Noble In Julius Caesar

The word noble is used in the play Julius Caesar with such frequency that it is hard to tell if it is a compliment or an insult. Noble is used to describe the characters of Antony, Brutus, Caesar, plus all of the conspirators who attacked and killed Caesar. It seems that most every man in Rome is noble or honorable despite his short-comings. At the end of the play, Antony refers to Brutus as “…the noblest Roman of them all.” In my opinion the distinction of being the “noblest” belongs to Antony.

Part of being noble or honorable is loyalty. Antony is a loyal person. He is loyal to Rome and Caesar, his friend. Brutus, though loyal to Caesar, is more loyal to Rome. This is part of the reason that Brutus joins in with the conspirators to kill Caesar. Instead of trusting his friend to not become corrupt and bring about the demise of Rome, he decided to kill him to prevent the possibility. Brutus felt this was a noble thing to do as a sacrifice to Rome, but his actions were self-serving. …show more content…
During the speech, Antony mentions all of the good that Caesar had done for Rome. No one felt him too powerful or ambitious during those times. However, one mention of ambition by the “noble” or “Honorable Brutus” and the crowd quickly turns. Antony is quick to use the term “noble” in a negative way to describe