Marcus Brutus Essay, Research Paper

Marcus Brutus

William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Julius

Caesar, is mainly based on the assassination of Julius

Caesar. The character who was in charge of the assassination

was, ironically, Marcus Brutus, a servant and close friend

to Julius Caesar. (http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/m_brutus.sum.html) But

what would cause a person to kill a close friend? After

examining Brutus’ relationship to Caesar, his involvement in

the conspiracy, and his importance to the plot, the truth

can be revealed.

Marcus Brutus, a servant and close friend to Caesar,

has a strong relationship with Caesar but a stronger

relationship with Rome and its people. Brutus is very close

to Caesar. In many points of the play, Brutus was talking

and next to Caesar. Brutus also loves Caesar but fears his

power. In the early acts of the play, Brutus says to

Cassius, “What means this shouting? I do fear the people do

choose Caesar for their king…yet I love him

well.”(Shakesspeare, act 1, scene 2,85-89), as he is

speaking to Cassius. Brutus loves Caesar, but would not

allow him to “climber-upward…He then unto the ladder turns

his back…”(act 2, scene 1, 24,26). As the quote says,

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Brutus would not allow Caesar to rise to power and then turn

his back onto the people of Rome.Brutus had honored Caesar

but Brutus felt that Caesar was to ambitious. Brutus also

felt that Caesar made the romans as slaves. Therefore,

Brutus is an honorable man. Brutus is a noble man who was

revered by many. Brutus had joined the conspiracy because he

had the desire to help the commoners. He was a follower of

idealism, where the romans would possess peace, liberty and

freedom. Brutus wanted the kill Caesar, because he believed

that all of the people of Rome would eventually be slaves,

thus Brutus resorted to the assassination ofCaesar.(Ferguson

145) After the assassination of Julius Caesar, Brutus talks

to Antony about Caesar’s death. “Our hearts you see not;

they are pitiful; and pity to the general wrong of

Rome…”(Shakesspeare, act 3, scene 1, 185-186). Brutus says

that Antony cannot see the members of the conspiracys

hearts, which are full of pity. Again, this shows how Brutus

loved Caesar but cared for the life of Rome and its people

more. This is the only reason Brutus would conspire against

Caesar. For Brutus says to himself, “I know no personal

cause to spurn at him…How that might change his

nature…”(Shakespeare, act 2, scene1, 1,13) Caesar’s

relationship with Brutus is also strong. Just allowing

Brutus to speak to Caesar shows his respect for Brutus.

Caesar feels that Brutus is noble to him and does the right

thing regardless of personal danger. On the Ides of March,

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as Caesar was assassinated, Caesar’s last line is: “Et tu,

Brute?–Then fall, Caesar.”(Shakespeare, act 3, scene 1,

85). This shows that Caesar would not die without Brutus’

stab. Caesar realizes that there must be a noble reason for

this assassination if Brutus was in it. This again shows how

much Caesar respects Brutus. Brutus and Caesar both respect

each other, but in different ways.(http://www.pei-

asia.com/history/ROMAN/BRUTUS/BRUTUS.HT)

Marcus Brutus had a very important role in the

conspiracy against Caesar. He was the “back-bone” of the

plan. According to Cassius, Brutus’ main purpose in the

conspiracy is for an insurance policy.(Bowers, 38-42) The

people will think, since Brutus is noble to Caesar, that

there is a good reason for Caesar’s assassination. Brutus

will also be the leader of the conspiracy for another

“insurance policy” for the assassination.(47) Cassius is the

one who declares this, “Brutus shall lead the way, and we

will grace his heels with the most boldest and best hearts

of Rome. “(Shakespeare, act 3, scene 1, 135-136). Again, if

Brutus leads the way, the people will think that the death

of Julius Caesar wasn’t such a bad thing. Brutus also

declares to himself that his role in the conspiracy is to

save Rome. He says to the people 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.”(Act 3,scene 2, 21-24). If Brutus was not in the plot

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of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the conspiracy would

probably not have worked.(Bowers, 53) Since Brutus

“…loved Rome more.”(Shakespeare, Act 3,scene2, 23-24), he

decided to be a part of he conspiracy. If he hadn’t loved

Rome more than Caesar, he would not have joined in the

assassination of Julius Caesar. Cassius and the rest of the

conspirators would probably not have continued on without

Brutus because they would have no “insurance” afterwards.

The people would think that there was no reason for Caesar’s

death and most likely beheaded all the conspirators. Also,

if Brutus was not in the play, the whole end of the play

would not ever occur. Brutus would not be there to have an

army or kill himself, and Cassius will already be beheaded.

If Brutus was not in the play, the title would have

absolutely no meaning.

Marcus Brutus was a good friend to Julius Caesar, but

not good enough. He had moral values dealing with Rome and

its people. Brutus’ values then made him join a conspiracy

against Caesar put together by Cassius.(Wilson, 87-89)

Brutus joined this mainly because he didn’t want Caesar to

turn his back on Rome so there would be a reasonable reason

for killing Caesar.(90) If Brutus wasn’t in the play, there

would be no “Tragedy” in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.