Brutus by Samuel Singh

Within the story of the play “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare there is one person that stands out among the other characters because of who he is and a certain phrase that made him famous. “Et tu, Brute?” (3.1.77) the tragic words said by Caesar himself before Brutus stabs him. Throughout the play there is another person in the entire story that thinks and places such high esteem on honor as Brutus.

From the very beginning of the play the image of Brutus is presented as a person who thinks and ponders heavily about different situations that weigh on his mind. His heavy thoughts are presented to the audience when we read that he cannot sleep because he is considering taking a stand against Caesar and finds every possible reason he came use to spur his decision. There is in 8.2.9-11 when Caesar himself mentions, “To touch Calpurnia for our leaders say/The barren touched in this holy chase, / Shake off their sterile curse.” In this scene Caesar wants to have children and this interpreted as the want of a heir to create a dynasty, all the more reason for Brutus to want him killed. He always sees himself as a person who was performing a service to Rome, and doing what he thought was best for the people being governed and not only for the rulers.

Unquestionably, Brutus seems to be the only person even among the conspirators who maintains a sense of humanity, honor and dignity throughout the play. His sense of humanity could be seen when he addressed the crowds after Caesar was killed. Brutus honestly believed that what he did was for the good of Rome and there was no question about that. He claims that he loved Caesar but he loved Rome more and displays this when he mentions it publicly before the people after Caesar’s murder. Brutus says, “ As Caesar loved me, I weep for him. As he was fortunate, I rejoice at it. As he was valiant, I honor him. But as he was ambitious, I slew him,” (3.2.23-25). How would anyone be able to question the motives of such a person who admits that he took the life of someone he loved and who loved him, but he did it so that the people would be free from danger about to descend from Caesar’s rise to power? The answer is simple, they cannot, which is why the crowds were all rallied behind him shouting, “Live Brutus, live live!” (3.2.44) when they asked if they wished him dead before the before the speech of Anthony.

When you seek to know if a person is honorable, everyone, even his enemies should agree that that person is, such is the power of honor in Brutus. It seems unfair that the power of honor should be encased in someone who is a conspirator and murderer yet; it was the actions of the person and the principle behind what was done that made him keep this honor afloat. The first example we get that Brutus is honorable is from Mark Anthony in his speech to the people when he continually praises Brutus as “an honorable man” who killed Caesar for being ambitious. If such a figure would say he is still honorable after the murder of a leader, then the crowds would believe him and even Brutus himself believed his actions were ones grounded in honor. Yet, honor is not something that is only known through speeches, it is also seen when it is practiced. There is a specific scene in (4.2. 73-76) when Brutus rebukes Cassius telling him, “What, shall one of us/ That struck the foremost man of all this world/ But for supporting robbers shall we now/ Contaminate our fingers with base bribes.” It was Brutus’ own personal sense of honor that keeps him and his sense of goodness known, and makes him rebuke and publicly disgrace the friend of Cassius for taking bribes from the Sardinians.

It is also easy for a soldier to look at Brutus and become inspired because the reader would be given a glimpse of the Roman Republican stoicism, which is also an unquestionable quality of Brutus. He knows that he is a figure that his troops look up to and he has to inspire them. Nothing would be gained if he is emotional and looses control in the face of his men. Stoicism and honor are everything to him for he believes in never showing a sign of weakness before his troops. This hard quality of his is shown clearly when he speaks about the cause of death of his wife Portia as, “Impatience in my absence,” (4.2.204). The very coldness and calmness he has when speaking about his wife frightens Cassius.

The character of Brutus is an interesting and complex individual. He uses everything to his advantage when making choices about anything. It is hard not to understand why the play is named after Caesar when it is Brutus who has by far the most influence and lines of the entire play. However, it may return to the fact that Shakespeare named his plays after the rulers rather than other characters involved. This character is one so interesting that we even get to read about the internal conflicts that plague him. For Brutus the entire play is a tragedy, a play about dealing with the struggles of supporting Caesar as a friend or kill him as a dictator. It is the actions of this internal struggle that finally causes a conflict of an external kind; a civil war. In spite of all this conflict the reader still sees an honorable man like Mark Anthony who says in (5.5.67), “ This was the noblest Roman of them all.” He is the only conspirator to keep his honor and dignity throughout the play. He is put against the likes of Mark Anthony and others like Cassius who use words to spin their own desires rather than really believing in what they do and in this case Brutus would have never killed Caesar were it not that he believed that he was defending the Roman Republic. Yet it was Mark Anthony who speaks for Brutus when he says, “his life was gentle, and the elements/ So mixed in him that nature might stand up/ And say to all the world “This was a man”” (5.5.74).

bibliogrphy

“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” Volume 2 “Arranged in their chronological order” and edited by W.G Clark and W. Aldis Wright.

“Traditions in Literature, America reads, Classic edition.” Compiled by Helen mc Dowell, James E. Miller Jr, and

Russell J. Hogan