One example of a person who manipulates in politics is Cassius, who manipulates Brutus into joining the conspirators and into killing Caesar. Julius Caesar is gaining a lot of support and may become dictator or ruler. Cassius feels like Caesar should be killed …show more content…
One character who manipulates her own family member is Portia, the wife of Brutus. Brutus has been thinking about what Cassius said about how Caesar is ambitious and he should be killed. Brutus does not know which side to support, because although what Cassius is saying is for the future of the Republic of Rome, Caesar is his friend.Portia notices a change in the behavior Brutus and realizes that he is worried. She asks him why and he responds that he is sick.Portia sees right through Brutus, and she says that she has the right to know because she is his wife. Brutus still refuses, and Portia says that if he does not tell her, this like of trust shows that “Portia is Brutus’ harlot, not his wife” (2.1.189). She then goes on to prove her faithfulness to Brutus by “giving [herself] a voluntary wound here in the thigh” and saying that if she can suffer from this pain and still not complain, she is faithful enough to her husband to hear his worries (2.1.302-303). This emotional manipulation causes Brutus to give in and he tells her the reason why he is worried. One character who manipulates his friends is Antony, who manipulates Lepidus. Lepidus is an able soldier who is supposed to be part of the Second Triumvirate with Octavius and Antony. Antony, however, does not view Lepidus as smart and questions Octavious if he should even be in the triumvirate. Antony thinks that Lepidus “is a slight, meritable man, …show more content…
The primary example of this manipulation in Julius Caesar is Brutus. Brutus is considered to be very noble by almost everyone in the play. Brutus wants to keep this image, and therefore he tries to convince himself that killing Caesar is the right thing to do. Caesar is his friend and it is very hard for Brutus to convince himself, but in the end with some help, he thinks that “it must be by [Caesar’s] death” that the Republic of Rome is saved (2.1.10). This manipulation causes Brutus to kill Caesar, thinking that Caesar is too ambitious, even though Caesar has not done much to show his ambition. Another person who manipulates himself is Julius Caesar. Caesar appears to think that he is above and better than all the other people around him. Right before Caesar is about to be killed, Metellus Cimber asks Caesar if he can repeal the order for the banishment of Metellus’ brother. Caesar, being as he is, tells Mettelus to not be foolish enough “to think that [he] bears such rebel blood that will be thawed” by flattery (3.1.40-41). Metellus continues to request and Brutus and Cassius join him. Caesar then arrogantly responds that “[he] could be well moved if [he] were as [Brutus, Cassius, and Metellus]” (3.1.58). Caesar manipulates himself into thinking that he is above all people, and this is one of the causes of his downfall. Soon after Metellus begs him, Caesar is killed by the conspirator 's for being too