The title alone of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare speaks volumes about the nature of Caesar’s death. Labeling the leader’s fall as a tragedy creates an aura of sadness around the loss, portraying his murder as an unfortunate and brutal occurrence. However, the motives of the conspirators that ended Caesar’s life were not wholly ruthless. Rather, this group of men sought to save Rome from the tyranny and negligence that they believed was being perpetrated by Caesar himself. The fact that their intentions were honest and their violence was limited to the bare minimum suggests that the death of Caesar is better described as a sacrifice than a butchery.
The people of Rome’s dissatisfaction with Caesar can be seen very early …show more content…
He is a man of honor, and states many times that he loves Caesar, but his loyalty to the land he serves leads him to the eventual conclusion that the only way Rome can be saved “must be by [Caesar’s] death” (Line 9, Act 2 Scene 1). Brutus takes a long time to deliberate this, showing that the decision was a difficult one to make and that he did not act in a sudden moment of brutality. He understands that Caesar has become too arrogant and dictatorial for his own good. Using a ladder as metaphor, Brutus claims that when Caesar had just begun his “climb”, he was close enough to the bottom to still see and recognize those around him as equals. However, as Caesar ascended higher and “attain[ed] the upmost round,/ He then unto the ladder turn[ed] his back/ [and] look[ed] in the clouds” (Lines 25-27, Act 2 Scene 1). By this, Brutus means that once Caesar attained too much power and recognition, he forgot about those less fortunate than him and began to view himself as a god rather than a servant to his people. Because of this, despite his reservations, Brutus comes to the conclusion that Caesar’s coronation would be disastrous to Rome and that he must be stopped. Since Caesar 's rise to power seemed inevitable at that point, the only way to avoid it was through his death. This motive shows that the conspirators sought to sacrifice Caesar in the name of Rome’s well-being, rather than brutally butcher him in an act of
The people of Rome’s dissatisfaction with Caesar can be seen very early …show more content…
He is a man of honor, and states many times that he loves Caesar, but his loyalty to the land he serves leads him to the eventual conclusion that the only way Rome can be saved “must be by [Caesar’s] death” (Line 9, Act 2 Scene 1). Brutus takes a long time to deliberate this, showing that the decision was a difficult one to make and that he did not act in a sudden moment of brutality. He understands that Caesar has become too arrogant and dictatorial for his own good. Using a ladder as metaphor, Brutus claims that when Caesar had just begun his “climb”, he was close enough to the bottom to still see and recognize those around him as equals. However, as Caesar ascended higher and “attain[ed] the upmost round,/ He then unto the ladder turn[ed] his back/ [and] look[ed] in the clouds” (Lines 25-27, Act 2 Scene 1). By this, Brutus means that once Caesar attained too much power and recognition, he forgot about those less fortunate than him and began to view himself as a god rather than a servant to his people. Because of this, despite his reservations, Brutus comes to the conclusion that Caesar’s coronation would be disastrous to Rome and that he must be stopped. Since Caesar 's rise to power seemed inevitable at that point, the only way to avoid it was through his death. This motive shows that the conspirators sought to sacrifice Caesar in the name of Rome’s well-being, rather than brutally butcher him in an act of