William Shakespeare's play, "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar", is
mainly based on the assassination of Julius Caesar. The character
who was in charge of the assassination was, ironically, Marcus Brutus,
a servant and close friend to Julius Caesar. But what would cause a
person to kill a close friend? After examining Brutus' relationship to
Caesar, his involvement in the conspiracy, and his importance to the
plot, the truth can be revealed.
Marcus Brutus, a servant and close friend to Caesar, has a
strong relationship with Caesar but a stronger relationship with
Rome and its people. Brutus is very close to Caesar. In Roman times,
the only way for someone to get close to a person of high rank is if
he/she is close to him/her. In many points of the play, Brutus was
talking and next to Caesar. Brutus also loves Caesar but fears his
power. In the early acts of the play, Brutus says to Cassius, "What
means this shouting? I do fear the people do choose Caesar for their
Photo of the first page of Julius Caesar from a fa...
Brutus and the Ghost of Caesar. Copperplate engrav...
John Wilkes Booth, Edwin Booth and Junius Booth, J...king...yet I love him well."(act 1, scene 2, ll.85-89), as he is
speaking to Cassius. Brutus loves 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 says, Brutus would not allow Caesar
to rise to power and then turn his back onto the people of Rome. After
the assassination of Julius Caesar, Brutus talks 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
says that Antony cannot see their(members of the conspiracy) hearts,
which are full of pity. Again, this shows how Brutus loved Caesar but
cared for the life of Rome and its people...