Brutus
... republicanism at that time in Rome was dead to the people. They only wanted a Caesar. f. He also did not realize that all his fellow conspirators were motivated only by envy. III. HIS GENTLENESS Closely connected with this quality of idealism, is the quality of gentleness which is seen in his dealings with every one and especially with his wife. The two qualities of idealism and gentleness cause him to make the four great errors. i. He did not agree that Antony should be killed along with Caesar. ii. He consented to Antony’s speaking at Caesar’s funeral, that too in his absence. iii. He refuses to overlook the offence of Crussius Bella. iv. He did not listen to Cassius’ better judgment and decided to risk everything by going to battle “as soon as might be possible.” His gentleness is one of the most beautiful traits inspite of his errors. Even Antony admits this 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.” IV. HIS PHILOSOPHY Brutus was a philosopher in the technical as well as the general scene of the term. He was a stoic. This philosophy teaches indifference towards either pain or pleasure. It also held that if one led a virtuous life, one was sure to have perpetual happiness. A man who is wise cannot really meet his misfortune. If he met with any outward calamity, it was a divine instrument to teach indifference to external conditions. Virtue is to be cultivated for its own sake. Brutus’ early life was based upon the above philosophy. However, this belief of his did not sustain him through the trials and danger of his later years. For example: a. Even before the assassination, he looses some of his usual calm and cannot hide his anxiety from his wife. b. His quarrel with Cassius shows that he has become irritable and is subject to fix of temper. V. HIS ORATORY When Brutus is under the influence of a strong emotion, he rises to eloquence. a. Once when he forbade the oath. b. Second, when he bade his fellow conspirators to stoop and bathe their hands in Caesar’s blood. VI. HIS JUSTIFICATION OF CAESAR’S MURDER Brutus hated the very nature of king and dreaded tyranny. So, he naturally joined the conspirators against Caesar. However, his arguments for the danger of Caesar’s power were not strong enough. He says that Caesar was no tyrant by nature, but there was a possibility that the crown might “change his nature” and therefore he must “ think him as a serpent’s egg, which, hatched, would as his kind grow mischievous and kill him in the shell.” The virtues of Brutus are emphasized by Shakespeare and those of Caesar are kept in the background. Shakespeare shows that Brutus’ motives for killing Cae...