Someone once said, “Don’t let your loyalty become slavery. Know when to let go and never compromise on self respect.” If only Brutus, in Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, had heard those words before he joined the conspirators, and killed Caesar. Before Brutus actually goes through with the horrible deed of killing Caesar, Brutus makes the decision to join Cassius and the group of conspirators who are planning to kill Caesar. Brutus joins them being as he thinks that the conspirators have the intention of respectable and loyal Romans. At the death of Caesar, Antony becomes enraged and chases Brutus and Cassius out of Rome. The play concludes with a war between Brutus and Cassius’ Army and Antony with the Roman army; moreover, since
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Brutus’ slavery to and blindness of loyalty makes him willing to deceive and kill in the name of Rome. His willingness is shown in numerous places within the text. One location is when Brutus is validating his actions to himself in this passage, “It must be by his death; and for my part,/ I know no personal cause to spurn at him,/ But for the general” (I. i. 10-12). Brutus is saying that Caesar has to die, not considering Brutus’ own personal hate, but seeing it is the best action to take for the people of Rome. This shows that Brutus is willing to kill his friend, being as how he thinks it is an act of loyalty to Rome. He believes that what he is doing is best the way for the people to notice his loyalty. This action led to the downfall by letting him …show more content…
The first example of his almost eagerness to fight is show here when Brutus says, “If at Philippi we do face him there,/ These people at our back” (IV. iii. 210-211). What he is saying in this passage is that in Philippi, Brutus and Cassius, along with their armies, are going to fight Antony and the Roman army. Brutus is willing to fight without truly knowing what he is up against, because his loyalty told him that Antony is a tyrant and must be removed from Rome; consequently his slavery of loyalty to Rome is leading him into a fight that will get him killed. So now that he has made the decision to fight, he decides to make this formal as possible and so he says, “Words before blows; is it so countrymen?” (V. i. 27). In short, what this means is that the two opposing sides are going to smack talk before the fight begins. He is so blinded by loyalty that he cannot discern how deep he is in over his head. There is no turning back at this point. This war is going to end with the death of Brutus. His loyalty has consumed him so much that the loyalty itself has become lethal. The lethality of it is shown in Brutus’ last words, “Farewell, good Strato- Caesar, now be still;/ I killed not thee with half so good as will” (V. v. 50-51). After these words are spoken, Brutus impales himself. He is saying farewell to his friend and that he thinks that he is killing himself with a better
Brutus’ slavery to and blindness of loyalty makes him willing to deceive and kill in the name of Rome. His willingness is shown in numerous places within the text. One location is when Brutus is validating his actions to himself in this passage, “It must be by his death; and for my part,/ I know no personal cause to spurn at him,/ But for the general” (I. i. 10-12). Brutus is saying that Caesar has to die, not considering Brutus’ own personal hate, but seeing it is the best action to take for the people of Rome. This shows that Brutus is willing to kill his friend, being as how he thinks it is an act of loyalty to Rome. He believes that what he is doing is best the way for the people to notice his loyalty. This action led to the downfall by letting him …show more content…
The first example of his almost eagerness to fight is show here when Brutus says, “If at Philippi we do face him there,/ These people at our back” (IV. iii. 210-211). What he is saying in this passage is that in Philippi, Brutus and Cassius, along with their armies, are going to fight Antony and the Roman army. Brutus is willing to fight without truly knowing what he is up against, because his loyalty told him that Antony is a tyrant and must be removed from Rome; consequently his slavery of loyalty to Rome is leading him into a fight that will get him killed. So now that he has made the decision to fight, he decides to make this formal as possible and so he says, “Words before blows; is it so countrymen?” (V. i. 27). In short, what this means is that the two opposing sides are going to smack talk before the fight begins. He is so blinded by loyalty that he cannot discern how deep he is in over his head. There is no turning back at this point. This war is going to end with the death of Brutus. His loyalty has consumed him so much that the loyalty itself has become lethal. The lethality of it is shown in Brutus’ last words, “Farewell, good Strato- Caesar, now be still;/ I killed not thee with half so good as will” (V. v. 50-51). After these words are spoken, Brutus impales himself. He is saying farewell to his friend and that he thinks that he is killing himself with a better