Julius Ceasar Flattery Essay, Research Paper

Flattery will get you nowhere. At the beginning of the story this quote might appear to be false, but as the story unfolds it only leads to the down fall of all involved. Throughout Julius Caesar, both friends and enemies use flattery and manipulation to obtain their goals.

The first main use of flattery is used by Cassius on Brutus in Act 1, Scene 2 and in Act 2, Scene 1. Cassius tries his hardest to force Brutus to join the revolt against Caesar, but Brutus resists, stating his loyalty and faithfulness to Rome. However, after Brutus accidentally blurts out, I do fear the people choose Caesar as their king. Cassius continues his pursuit to convince Brutus to join the conspirators. He thinks the best way to flatter Brutus is by talking about how noble the plebeians view him. Cassius chooses to send Brutus a letter supposedly from a Roman citizen. It boldly states Brutus, thou sleep st. Awake, and see thyself! Shall Rome, etc. Speak, strike, and redress! These words persuade him to join the conspirators because he prides how high the public views him and does not want to let them down. Cassius swayed Brutus by complementing him and saying the people depend on him. Without flattering, his nobility Brutus would probably never have joined the conspirators.

In Act 2 Scene 2, there is thunderstorm outside and Caesar s wife is having a nightmare about her husband s death. She dreamt that smiling Romans were washing their hands in Caesar’s blood. When she awakes, she tells Caesar who tries to calm her by sending the augurers to make a sacrifice. However, the results of the sacrifice do not comfort him, They could not find a heart within the beast. When Decius Brutus comes to take him to the senate, Caesar declares that he will stay home. Caesar tells him about Calphurnia’s dreams; Decius Brutus cleverly gives them a flattering interpretation by This dream is all misinterpreted. It was a vision fair and fortunate. Your statue spouting blood in many pipes, in which so many smiling Romans bathed, signifies that from you great Rome shall suck reviving blood. Decius also says that the members of the senate are planning to crown him today, but they might rethink it if the found out he stayed at home due to his wife s dreams. Decius toyed with Caesar s pride by flattering him; he caused Caesar to change his mind and go to the senate to be murdered.

Lastly, when Mark Anthony read Caesar s will to the people, he wanted the people revenge Caesar s death and think of as a noble leader brutally killed. Antony had said, To every Roman citizen he gives, to every several man, seventy-five drachmas . Antony was trying to make Caesar look like a great hero, rather than a tyrant. He wanted to get the plebeians on his side and convince them what the conspirators had done was immoral. Antony was successful in persuading the people by using Caesar s will as a tool to destroy the conspirators. He showed them that Caesar, though a noble leader still cared for the people and only wanted the best for Rome.

People often use flattery to get what they want, even if it is deceitful and will only cause destruction; and it never turns out the way it is planned. For example, Cassius was the original leader of the conspirators, but Brutus, who was hesitant to join, became increasingly more powerful than Cassius. When a person points out another s positive qualities, that person become much more gullible, and is likely to do what is planned.