Julius CaesarBy

Efraín Suárez-Arce

Prof. James P. Conlan

English 4001(OU1)

November 30, 2008

Suárez-Arce 2

Efraín Suárez Arce

Prof. James C. Conlan

English 4001(OU1)

6 December 2008

Julius Caesar

Censure me in your wisdom and awake your senses, that you the better judge. (3.2.15-17)

In Julius Caesar, the tragedy of the play is directed mainly at a one specific

character, Marcus Brutus. He is a person of ability, strength of character

and integrity, maybe too much for his own good. The fact that he could

single-handedly take over the group of conspirators, and completely

overrule Cassius shows his influence on others and his strength of

character. As we just mentioned, when he joined the conspirators, he

immediately took over. When they were considering asking Cicero to be

one of the conspirators, Brutus was the only one who objected. Having an

older, more experienced person in the group would have forced Brutus to

settle for second-in-command.

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In 1.3.33, Cicero states that “…it is a strange disposed time; where men

may construe after their fashion.” And he’s right, everyone DOES see

things their own way, and THAT is the unseen force that drives the play.

At the beginning, Brutus is “vexed with passions of some difference”

(1.2.41), which Cassius mistakes for anger against him(1.2.50-51) Cassius

then offers himself as Brutus’ mirror to help him see some hidden quality in

himself (1.2.70). Brutus listens to Cassius whip up an image of Caesar as a

wuss who has made himself look like a Colossus (1.2.137). Cassius then

says that

The fault… (is) in ourselves, that we are underlings (1.2.41)

Images conjured for a willing audience…Brutus. Not a chump but a very

pensive man. He promises to consider all this carefully

Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this;

Brutus would rather be a villager

Than to repute himself a son of Rome

Under these hard conditions as this time

Is like to lay upon us. (1.2.172-176, emphasis supplied)

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“Like” as in “likely” or “probability”? This isn’t knowledge speaking, its fear.

Brutus loves Caesar but at the same time fears his power. Brutus says to

Cassius,

What means this shouting? I do fear the people do choose

Caesar for their king...yet I love him well. (1.2.85-89)

Brutus could not really predict what Caesar would have done with the

crown. He did know that if Caesar was crowned, however, then he’d have

no chance of ever being crowned himself.

Brutus is really sensitive to images;

…look you, Cassius,

the angry spot doth glow on Caesar’s brow

And all the rest look like a chidden train.

Calpurnia’s cheek is pale, and Cicero looks with such ferret

eyes as we have seen him in the Capitol… (1.2.83)

It’s as if he’s trying to read something there. Caesar also tries to read

people that way;

Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look.

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He thinks too much, such men are dangerous (1.2.195-196)

Even a severe thunderstorm which scares Casca is seen by Cassius as

A very pleasing night to honest men (1.3.145)

In Roman times, the only way for someone to get close to a person of high

rank is if he/she is close to him/her. In many points of the play, Brutus is

talking and next to Caesar. Just allowing Brutus to speak to him shows his

respect for Brutus. Caesar feels that Brutus is noble to him and always

does the right thing. As Caesar was assassinated, Caesar's last line is:

Et tu, Brute?--Then fall, Caesar. (3.1.85).

This shows that Caesar would not die without Brutus' stab. Brutus tells the

people later that,

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 (3.2.19-24).

Brutus loved Caesar but cared for Rome and its people more. Brutus

would not allow Caesar to rise to power and then turn his back onto the

people of Rome. This is the only reason Brutus would conspire against

Caesar. Brutus says to himself,

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I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general.

He would be crowned. How that might change his nature,

there’s the question. (2.1.1, 13)

Brutus' idealism was displayed here when he was reviewing his decision to

kill Caesar while in his orchard. Brutus felt that Caesar had not done

anything wrong, but was afraid of what might happen. Brutus thinks about

what Caesar could become and do, if he was given the power of the crown.

A descriptive metaphor was used to illustrate Brutus' reasoning for killing:

That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,

Whereto the climber-upward turns his face;

But when he once attains the upmost round,

He then unto the ladder turns his back,

Looks into the clouds, scorning the base degrees

By which he did ascend. (2.1.22-28)

Caesar, climbing the ladder of prosperity, would reach the top, and forget

about the people of Rome and his fellow Senators. Brutus convinced

himself that he could not let one man rule, and he realized that joining the

conspiracy was the right decision because of this reasoning. But he knows

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the idea is flawed, that’s why he mentions the “monstrous visage” which is

the “native semblance” of conspiracy (2.1.81). When he carries out his

plan, he says;

Fates, we will know your pleasures.

That we shall die, we know; tis but the time

And drawing days out that men stand upon. (3.1.99-101)

Everyone’s celebrating and he, the mastermind, is thinking about dying?

This is someone who is not proud of himself. Maybe a clue can be found in

something he said in 5.1.29;

Good words are better than bad strokes.

Brutus felt unbearable remorse for Caesar's death, and his final words told

just that.

Caesar now be still.

I killed not thee with half so good a will. (5.5.50)

Maybe in the end he realized that all he had accomplished was kill his

friend, get his wife killed and start an armed conflict which Caesar’s

nephew would inevitably win. Here’s why Dante cast him along with

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Cassius into the deepest pit of Hell, Judecca, where traitors against their

benefactors are punished.