What Is Ambition In Julius Caesar

Fear of too much ambition drives the senate to gather to speak against the Roman leader in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, and, Brutus, one of Caesar’s closest and most trusted friends, devises a plan to kill him. Brutus plans to end Caesar’s reign by tricking him into meeting with conspirators, where they then stab him to death. After the murder of Caesar, his assistant and friend, Mark Antony, finds the conspirators and convinces them to give Caesar a proper funeral, by arguing that he was admired by many. Antony arranges to speak after Brutus at the funeral, but Brutus is unaware that Antony is planning to cause an uprising, resulting in the Roman people becoming angry and violent because of Caesar’s death. Antony reminds the people why they loved and supported Caesar and questions why they aren’t supporting him now, when he is not there to defend himself. Antony is trying to …show more content…
He reminds the people that Caesar “hath brought captives home to Rome” from the wars he has lead and won (III. ii. 16). He proclaimed that without Caesar their sons, husbands, and brothers could have died, never to return home again, and he questions why Caesar would be considered ambitious when he cared so much for his people and worked diligently to bring their men back home. Antony also reminded the people that they “thrice presented [Caesar] a kingly crown, which [Caesar] did thrice refuse”, and he used this as evidence that Caesar was not an ambitious person (III. ii. 24-25). Caesar was a humble man, even if he may not have seemed like it to others, and he most likely refused the crown because he knew his popularity and success were due to the people who supported him and they deserved the credit. This proves Caesar was not an ambitious person and he cared more for his people than some might have