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Brutus realized that eventually Caesar would give in to the people and his pride and accept the crown. It was because of this that Brutus knew that he would have to eliminate Caesar. He took no pleasure in the idea of Caesar’s death, but recognized the necessity of it. In his statement, he says he has no personal reason to “spurn” or despise Caesar but that “for the general” or for his nation he must be a part of the plot to kill Caesar. By rejecting his own personal feelings for his friend Caesar and instead acting on behalf of the Roman Republic because of a sense of civic duty he embodies the concepts and core foundations of a civic humanist
Some may argue with that by saying Brutus is betraying his friend Caesar and could cause utter destruction. The people who think that Brutus should join the conspiracy know he would be doing it to protect the people of Rome. Furthermore, Caesar’s power could cause utter chaos and destruction of Rome, making everyone fear Caesar. Since being brought up in a higher-class family, Brutus has an influence to be honorable, he may have a duty to
Brutus could've gone either way on joining the conspiracy he had many reasons why he should but also why he shouldn't. After all the evidence show Brutus should not have joined the conspiracy. Brutus states that Caesar is his best friend and has been for a very long time. He also says that he loves him. These are both great reasons on not
(II, i,11-12).” When Brutus says this to himself it makes him seem honest and trustworthy because it begs the question, “How could killing Caesar be for the wrong reasons if Brutus has no personal stake in this?” Even though Brutus may not have personal reasons for wanting Caesar dead, this is ironic because he is still committing a serious crime that is in most cases seen as unforgivable and
(II, 10-15) Brutus says the conspiracy is nothing personal towards Caesar. Similarly, Brutus sincerely believes that evil may come rather than the good that may come from Caesar, once he gets full power of Rome. Furthermore, they were both true friends, but Brutus thought the decision of killing Caesar was necessary to free Rome from Caesar's tyranny.
At first Brutus did not regret killing Caesar, but later on he starts to. He believed that what he did was for the better of the people. The people who were persuaded by Antony then turned on the conspirators, after they just praised Brutus and wanted to crown him. This act on Caesar would have never happened in the first place if it was not for Cassius convincing Brutus to join them. This then leads to Brutus and Cassius fleeing from Rome, and being hunted down by Antony and the people of Rome.
When Brutus was talking to the conspirators Brutus was going back and forth think if he should help the conspirators kill Julius Caesar. He was going back and forth because he was thinking of the power he could have and could rule Rome. The reason behind Brutus killing Caesar was for the better of Rome. If Brutus would not have killed Caesar, Rome would have turned into a dictatorship, and in turn it would have ruined Rome and all of its people. Brutus did not kill Julius just for the power to rule Rome, he killed Julius to save Rome from Caesar’s dictatorship.
Brutus believes that Caesar will do more harm than good to the people, and reap benefits for himself. Brutus has already said this, but had said it in his own words, (II, i, 12-14). He has no clue if Caesar will use his power for the good and betterment for the people, or use it for his own needs and other
When Brutus spoke about his motives to kill Caesar he said, “As he was valiant I / honor him. But, as he was ambitious, I slew him.” (3.2.27-28). Brutus honored Caesar but saw that his ambition has the potential of being very dangerous. He thought that a danger like Caesar could not be left to grow more powerful when there is a solution to the issue now.
Upon hearing this, Brutus does not necessarily have to link his wrongdoing with not killing Caesar, instead, he could have considered other alternatives to change the situation of Caesar being the sole ruling leader. Brutus could be rational and try to enact change by perhaps suggesting to Caesar that a single ruler will not lead to good outcomes. This is a logical solution because Caesar, as proud as he is, will be willing to listen to the opinions of a fellow friend and family member to show that he is a wise leader. There are many other possible situations whereby Caesar does not have to be a sole ruler, either he can step down from power, or more powerful individuals such as Brutus or Mark Anthony can step up to assist Caesar in a triumvirate. The fact that Brutus did not consider his options and decided to join the conspiracy showed that his own interpretation of Cassius’ words led him to think that murder is the right thing to
And while Brutus did work in part with other conspirators, which eventually led to him killing Caesar, he did it for a more morally sound reason which was that Caesar was going to cause the downfall of Rome because he was too ambitious, which is ironic because Caesar's death led to a string of unfit leaders, and civil unrest that eventually led to the downfall of the roman empire. Brutus was also focused on preventing corruption. “The name of Cassius honors this corruption,/ And chastisement doth therefore hide his head (IV.iii.15-6)... Remember March, the ides of March remember./ Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake” (IV.iii.18-9).
Joining the Conspiracy A question that has gained much attention and controversy is simply this “Should Brutus have joined the conspiracy to kill Caesar?” Many people argue on whether his reasoning dictated the right to end Caesar’s life, after all they were best friends. Some people say yes, he did justify his reasons for killing Caesar. Still others say no, he just rationalized it for himself to make it seem like it was the best and only option that he had.
However, Brutus continually feels the need to defend his actions and justify his crime. If he is truly confident in his deed, he would not stammer to find justifications. Yet, Brutus may not want power, he may really want justice. In his mind, murdering Caesar, was the only route to go.
(II, i, 53-55) which allows to say that he wants Rome to be just and do whatever it takes to maintain it away from any threat. Indeed, Brutus states this very clearly when he says, “If it’s for the good of all Romans, I’d do it even if it meant my death. Let the gods give me good luck only as long as I love honor more than I fear death.” (I, ii, 86-88), he explicitly says that the good of the majority is over any feeling or personal benefit which in this case is the love of Caesar for him and viceversa, and the throne. To conclude, Brutus is a complex character that is characterized by three recurrent traits: his well-intention, his hypocrisy, and his naivet.
Lucius Junius Brutus was an ancestor to Brutus and Brutus doesn't want to let down his ancestor by letting Caesar destroy the Republic. Everybody knows people don't want to let down their ancestors even if they're dead. Brutus is a very loyal person and knows he has to be loyal to his family's name by joining the conspiracy to kill Caesar. The letters that Cassius forged convince Brutus to join the conspiracy.