Brutus Character Analysis

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Marcus Brutus In William Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, a scheme was plotted and carried out for the assassination of Julius Caesar. One of the main conspirators was Marcus Brutus, a servant and close friend to Julius Caesar. But what would cause a person to kill a close friend? Brutus' relationship to Caesar, his inner conflict for Rome or for the love of a friend, and his importance to the plot, answer this question.

Marcus Brutus has a strong relationship with Caesar but a stronger relationship with Rome and its people. Brutus was very close to Caesar. Brutus also loved Caesar, but feared his power. Brutus said to Cassius, "What means this shouting? I do fear the people do choose Caesar for their king...yet I love him well."(Act 1, scene 2, ll.85-89). Brutus loved Caesar, but would not allow him to "climber-upward...He then unto the ladder turns his back..."(act

2, scene 1, ll.24, 26). As the quote said, Brutus did not want Caesar to rise to power and then turn his back on the people of Rome. On the Ides of March, as Caesar was assassinated, Caesar's last line was: "Et tu, Brute? --Then fall, Caesar."(Act 3, scene 1, l.85). This shows that Caesar realized that there must have been a noble reason for his assassination if Brutus was involved in it. This again shows how much Caesar respected Brutus.

After the assassination of Julius Caesar, Brutus talked to Antony about Caesar's death. "Our hearts you see not; they are pitiful; and pity to the general wrong of Rome..."(act 3, scene 1, ll.185-186). Brutus said that Antony didn't see the conspirator's hearts, which were full of pity for Caesar and for the corruption of Rome. Again, this showed how Brutus loved Caesar but cared for the life of Rome and its people more. This was the only reason Brutus conspired against Caesar. In a soliloquy, Brutus said, "I know no personal cause to spurn at him...How that might change his nature..."(act 2, scene1, and ll. 1,13) Brutus also declared to himself that his role in the conspiracy is to save Rome. He said to the people, "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."(Act 3,scene 2,ll.21-24). This showed that Brutus truly loved and respected Caesar, but he saw the needs of Rome as more important than Caesar's need for life.

Marcus Brutus had a very important role in the conspiracy against Caesar. He was the "back-bone" of the plan. According to Cassius, Brutus' main purpose in the conspiracy was to make sure the people wouldn't turn against them. The people thought, since Brutus was noble to Caesar, there must have been a good reason for Caesar's assassination. Cassius was the one who declared, "Brutus shall lead the way, and we will grace his heels with the most boldest and best hearts of Rome. "(Act 3, scene 1, ll.135-136). Again, if Brutus leads the way, the people will think that the death of Julius Caesar wasn't such a bad thing. If Brutus were not in the plot of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the conspiracy would probably not have worked. Brutus "...loved Rome more."(Act 3,scene2, ll.23-24), so he decided to play a part in the conspiracy. If he hadn't loved Rome more than Caesar, he would not have betrayed Caesar. Cassius and the rest of the conspirators would probably not have continued on without Brutus because they would have had no assurance that the people wouldn't just turn around and kill them for killing Caesar. The people would think that the only reason for Caesar's death was to satisfy the greed and anger of jealous men, and they would most likely kill all of the conspirators. Also, if Brutus were not in the play, the whole end of the play would have never occurred. Brutus would not have been there to have an army or to kill himself, and Cassius would already be dead. If Brutus were not in the play, the title would have absolutely no meaning. There would be no "Tragedy" in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.