Brutus from The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
In the play “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”, we were introduced to many characters including Caesar who eventually got murdered and the conspirators among which was a character named Brutus. He is an extremely patriotic, naive and stoic man and this is what led to him to commit the murder as these personality traits overtook everything else. During Brutus’ speech after Caesar’s death, he says that if he is asked why he rose against Caesar, then it is because it is “not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more”(3.
2.24). This displays that the reason Brutus agreed to murder Caesar was as his patriotism came before his friendship and it was always his priority. This emotion towards his country was what guided him to make decisions that ended up destroying Rome more than it contributed to helping it. In a conversation with Cassius, Brutus says that Caesar is a “..Serpent’s egg which, hatched, would, as his kind, grow mischevious and kill him in the shell(2.
1.33-36).
This shows that he prefers that Caesar is killed before he becomes king and causes damage to Rome. Brutus wants to desperately protect Rome and has proven to do anything to protect it. Brutus is a very naive person and it is shown when he says that Antony “is but a limb of Caesar”(2.1.165). He doesn’t think that Antony will be able to do anything without Caesar and is, therefore, not harmful but he doesn’t realize that Antony is a strong man who will definitely take revenge for the death of his best friend and this mistake of underestimating him will eventually destroy all his plans and be the cause of his death.
Cassius says about Brutus that “If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius, He should not humour me.” (Shakespeare Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 314-315). Cassius says it himself that if Brutus didn’t listen to Cassius, he wouldn’t be one of the conspirators which shows that he is naive enough to believe someone and can be easily manipulated. Throughout the book, Brutus has a very stoic attitude towards the situation almost like he is numbed. When his wife Portia dies and Messala gives the message, he says “ Why farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala. With meditating that she must die once, I have patience to endure it now”(4.3.218-220).
Upon receiving this news, he says that it was something that would eventually happen. He doesn’t show as much emotion towards his wife’s death, unlike other spouses who would be heartbroken. When Portia begs Brutus to share his plans with her, he tells her to go open the door as someone is knocking and ‘’…and by and by thy bosom shall partake The secrets of my heart. All my engagements I will construe to thee, All the character of my sad brows. Leave me with haste.”(2.1.314-318). He doesn’t tell Portia his plans no matter how much she asks or what she does and he just tells her that she will know soon. He doesn’t display too much emotion to his wife’s continuous request. Brutus was a noble and honorable man whose only mistake was being too naive and falling for Cassius’ manipulation. He loved his country a lot and this intense patriotism will eventually be the reason for his death and for the death of his wife. His mistakes that were caused due to manipulation messed up his plan and while he lost his best friend due to this, he also lost his life and his respect in the end.
