorable. Cassius has the idea to take an oath. He believes if everyone in the

conspirators joins this oath, no one will back out and everyone’s mind is set to the same

target. Killing Caesar. Brutus says, “No, not an oath. If not the face of men, / The

sufferance of our souls, the time’s abuse-/If these be motives weak, break of betimes.”

(2.1. 119-121) Brutus strongly goes against the conspirators taking an oath to pledge their

loyalty to the group. He believes that if the conspirators tie themself to their motive

(killing Caesar), potentially something bad could happen and they would not be able to

alter the decisions. Also, Brutus thinks the conspirators motive should be strong enough

to bind them together Thus proves that Brutus is dreadfully mistaken because

Artemidorus knows; which now they must pay the price of not having an oath.

Killing Caesar is the right way to go, killing Antony is not. The conspirators bring

up the question of killing Antony. Cassius wants to kill Antony but Brutus does not.

Cassius lets Brutus be in-charge not only because he needs Brutus to go along with him

on the murder plot, but also because previously Brutus shot down Cassius’ idea. Brutus

doesn’t think it is necessary because, “For Antony is but a limb of Caesar" (2.1. 172).

Brutus thinks that Antony is second in-line. Without a head, the body cannot function.

The head resembles Caesar and the limbs resemble Antony. Brutus also mentions that by

killing Anthony, killing Caesar will seem more of a butcher to the local Romans than a

sacrifice. “Let’s be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius. (2.1 173) Cassius believes that

getting rid of Antony will help the senators become more powerful. However, Brutus

disagrees and says that we are killing Caesar for the good of Rome. By killing Antony we

could appear as murders and the Romans won’t believe our reason. Antony cannot

become powerful without the help of Caesar. Caesar dictates what Antony does and

doesn’t do. Brutus’ naiveté leads him to think that Antony is loyal and wants good

intentions to. He thinks that Antony is what he seems.

Brutus allows Antony to speak because Brutus feels as though Antony won’t do anything

against the Conspirators. Brutus was wrong. Allowing Antony to speak ignites a battle of

Roman citizens to hate the conspiracy even more and shows poor judgment on Brutus’s

side. The conspirators stabbed Caesar and Brutus allows Antony to speak. Brutus wants

Antony to speak under three conditions, “You shall in your funeral speech not blame us/

but speak all food you can devise of Caesar/ and say you don’t by our permission (3.1

264-266). Allowing Antony to speak is Brutus’ huge flaw. Brutus allows it though

because Brutus thinks Antony is just a limb of Caesar. Brutus doesn’t think that Antony

can win the local Romans hearts over. Antony truly does feel loyal to Caesar and a

heartfelt friendship, but he's going to be somewhat manipulative when he speaks to the

crowd. Antony never says one bad thing about Brutus or the others, but he takes the

conditions and manipulates the crowed into a riot. Antony keeps repeating the phrase

“and Brutus is an honorable man,” the phrase sounds so sarcastic, until the end, it’s

meaning has significantly changed.

Because of Brutus’ idealistic and naiveness, Brutus ends up being the tragic hero

in the play. He was so easily manipulated. His decision-making was often affected

because he made all his decisions expecting that everyone else was as honorable as

himself. His tragedy is outlined by his fear of Caesars power, not killing Antony and

allowing Antony to speak. His innocence causes him to trust the motives of others. He

believes he is doing the right thing: what is best for Rome and the Roman people. Have

you ever had a best friend where you thought you two were inseparable? As we mature,

we realize that our “best friend” was not who they really were. In the play Julius Caesar,

we have been taught to be more aware of whom our true friends are. We all might feel as

if our friends have our back, but then we are betrayed. As we see in Julius Caesar, Brutus

is deceived and manipulated. He lost the trust that he once had. Because he made such a

stupid mistake, the mistake impacted his life. It causes him to have many haters and

death.