The Noble Character Of Brutus In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

The Latin word “noble” is defined as “having, showing, or coming from personal qualities that people admire such as honesty, generosity, courage...etc”(Webster 's Dictionary). In the 1800’s the word, “noble” was used in many books, speeches and other works of writing. Over time, the adjective “noble” is being used less and less in literature. Noble is commonly used to describe someone with high morals and great character. In the last lines of the play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the character Mark Antony concludes about Brutus, “This was the noblest Roman of them all” (V.v. 74-81). Antony says this because Brutus was the only conspirator who acted for the good of Rome. Therefore, because Brutus acted for the sake of Rome rather than envy …show more content…
In the opening of Act II, Brutus is portrayed alone in his orchard pondering what to do about Caesar regarding the anonymous letter that was just sent to his house. Brutus says to himself, “My ancestors did from the streets of Rome/ the Tarquin drive when he was called a king./ ‘Speak, strike, redress!’ am I entreated/ to speak and strike? O Rome, I make thee promise,/ if the redress will follow, thou receivest/ thy full petition at the hand of Brutus” (II.i. 56-61). Brutus is explaining to the audience that in the past the people of Rome had dictators and disaster struck. He promises that he will try his best to never let this happen to the people of Rome again...even if it means killing Caesar. Brutus again shows his nobility to Rome at the end of Act IV. Brutus, who was unaware until later of the conspirators’ reasons to kill Caesar, has a dream where the ghost of Caesar visits him. After the ghost tells Brutus that they will meet again at Philippi, Brutus says,”Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then./ Now I have taken heart, thou vanishest./ Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee-” (IV.iii.330-332). The dream tells Brutus that someone is going to die at Philippi. By feeling this guilt, Brutus displays nobility. He is overridden with guilt because his friend Caesar is dead. In the opening of the play, Cassius is speaking to Brutus about rumors of Caesar becoming …show more content…
After the tragic murder of Julius Caesar in the opening of act III, Mark Antony enters and assumes that the conspirators are going to kill him too. Brutus responds, “O Antony, beg not your death of us!/ though now we must appear bloody and cruel,/ as by our hands and this our present act/ you see we do, yet see you but our hands/ and this the bleeding business they have done./ Our hearts you see not; they are pitiful;/ and pity to the general wrong of Rome/ hath done this deed on Caesar” (III.i.183-188). He is explaining to Antony that yes, this scene looks really bad, but our hearts are good. As fire is used to put out the fire, pity is used the same way to put out pity. Brutus is stating that the conspirators hearts were full of pity for Caesar and the wrongs of Rome, so, therefore, they killed him. Brutus restates this to the people of Rome in his speech at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus exclaims, “ If then that friend/ demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my/ answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved/ Rome more...There is tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor/ for his valor, and death for his ambition” (III. ii. 21-30). Brutus is showing the plebeians that he didn’t turn his back against Caesar because he hated him. Brutus turned against Caesar for the good of Rome. He saw that Rome