The Importance of Being Moderate: Why Brutus Fell
The rule of attachment between light and dark is constant. Without sadness, there is no happiness; without comedy tragedy loses impact. A genre so potent with sorrow surrounding the main character could be reduced to nothing if not for lighthearted comedy. The law of necessary contrast has been true for all of history, both in reality and literature, and has been captured through the works of remarkable authors such as William Shakespeare. He held a healthy balance between the two extremes, with slapstick such as The Comedy of Errors to the deep pain of Julius Caesar. What makes the heartache of Julius Caesar so significant is not the man himself, but the tragic hero Marcus Brutus. His flaw …show more content…
It is shown recognizably in the scene where he joins the conspirators in their plot to kill Julius Caesar, who Brutus has been manipulated to fear for his ambition. Cassius reaches out to swear an oath to their deed. Brutus disagrees saying, “No, not an oath. If not the face of men,/The sufferance of souls, the time’s abuse-/If these motives be weak, break off betimes,/And every man hence to his idle bed” (Shakespeare II.i.114-117). Here Brutus asserts himself and denies the oath. His reason for denying the oath was that a vow should not be the motivation for killing Caesar, it should be the knowledge that ending him would be best for Rome. Brutus did not initiate the plot of killing Caesar; he only very recently joins the conspirators. Yet already he is committed to them and the plan to the point of rejecting the idea of a pledge. Later in the scene he shows a contrasting allegiance to Caesar when talking about how he wants the assassination to take place. “O, that we then could come by Caesar’s spirit,/And not dismember Caesar! But, alas,/Caesar must bleed for it. And, gentle friends,/Let’s kill him boldly but not wrathfully” (Shakespeare II.i.169-172). With this, Brutus’s inner conflict is seen through his devotion. He expects the men to cooperate, remain silent, and execute the act as he sees fit because the concept of the other conspirators being anything less than honorable and trustworthy is unknown to …show more content…
Brutus’s tragic flaw made the final ruin tear-jerking for everyone. It shows that no matter how honorable a trait might be, it could turn into a flaw when taken to an extreme. It is unfortunate that the tragic hero could not see that his dedication was simply too much. A lesson of moderation comes from the noble man’s death. Because Brutus lacked the darkness needed to balance his views, the light was overflowing and led to his agonizing demise. Without a harmony between two opposing sides, one will bury the person whole, as Julius Caesar tragically
The rule of attachment between light and dark is constant. Without sadness, there is no happiness; without comedy tragedy loses impact. A genre so potent with sorrow surrounding the main character could be reduced to nothing if not for lighthearted comedy. The law of necessary contrast has been true for all of history, both in reality and literature, and has been captured through the works of remarkable authors such as William Shakespeare. He held a healthy balance between the two extremes, with slapstick such as The Comedy of Errors to the deep pain of Julius Caesar. What makes the heartache of Julius Caesar so significant is not the man himself, but the tragic hero Marcus Brutus. His flaw …show more content…
It is shown recognizably in the scene where he joins the conspirators in their plot to kill Julius Caesar, who Brutus has been manipulated to fear for his ambition. Cassius reaches out to swear an oath to their deed. Brutus disagrees saying, “No, not an oath. If not the face of men,/The sufferance of souls, the time’s abuse-/If these motives be weak, break off betimes,/And every man hence to his idle bed” (Shakespeare II.i.114-117). Here Brutus asserts himself and denies the oath. His reason for denying the oath was that a vow should not be the motivation for killing Caesar, it should be the knowledge that ending him would be best for Rome. Brutus did not initiate the plot of killing Caesar; he only very recently joins the conspirators. Yet already he is committed to them and the plan to the point of rejecting the idea of a pledge. Later in the scene he shows a contrasting allegiance to Caesar when talking about how he wants the assassination to take place. “O, that we then could come by Caesar’s spirit,/And not dismember Caesar! But, alas,/Caesar must bleed for it. And, gentle friends,/Let’s kill him boldly but not wrathfully” (Shakespeare II.i.169-172). With this, Brutus’s inner conflict is seen through his devotion. He expects the men to cooperate, remain silent, and execute the act as he sees fit because the concept of the other conspirators being anything less than honorable and trustworthy is unknown to …show more content…
Brutus’s tragic flaw made the final ruin tear-jerking for everyone. It shows that no matter how honorable a trait might be, it could turn into a flaw when taken to an extreme. It is unfortunate that the tragic hero could not see that his dedication was simply too much. A lesson of moderation comes from the noble man’s death. Because Brutus lacked the darkness needed to balance his views, the light was overflowing and led to his agonizing demise. Without a harmony between two opposing sides, one will bury the person whole, as Julius Caesar tragically