Road signs direct us where to go to reach our destination, whether it be to keep going straight or turn, and which areas to avoid because of a construction or accident. When a person ignores the signs, it can both figuratively and literally often lead them to the wrong destination. People frequently see what they want to see, rather than the reality and truth of a situation. Disregarding major signs that one sees or brushing them off can certainly result in a tragic end. In the play Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare writes about the way in which omens lead to the downfall of characters as several characters overlook and misunderstand omens, in addition to characters that accept omens but are too late. Julius Caesar and Decius Brutus are among
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In the beginning of the play, Cicero states that “men may construe things after their fashion, / Clean from the purpose of the things themselves” (1.3.34-35). What this means, essentially, is that a meaning of an omen may be completely obvious, yet people would still ignore it for their own benefit as it is inconvenient, and simply difficult to accept the truth. People change situations in their mind to fit it into the mold they have created, the ideal that they seek out that unfortunately, often clashes with actuality. It is rare that what we want corresponds exactly with the reality, thus it is easier to make some adjustments and modify it for ourselves than to accept the truth like how Caesar ignored the omens of his death as he wanted to show people he was not afraid. People even sometimes ignore their own gut instincts because it does not follow their fantasy. This type of circumstance occurs not only in literature such as the play Julius Caesar, but also in our daily lives. The majority of ignored signs that are usually very significant in our lives are those that appear in the relationships we have with others. In the television show, Criminal Minds, when trying to compile evidence after an arrest, the agents ask the spouse of the suspect whether or not any of the signs of psychopathic or sociopathic tendencies were present. Obviously all destructive relationships are not so severe to result in legal consequences, but from time to time, people get involved with people that are negative and cause chaos. They usually have a gut feeling or intuition about said person or warnings from others, feeling dubious about whether or not to enter a relationship together yet they do anyway due to the feelings of affection and desire for one another, ignoring the
In the beginning of the play, Cicero states that “men may construe things after their fashion, / Clean from the purpose of the things themselves” (1.3.34-35). What this means, essentially, is that a meaning of an omen may be completely obvious, yet people would still ignore it for their own benefit as it is inconvenient, and simply difficult to accept the truth. People change situations in their mind to fit it into the mold they have created, the ideal that they seek out that unfortunately, often clashes with actuality. It is rare that what we want corresponds exactly with the reality, thus it is easier to make some adjustments and modify it for ourselves than to accept the truth like how Caesar ignored the omens of his death as he wanted to show people he was not afraid. People even sometimes ignore their own gut instincts because it does not follow their fantasy. This type of circumstance occurs not only in literature such as the play Julius Caesar, but also in our daily lives. The majority of ignored signs that are usually very significant in our lives are those that appear in the relationships we have with others. In the television show, Criminal Minds, when trying to compile evidence after an arrest, the agents ask the spouse of the suspect whether or not any of the signs of psychopathic or sociopathic tendencies were present. Obviously all destructive relationships are not so severe to result in legal consequences, but from time to time, people get involved with people that are negative and cause chaos. They usually have a gut feeling or intuition about said person or warnings from others, feeling dubious about whether or not to enter a relationship together yet they do anyway due to the feelings of affection and desire for one another, ignoring the