Brutus, An Honorable Man Essay, Research Paper

Brutus, Honorable Man

Brutus, an honorable conspirator? Honorable is defined as genuine, truthful and displaying integrity while a conspirator is defined as one that ingages in an agreement to commit an illegal or wrongful act. Anyone can clearly see that these two words do not belong together. There are also other reasons why Brutus should not be considered honorable. In the play three distict act can be recalled.

The first dishonorable act Brutus commits is not standing up for what he believes to be true. He agrees to kill Caeser only because Cassius convinces him that it must be done. Brutus did not mind Caeser until Cassius filled his head with all that poppycock. Although he didn t want Caeser to have the crown, he did not actually consider killing his old companion until a good firm talking to from Cassius. Before talking to Cassius Brutus actually believed Caeser to be semi-noble. After a conversation with Cassius however, he viewed Caeser to be ambitious. If Brutus would have rejected Cassius proposal and stood up for what he believed in, then he could be viewed as an honorable man.

The second henious act Brutus commits is murder on his dear friend Caeser. After commiting the crime he said “If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caeser s, to him I say that Brutus love to Caeser was no less than his”. Brutus killed his dear friend because of ambition. If only today s leaders had some ambition! He said that he love Rome more than Caeser and that is why he commited one of the most dishonorable acts a humn being can commit. After the act, Antony appropriately and sarcastically called Brutus an honorable man. Unlike Brutus, Antony knew what honor was. Even though Brutus knew that Caeser had turned down the crown three times, he still felt he was to ambitious to rule over Rome. If only Brutus would have had a level head on his shoulders like Antony. If anyone can call a murderer honorable, let them be known.

The third and final act Brutus commited that left him with a dishonorable image, was that he ran and then killed himself just to avoid battle. In early Rome a man was thought to be noble and brave if he fell from an enemy s sword, not if he ran and commited suicide. Any noble man would have found another way. Suicide is the most cowardly and selfish way to fall and that is why it is a fitting end to one of Rome s most dishonorable citizens. By commiting this act Brutus avoided any grilling he may have received from Octavious and Antony had he lived. Instead of getting a firm talking to, his death may have tricked everyone into believing that he felt remorse for his crime. This may be true because toward the end of the play Antony sais ” This was the noblest Roman of them all”. Although Cowardly, commiting suicide may have been the most intellegent move Brutus could have made. He may not have been honorable but he did know how to get himself out of a jam.

So, Brutus, an honorable man? After weighing the facts, a person has to ask themselves. If one can call a murdering, suicidal, conspiring follower honorable, then let it be known, Brutus was an honorable man.