How Is Julius Caesar Honorable

Improved Essays
Citizens of Rome, do not lend me your ears, but instead lend me your heart. I stand before you on this tragic day to acknowledge the death of Marcus Brutus. Brutus, who was once the most respected, noble, and honorable man in all of Rome, now lies before us dead, more worthless than dust. Brutus was a stoic judge and the best friend of Julius Caesar, further demonstrating his high status and his nobility. His grievous death was caused by his dire desire for honor and his extraordinary view of idealism. Cassius, one of Brutus’ dearest friends, was aware of Brutus’ tragic flaw, his weakness for honor and his idealistic view of people. With his venomous and manipulative tongue, Cassius convinced Brutus to join the conspiracy and kill Julius Caesar. Unlike the envious Cassius, Brutus believed Caesar’s death was necessary for the prosperity of Rome. Brutus was blindsided by his desire …show more content…
Brutus was Caesar’s best friend, and since Caesar was nearly considered to be the king of Rome, this meant that Brutus was well respected and noble. In addition to being well respected, Brutus was also idealistic and honorable. He viewed everyone to be as noble and trustworthy as he was. Even after Brutus’ death and his fatal wrong-doings, his enemies still considered him to be righteous and noble. Marc Antony, who desired the ultimate revenge against the conspirators, saw Brutus as divergent. In fact, upon seeing the death of Brutus, Antony proclaimed ,“This was the noblest Roman of them all. / All the conspirators save only he / Did that they did in envy of great Caesar” (5. 5. 74-76). Unlike the rest of the conspirators, Brutus killed Caesar because he truly believed that he was helping the Roman Republic prosper and free itself from Caesar’s future tyranny. Antony comprehended Brutus’ motive for killing Caesar, and thus labeled him as “noblest Roman of them

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Antony states “Was this ambition? / Yet Brutus says [Caesar] was ambitious, /And, sure, he is an honorable man” but he lets the people of Rome ponder the evidence that the noble Brutus is wrong (JC.3.2.96-98). Through the repetition of “…Brutus is an honorable man,” Shakespeare juxtaposes the true actions of Brutus (JC.3.2.93). Antony brings attention to the unethical assassination by focusing on Brutus’s apparent “honorable[ness]”. This rhetorical device forces the Romans to consider Brutus’s character and leads to them understanding the hypocrisy of his decision to kill his best friend.…

    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Antony, although a “loyal” follower, was power hungry and as soon as Caesar had died, Antony was planning on how to take the power for himself. In Julius Caesar, after Brutus makes the final stab, Antony states, “I doubt not of your wisdom./ Let each man render me his bloody hand.” (III.i.183-184). This makes it seem as though Antony is with the conspirators. Then when they funeral speeches take place Antony says, “O masters! if I were dispos’d to stir/ Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, I should do Brutus and Cassius wrong,/ Who (you all know) are honorable men.” (III.ii.119-122).…

    • 1075 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When Antony first discovers that Brutus is dead, he and Octavius acknowledge just how great Brutus was all of the other conspirators were jealous of Caesar, except Brutus. He acts out of honesty and what is best for all the people of Rome. Whenever Antony talks of Brutus to Octavius, Antony tells him, “This was the most noblest Roman of them all. / All the conspirators save only he / Did that they did in great envy of Caesar; / … His life was gentle in the elements / So mixed in him that Nature might stand up / And say to all the world, ‘This was a man!’” (V.v.68-70,73-75). It is proven here that Antony has a great deal of respect for Brutus and shows that Brutus truly is an honorable man.…

    • 1654 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I couldn't even imagine how hard it would be to lose your best friend, let alone be apart of their killing. I think that just shows you how much Brutus cared for Rome. ¨If it be aught toward the general good.¨ Brutus said and killing Caesar was best for As much as he loved Caesar, it was his belief that Caesar was not meant to be king, and he thought that Rome would suffer from it. I think Brutus is an honorable Roman because he would go far enough as to kill a loved one for Rome. And proved that when Caesar was assassinated.…

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He ends most of his statements with calling Brutus honorable and good. “But Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honorable man”(III,ii,83-84). Antony has to slowly plant doubt and anxiety that perhaps Brutus was wrong; that although he is a good and honorable man, Brutus could have just murdered another good man, who was only doing good for Rome. Antony uses his words to manipulate the people’s minds much better than Brutus did. The people know that Antony was Caesar’s good friend and the good things he is saying about Caesar are credible.…

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On the other hand, many would believe that Brutus is a noble Roman because he said he killed Caesar, his best friend to help the people of Rome. This is a good claim because Brutus turned his back on his best friend.…

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    With this responsibility he is the tragic hero because he is deciding for everyone. Antony says, “Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him: if he love Caesar, all that he can do is to himself, take thought and die for Caesar:” (2.1.24). His greatest fault here was that he trusted Antony too much and it came back to hurt him. His fault was great and that makes him a way better tragic hero than Caesar. In the same way Brutus says, “By your pardon: I will myself into the pulpit first, and show the reason of our Caesar’s death: what what Antony shall speak, I will protest” (3.1.42).…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hence, he slayed one of his good friends in order to stop him from becoming a tyrant of Rome and saving the Republic, therefore showing he is admirable. This demonstrations how he is honorable to a cause for looking out for the romans and his country. Next, Brutus loved Caesar but, he had to kill him because of his ambition. When Brutus says, “I honour him:…

    • 809 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    “...Age, thou art shamed! Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods! ...O, you and I have heard our fathers say, There was a Brutus once that would have brooked Th’ eternal devil to keep his state in Rome As easily as a king” (I,ii,150-161). Continuing through that a tragic hero must have a tragic flaw. Marcus Brutus has the tragic flaw of having poor judgment, because he so easily trusts people, such as the conspirators consequently causing Marcus to be ignorant and blind to the fact that they were planning to kill Caesar, not to better the government but for personal gain.…

    • 1701 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Even Brutus notices this and enlightens the citizens to it when he cites Caesar’s ambition as why he needed to be killed. While Brutus sacrifice himself for honor, Caesar had to be forcibly eliminated due to his selfish ambition. Caesar and Brutus both meet their fateful ends, but Brutus meets his with honor and acceptance while Caesar is dragged to the grave by his own…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays