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Loss In Julius Caesar Research Paper

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Loss is something that's unavoidable, people go through it on the daily. Brutus and Willy experience loss by drifting away from who they truly are. In Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, Brutus wants the best for Rome and worries a single ruler will destroy Rome. He has doubts about his identity after struggling with his internal conflict and the weight of his decisions. Similar to Arthur Miller's text, Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman wants a successful career because that’s what he envisions the American Dream is all about. He dreams of success to levels he can’t achieve, causing him to feel lost and hopeless. Brutus and Willy become preoccupied with their idealized empire and dream, ultimately leading to a loss of self. Brutus, from Julius …show more content…

He chooses to join the conspiracy to kill Caesar and the feeling of guilt follows after the assassination. As the play continues, Brutus starts to question the intentions of assassinating Caesar. Moments before Brutus dies, he confesses he “didn’t kill [Caesar] half as willingly” as he killed himself (5.5.3 Shakespeare). Willy’s experience with loss begins as he becomes trapped in an endless cycle of delusion trying to achieve the American Dream. His character is portrayed as strong and ambitious in the beginning, but throughout the story, he gradually loses himself in his delusions. They cause his mental and physical health to worsen and eventually lead to his death. Shakespeare and Miller use their stories to convey the message of how obsession can lead to making irrational decisions. Brutus’ mind is full of the thought of nobility and how having a single ruler can be bad for Rome and the people. Cassius mentions “Oh, you and I have heard our fathers say, There was a brutus once that would have booked Th’ eternal devil to keep his state in Rome as easily as a king” (Shakespeare 1.2.159-162). Their legacy inspires and shapes Brutus’ perspective on single …show more content…

Joining the conspiracy against Caesar was not a fully thought out decision and Brutus accepted it on the spot because he thought that was the better option for Rome. Cassius manipulates Brutus into believing Caesar's rise of power would be detrimental to Rome, allowing Brutus to justify his actions as noble. After Caesar’s death, a chain of events follow that contribute to Brutus losing his own identity, including a civil war. In Death of a Salesman, Willy buys expensive items knowing he doesn’t have the money to pay it back to maintain the appearance of success. Due to Willy’s poor financial decisions, he asks Charley, his friend, for a hundred and ten dollars to pay for insurance, assuring “[He] is keeping an account of everything[...]. [He’ll] pay everything back” (Miller 96). At the end of both texts, Brutus and Willy choose to end their lives because the obsession grew to be too much to handle. Everyone experiences loss, it might not be the loss of your own life or identity, such as Brutus or Willy, it is still a universal theme that everyone at one point must endure. Brutus’ grapples with choosing between his loyalty for Caesar or his loyalty for

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