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What Is Brutus's Downfall

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Leong Jing Yi (11) 4 Truth LIT AA 1 Brutus’ downfall was his own doing. Do you agree? “ Stoicism’s primary tenets state that we should not wish for things to be other than they are. Acceptance of fate and the realization of providence lead to complete freedom from the passions.” (qtd Gann) Brutus does not submit to the natural world, instead, he makes choices to change certain outcomes in his life. To answer to the reason for Brutus’ downfall, which was ‘his own doing’, the term is specific to the actions of Brutus himself, thus Brutus experienced downfall due to his attempts to change fate, ultimately due to his failure as a Stoic. This leads him to join the conspiracy of assassinating Caesar, which opposes the nature that Caesar was to …show more content…

Perhaps the act of murder could be seen as a success to Brutus, since he did do so for the greater good and not for personal passion, leading to him thinking that what he did was right because it was not for himself and was what a Stoic would do. However, he did not understand that a true Stoic will not attempt to change anything since he will accept everything in nature’s course. Thus, by analyzing the pursuit of Stoicism of Brutus to determine the reasons for his downfall, we can decipher whether the failure of Brutus was his own fault. Brutus’ downfall was his own doing because his actions solely depended on how much they satisfied his desires. Brutus’ desires and failure to be a stoic is seen from Act 1 Scene …show more content…

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

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167 Words | 1 Pages

The internal conflict that Brutus is faced with is about whether or not he should betray his best friend Caesar. Brutus does not have a personal reason to strike at Caesar, but he knows that he must do it for the best interest of Rome. Brutus says “If we crown him, I have to admit we would be giving him the power to do damage.” He makes an analogy between Caesar and an adder, which is a very poisonous and dangerous snake, saying that once Caesar breaks out of his shell he will become a threat to Rome.

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In conclusion, Brutus is not a villain. His conscience tells him that what he did was wrong and something had to be done about it, which ends in him killing himself. He shows lots of compassion throughout The Tragedy of Julius Caesar(JC) by William

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606 Words | 3 Pages

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

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802 Words | 4 Pages

Brutus realized the great harm Caesar could bring to Rome if the was crowned king. Although Brutus was easily persuaded by Cassius to go as far as committing a murder, Brutus did it because he thought that it was the best for Rome. Brutus does what he thinks is the absolute best for Rome which really shows his great honor and

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But in the end, Brutus felt he had not made an honorable use of Caesar’s death and realized he made a mistake so he took his own life, and unlike Cassius, he died an honorable death for honorable reasons. “This was the noblest Roman 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”

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After the conspiracy he is considered a murderer and flees his own country, eventually committing suicide. “I would not Cassius, yet I love him well.” (I.II.83), “I killed not thee with half so good a will.” Dies (V.V.51). These two quotes strongly highlight Brutus ' change throughout the play.

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The first thing is his pride his pride is his motto. Like Brutus is the type of person to just care about himself his pride is his life. He just doesn't understand that his pride is his flaw like that will be the reason that will end his life. Like due to his pride he did actions that made him look like a straight up fool he killed his best friend and he planned his death out makes it even

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187 Words | 1 Pages

Since Marcus Brutus has incredible honor, a tragic flaw that results in his demise, and experiences great pain up until then, he indubitably acts as a tragic hero according to Aristotle’s definition. Characterizing Brutus as a Roman Senator esteemed for his virtuous reputation before the audience even sees him in the drama, Shakespeare paints his protagonist as a man of great nobility through Brutus’ vocalized motives behind actions which allow him to maintain his honor even after his involvement in the conspiracy. Further evidence of Brutus’ role in this tragedy exists in his idealism, a weakness which Aristotle terms a hamartia, that causes him to poorly judge situations and eventually commit suicide to retain respect after Antony’ army defeats

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Brutus has negatively affected the outlook of Rome and created more harm than good for the situation. Not only did it harm Rome, but it brought his own demise and hallucinations of Caesar’s ghost. Brutus’s speech to the plebeians after Caesar’s death, about his dilemma and his viewpoint towards Caesar, influenced the viewpoints of the plebeians and causes them to believe he is the best roman until Antony speaks to them. Brutus’s idealism led to his own death later on and brought him more misery than his idealism could

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544 Words | 3 Pages

Brutus’ portrayal residing in Shakespeare’s interpretation within one of his famous plays, Julius Caesar, was thought to be an aspiring act of valor in rescuing Rome from the ambitious ruling of Caesar for the sake of the people. However, the comparison between his role and his life in actuality are quite similar, with slight differences beneath the edges. Nevertheless, comparing the characteristic traits of Brutus as a character in the play and a figure in history will evaluate the accuracy of his portrayal by Shakespeare. Brutus was born and raised under the principles of Stoicism, a Greek philosophy that followed the idea of enduring long and lasting amounts of pain without displaying emotion or having complaint. Within the play, Shakespeare

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If it were for the good of your country would you be able to kill your best friend? This Essay is about what could happen if this came into play, and what characteristics, it would take to do it. Caesar and Brutus lived through this, well Brutus died. Brutus and Caesar are very different people, which is why their friendship worked. At the same time they were very different, One was inverted and the other is extroverted, Their motivations differ as in power or respect.

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1200 Words | 5 Pages

In “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”, Caesar’s main flaw is his arrogance and ambition, which both led to his doom. His overconfidence and self-love blinded him of the sharp thorns growing from his sides which were masked with loyalty and care. Viciously assassinated by the closest people in his heart, Julius Caesar had been known for centuries as the blind conceited man. On the other hand, loyalty conflicted Brutus, who is argued to be the protagonist of the tragedy. Although he was loyal to Caesar, he was loyal to his nation too and thought that the death of Caesar would be for the best for the nation.

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1099 Words | 5 Pages

Proving a Tragic Hero A character who makes a judgement or error that inevitably leads to his or her own destruction, defines a tragic hero, according to Aristotle. In William Shakespeare’s writings, one character generally identifies as a tragic hero. Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, comes from the true events that took place in Rome during the time that Caesar rose and gained power as dictator. After Pompey’s death in Egypt; caused by each of their power-hungry desires, Caesar declared himself dictator of Rome.

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1282 Words | 6 Pages

Everyone knows that Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by his friends, so they naturally assume Caesar is a tragic hero. In digging deeper, the real tragic hero of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is revealed. To begin, William Shakespeare’s play is based on historical events that occurred in Rome around 44 B.C. Julius Caesar was born in 102 B.C. and died in 44 B.C. During this time, he became a power-hungry military leader. His rise to power was a result of such actions that made the Roman public love him.

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799 Words | 4 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s drama Julius Caesar, the protagonist is Marcus Brutus. His decisions are based on his personal philosophy of stoicism as stoics try not to be influenced by their emotions. Examples of Brutus showing his stoicism include when Brutus tells the audience that he loves Caesar although this does not stop him from making the choice to kill him. Stoics believe that a person must make his own decisions based on logic and reasoning, which is why he didn’t let his feelings for Julius stop him from “saving” Rome. Although Brutus and Cassius are partners in killing Julius, Cassius was really using Brutus to gain power and later turn on him.

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