“Damaged Mind” Having the characteristics of being loyal to one another can be very positive or very bad. In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, the character Brutus’ traits of being loyal led to his downfall. To help with Brutus’ downfall was a very ambitious, powerful man, Mark Antony. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Mark Antony holds a great responsibility in making Brutus a tragic hero. Antony and Brutus’ interactions with one another reflected Brutus’ characteristics of being naïve and foolish, yet loyal. These interactions ultimately led to Brutus’ honorable death. First thing is first, Brutus and Antony differ tremendously. Although they both have similar characteristics of being influential, Antony is far more persuasive. Unlike Brutus, Antony appealed to the crowd’s emotions in the funeral speech. “If you have tears prepare to shed them now./ You all do know this mantle; I remember/ The first time ever Caesar put it on:” This quote is capturing the crowds attention to make them feel pity for Caesar and hatred for the conspirators. While Brutus is more naïve to the obvious, for example Cassius sending the letters to his room with warning signals of Caesar’s assassination did not faze him. Antony on the other hand is ambitious and connects two and two …show more content…
Antony saw through the lies and realized most of the conspirators were power hungry, so they had to get rid of Caesar. Previously stated that Brutus is naïve, Antony states, “This was the noblest of them all,/ All the conspirators save only he/ Did that they did in envy of great Caesar;/ He only in a general honest thought/ And common good to all, made one of them.” This is a powerful quote stated by Antony because he is sharing how he believes Brutus stayed loyal to Rome throughout the commotion; while Antony turned into a power-hungry, un-loyal man. Antony being an ambitious, persuasive man reflects Brutus’ characteristics of being naïve yet