Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we petty men Walk under his huge legs and peep about To find ourselves dishonourable graves. Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that 'Caesar'? Why should that name be sounded more than yours? Write them together, yours is as fair a name; Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well; Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em, Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Caesar. Now, in the names of all the gods at once, Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed, That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed! Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods! …show more content…
This is a speech made by Cassius in the play Julius Ceaser. Cassius was one of the main conspirators in the assassination of Julius Ceaser, he was also one of his oldest friends and a fellow politician. Throughout the play Cassius is displayed as smart and manipulative, and it is him that convinces Brutus, a respected roman senator and one of Ceaser’s closest friends to turn against him and join the conspiracy against him. Cassius was shown as being jealous of Ceaser’s power and popularity and believes that his rule is a danger to the republic. In this soliloquy Cassius is speaking to Brutus. He starts by expressing his frustration with how the roman people view Ceaser as a giant. He refers to him as a Colossus, meaning giant, he is specifically referring to Colossus of Rhodes, a giant bronze statue of the god Helios. Cassius likens the statue to Ceaser, saying that he is viewed as a god, someone who is idealised as a perfect human. Cassius then says one the most famous lines from the play. “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are …show more content…
Cassius asks Brutus why Ceaser’s name holds more value than his own. He says that Brutus is just as capable and deserving of respect and admiration as
One of the most famous scenes in Julius Caesar is Act 3, Scene 2, a rhetorical clash during which the the fate of all of Rome hangs in the balance. It is during these moments that Brutus and Marc Antony showcase their rhetorical skills, turning the tides against the conspirators and ultimately culminating in their demises. This is when we, as readers, receive an opportunity to see both the good and the supposed “tyranny” of Caesar, in the form of Brutus’s and Antony’s well-crafted orations. More importantly, it symbolizes the fall of Brutus’s good reputation, and the rising in power of Octavius and Antony, who will later form the second triumvirate with Lepidus.
This helps Cassis develop ethos early on by showing Brutus that he is held in the highest regard by his friend. This pattern is continued when Cassius compares Brutus to Caesar, saying that truly he is as noble as the powerful new leader. After giving his main arguments, Cassius poses a carefully thought out question to Brutus, asking, "'Brutus' and 'Caesar.' What should be in that 'Caesar'? / Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
In this case, Cassius underlays pathos to say that “men are at some time masters of their fates(I, ii, 140)”, encouraging Brutus to feel that he has all the power to take command of the Roman empire. Without delay, Cassius proceeds to use logos to ask why exactly Caesar’s name should be more powerful than Brutus’, when “[Brutus] is just as fair a name” and they had “both endured the winter’s cold(I, ii, 99)”. As a result of this logical reasoning, Cassius makes it seem like Brutus is, if not worthier than Caesar to become leader. After all, from the context of Cassius’ speech Brutus has survived countless hardships that have toughened him, while Caesar almost drowned in his own cowardice; so logically, it would appear that former is superior to the
It amazes me that a man so lacking in courage is able to outdistance the pack and become the emperor” (1.2. 121-129). Cassius evokes the emotions of pride and pity. He makes Caesar seem feeble and vulnerable, discrediting his immense sense of pride and narcissistic personality. He uses these emotions to lead into his next point, where he questions how a weak and feeble man is suitable to be emperor. Furthermore, Cassius defames Caesar’s character while subtly hinting that Brutus
Throughout his speech, Brutus makes use of rhetorical questions to appeal to the emotions of the crowd. He asks the people of Rome to consider whether Caesar was ambitious, to which the crowd responds that he was. Brutus then asks whether it is nobler to let Caesar live and let the consequences fall where they may or to take arms against a sea of troubles and end them (3.2.13-16). This rhetorical question effectively portrays Brutus as a man of noble character, acting in the best interest of Rome. Moreover, Brutus also makes use of parallel structure in his speech.
Also, Cassius describes how they are insignificant people who are beneath the giant Caesar and do not get buried with honor. This ultimately maintains persuasion from Cassius to Brutus because he is constant with the idea that Caesar impairs Rome and its people. This reaches the endpoint, for Cassius is able to overthrow Brutus’ thoughts so he denies maintaining Caesar in
" Cassius is now trying to flatter Brutus into betraying Caesar. He has now gone to the point where he will now turn friend against friend. Cassius's corruption knows no
“Brutus and Caesar—what should be in that “Caesar”? Why should that name be sounded more than yours?” Cassius persuades him into thinking with his more patriotic side. He also brings up a good point: Caesar can be indesive and fickle with his actions. Ultimutely his heart was
This justifies the use of rhetorical questions as an acceptable, rational persuasion technique. Immediately after this rhetorical question, Cassius uses compare and contrast by comparing Brutus to Caesar by saying, “Write them together, yours is as fair a name; / Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well” (1.2.48-51). By claiming that Brutus and Caesar both have “fair” names and that the names both “sound” equally honorable, Cassius highlights a clear comparison between Brutus and Caesar. The similarities between the two are emphasized by Cassius in order to persuade Brutus that he is equally as important as Caesar, and should not allow Caesar to establish his own tyrannical state.
Not only does Cassius explain that his conflict is not meaningless, but he also holds himself to Brutus’s own judgment. Cassius powerfully has Brutus evaluate whether he is trustworthy instead of feeding Brutus credentials. Once his trust is bought, Cassius began to contrive doubt into Brutus’s mind about Caesar. Furthermore, ethos was used to ignite Brutus’s flame within. Cassius elegantly builds an allusion to a former founder of Rome, Brutus, who “ would have
In William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, Cassius is a foil to Marcus Brutus, for Brutus is consistently described as honorable and kind, contrasting the always clever and self-centered, Cassius. Cassius acts as a character who goes against the virtues and weaknesses of the main character. Brutus announces, “Why man, he doth bestride the narrow World like a Colossus, and we pretty men Walk under his huge legs and peep about To find ourselves dishonorable graves” (Shakespeare I. 2. 142-145). By appealing to Brutus' feeling of honor and loyalty to Rome, Cassius hopes to persuade him to join the conspiracy against Caesar.
"What’s so special about caesar?", This quote shows how much Cassius despises Caesar and how he feels he is no better of a man than Brutus or himself. They both had a common goal but were not sure of each other's very different and clashing reasons for attempting to reach the goal ahead. Cassius seemed to have been a puppet master and conductor of the conspiracy twisting things to suit his own preferences, and to rise against a super power in order to achieve his ultimate goal. The differences in motivation between Brutus and Cassius vividly reflect their morals, just as their morals reflect back upon their reasons.
While undeniably possessing great power and charisma, Caesar fails to exhibit the political acumen necessary to navigate the treacherous landscape of Roman politics. His lack of foresight and a deep understanding of the minds and motives of those around him blinds him to the brewing storm of dissent. Caesar’s arrogance leads him to dismiss the warnings and concerns of his closest allies, and breeding discontent. Ultimately his failure to gauge the depth of the resentment he had ignited proves to be his undoing, demonstrating a tragic flaw that underlines the importance of political astuteness in wielding and maintaining
Essentially Cassius is saying they should go out and say to the public that they have given them freedom! He thinks that what he did saved the people of rome but all it really did wass lead to a power struggle and greedy people trying to take over rome. Cassius is the most responsible for the death of Julius Caesar because he participated and played a large roll in his
Brutus loves Caesar but knows he has to kill him for the good of rome. He says, “I know