Julius Caesar Theme Essay, Research Paper
In the Shakespearean tragedy Julius Caesar was written to inform the audiences about the assassination of Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar is the main character of the story. He is also the character that treasures friendship the most. Friendship is the center of any orderly world. If people are disloyal to each other only disasters will come out of the situation. In this tragedy it is very clear what will happen when friends are disloyal to each other. They end up stabbing you in the back.
On the Ides of March, as Caesar was assassinated, Caesar’s last line is: “Et tu, Brute?–Then fall, Caesar.”(Act 3, scene 1). This shows that Caesar would have not die without Brutus’ stab. Caesar realizes that there must be a good reason for this assassination if Brutus was in it. This again shows how much Caesar respects Brutus. Since Brutus “…loved Rome more.”(Act 3, scene 2), he decided to be a part of the conspiracy. If he hadn’t loved Rome more than Caesar, he would not have joined in the assassination of
Julius Caesar. Cassius and the rest of the conspirators chose Brutus to join them and head the conspiracy because they knew how much Brutus was respected by the people, and the people would think that if Brutus killed Caesar, there was a good reason for it. Though Brutus believed he was just in his cause he really wasn t. The conspirator Cinna forged letter to Brutus. The first line read Brutus, thou sleep st. Awake, and see thyself (2.1.46) Brutus interpreted this to be from all of Rome, telling him to slay Caesar.
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). 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 more. It also shows his innocence, because he believes everyone has as pure a heart as he, but then Anthony does not follow through on a promise made to him and declares an attack on the conspirators. Up until his death, Brutus feels that he has done what he has for the good of the Romans, never thinking of himself. Though his fellow conspirators were only envious of Caesar, Brutus had only good intentions. After he has
killed himself, even Antony declares, “And this was a man!”(Act V, scene 5)
The whole time everyone kept predicting that he would be killed on the ides of March. Caesar ignored the warnings. Even right before he entered the Senate he was given a letter of warning “beware the ides of March,” Caesar refuses to listen to advice to stay home. His own wife Calphurnia dreamt that he was to be stabbed and was spouting out blood. Though already warned by the soothsayer, he ignored his wife s prediction and listened to Decius. Decius told Caesar that the prophecy meant he would be a prosperous ruler and would bleed for the roman people. With this you can also see Caesar trusting his friends the conspirators even before he believes in his own wife.
Caesar at his death, Caesar finally figured it out that his closest friend and advisor, with whom you so dearly trust, is the one that gives the deathly blow. Brutus was the final conspirator to stab Caesar. As death approached the two friends Brutus was forced to forget about his friendship. He was only able to act on his intentions for the good of the Roman people, so he killed his own friend. If Caesar had
listened to others more and Brutus paid more attention to his deeper judgment, both would have continued to live long, productive lives, and not have been so susceptible to the actions and wants of others.