Honor In Julius Caesar Research Paper

Greek and Roman Values Essay The play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare contains many examples of honor, respect, and material wealth. Some of the characters use the idea of honor to mask their true intentions, but the ones that are worthy of honor try to earn it in humble, intelligent ways. The characters Julius Caesar, Brutus, and Cassius can be analyzed to illustrate how the value of honor is prevalent in Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar was a very popular and honored man, and he had a lot of supporters. He earned his honor by becoming a general for the Roman army, and successfully leading the army to victory many times. Many of the common people of Rome respected him for his bravery and his desire for democracy, and they honor him materially by putting up statues of him and decorating the statues with scarves and wreaths. Caesar was even offered a crown, a material symbol of honor, but he modestly refused it. Caesar helped fill the story with his honor by being honorable – that is, brave, noble, charismatic, and strong. At his funeral, his friend Antony spoke about him, “He hath brought many captives home to Rome, whose ransoms did …show more content…
The lessons of honor in Julius Caesar are still relevant today because there are many people in modern times that can be compared to Julius, Brutus, and Cassius; people that earn honor respectfully and humbly and people who earn honor through doing bad things. A modern-day Julius could be Martin Luther King, Jr., who fought for the rights of an entire community, and did not do it to be honored, but did it to provide freedom and equality for the black population. A modern-day figure who could be compared to Cassius is Lance Armstrong, who earned honor by cheating, lying, and using steroids to win multiple Tour de France bicycle races. Honor is everywhere in today’s society, and Julius Caesar can be a reflection of the many examples of honor in the