Brutus HeroVillan

Dible 1
Jourdan Dible
ENGL 4165
K. Swenson
12 Dec 2012
Heroes and Villains
William Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar could have easily been titled
The Tragedy of Brutus. Brutus faces both external and internal conflicts throughout
the tragedy. Brutus is both noble and honorable. He lives for democracy. His
actions and words are for the people of Rome. He loves Caesar, but his love for
Rome and for democracy is greater. Mark Antony would argue that Brutus is a
villain. Brutus leads the conspirators to murder the great ruler of Rome-Julius
Caesar- a ruler that the people love . Yet, Brutus openly says that he loves Caesar
and is his friend , but his personal moral code obligates him to do what he believes is
the most honorable thing . Brutus believes in doing what is best for the people of
Rome. Brutus’s love for Caesar and his concern for the Romans are the two
conflicting ideas in Brutus’s mind . Because of the dichotomy that exists within his
character, it is difficult to determine whether Brutus is a villain or a hero.

Dible 2
Brutus is concerned for the well being of the people . He fears that Caesar will
become a tyrant . When Cassius approaches him, he admits he has been thinking
about Caesar (1.2. 45-50). He loves Caesar as a friend, but he fears that he will be
corrupted by power (1.2.85-86). Cassius pulls Casca aside from the party that is
with Caesar. Cassius and Brutus ask Casca what has happened . Casca tells them
that Mark Antony offered Caesar a crown. All three times that Antony offered Caesar
the crown, Caesar declines taking the crown with more and more hesitation every
time it is offered (1.2.245-261). Brutus fears that Caesar is going to become a
dictator and he needs to be stopped before he becomes power hungry. Cassius
wants Brutus to join him in the plot against Caesar . Cassius voices his complaints
against Caesar to Brutus . Brutus shares his fears are for Rome and what Caesar
may become if he is granted so much power .
Brutus does not want to kill Caesar for vengeance or personal gain. He is not
blood thirsty or power hungry. When the conspirators come to Brutus they want
Caesar and Mark Antony to fall together (2 .1.170-174). Brutus defends Marc
Antony’s life even though Marc Antony is a strong supporter of Caesar . Brutus says
to the conspirators, “Let’s be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius . We all stand up
against the spirit of Caesar/ and in the spirit of men there is no blood” (2.1.179-181)
as a way of saying that this is not meant to be a vicious murder. Caesar’s death will
Dible 3
be a sacrifice for the betterment of Rome and its people . Brutus wants to save the
Romans from falling under the rule of another king . In killing Caesar, the
conspirators also want to kill Marc Antony because they believe he is too close to
Caesar and so he must die. Brutus warns that killing Antony would be too violent
and it would not help their basis for the assassination plot . The brutality does not
meet the cause justly. Their intent is to rid Rome of a tyrant, not to make a bloody
mess in the senate. Brutus speaks to glorify Caesar’s assassination. His intent is
not to murder Caesar in cold blood, but sacrifice him for the freedom of Rome.
Brutus justifies Caesar’s assassination as a revolution for Rome and instead of
thinking of it as murder to think of it as an offering to the Gods. Caesar’s death is
never meant to be cruel . Brutus’s mentality is against what he fears Caesar shall
become, but not against Caesar himself. Brutus believes he is doing the honorable
thing in making a stand against Caesar in the way his ancestors freed Rome from its
last king .
Brutus is compelled by his own sense of morals and justice to join the plot . He
admits to Cassius that he is bothered lately (1.2 .45-50). Brutus commits to the plot
when he receives the fake letters from Cassius pretending to be citizens of Rome
(2.1.10-36). Brutus gives explanation in a monologue as to why he must join the
conspirators and why Caesar must fall (2.1.10-36). Brutus compares Caesar to a
Dible 4
serpent in its egg. It poses no threat to the world until it hatches. Brutus says then
that when the egg hatches and the serpent is born they become like all other snakes
and so it is better to kill the serpent before it hatches . Brutus fears that Caesar , if
crowned, would become so corrupt with power that the democracy would fall apart .
This monologue is where Brutus makes a final decision to take action against
Caesar. Brutus is more fearful of Caesar becoming a dictator and becoming corrupt
with power is more terrifying than the prospect of murdering him . Brutus reads the
fake letters that have been planted by the conspirators to encourage him to action .
Brutus believes the letters are real and that the Romans are calling him forth to free
them from Caesar’s rule . Brutus’s ancestors over threw the last king of Rome.
Brutus believes that it is his duty to see that Rome does not come under a monarchy
again. When Brutus arrives at this conclusion he makes the decision that he must
keep the Romans free. Brutus justifies that they must assassinate Caesar for the
good of Rome because it is his duty to protect the citizens .
Brutus is a tragic hero. He chooses to make the difficult, right decision
instead of the easy, wrong decision which could lead Rome to fall under the power of
a tyrant. Brutus fears that if he does not assassinate Caesar, Caesar will undermine
the democracy that he cherishes. He joins the conspirators not out of hate for
Caesar, but out of love for his fellow Romans . He is morally obligated by his
Dible 5
personal code of honor to act violently in order to protect the Romans from corrupt
government.

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Dible 1

Heroes and Villains

character, it is difficult to determine whether Brutus is a villain or a hero.

time it is offered (1.2.245-261). Brutus fears that Caesar is going to become a

dictator and he needs to be stopped before he becomes power hungry. Cassius

may become if he is granted so much power .

Brutus justifies Caesar’s assassination as a revolution for Rome and instead of

thinking of it as murder to think of it as an offering to the Gods. Caesar’s death is

(2.1.10-36). Brutus gives explanation in a monologue as to why he must join the

good of Rome because it is his duty to protect the citizens .

Brutus is a tragic hero. He chooses to make the difficult, right decision

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