Leadership in Julius Ceasar
In Shakespeare's tragedy Julius Caesar, the use of diverse leaders plays an important role in the plot, showing vividly how strong personalities conflict. This is the case with Brutus and Cassius, the two leaders among the several conspirators. The story of Julius Caesar is set in ancient Rome during a time when Julius Caesar is to become king. This, however, angers Cassius, a nobleman, and he plots with Brutus and others to kill him before he becomes king. They do just that, justifying their actions by saying Caesar was too ambitious and would have gone insane with power. This backfires with the Roman citizens after an emotional speech by Mark Antony, Caesar's right hand man. This forces the conspirators to flee Rome and go to war with Antony and eventually take their own lives. Because of their great leadership qualities, Brutus and Cassius take the leader roles among the conspirators. Nevertheless, they at times do argue over the course of action. Though Brutus and Cassius are both similar in that they are great leaders, their differences in character are instrumental in determining the conclusion of the play. Despite their differences, Brutus and Cassius have similar traits that give rise to great leaders. Both Bru
Brutus and Cassius' differences in motives are also a precursor to their motives throughout the play. Cassius is a very self-serving; he is loyal to himself above all else. As he states in the early part of the play, "Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius" (1.3.90). In the previous scene he convinces Brutus to join the conspiracy by exploiting his honor and nobility. This is obvious when he concludes his argument with, "I am glad that my weak words Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus" (1.2.176-177). Cassius' motives for killing Caesar are primarily jealousy and envy, rather than Caesar's ambition, which he uses to convince Brutus. Brutus, in contrast, is very patriotic and loyal to his country and its citizens. Brutus makes his intentions clear right from the start of the conspiracy asserting to Cassius about Caesar, "That you do love me, I am nothing jealous" (1.2.162). He honestly murdered his friend out of fear of his ambition, as he says in the funeral speech, "Brutus' love to Caesar was no less that his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more...I honor him, but as he was ambitious, I slew him" (3.2.19-22, 26-27). He goes on to promise the crowd when it suits the country for his death, he will do the same to himself (3.2.46-47). This clearly illustrates his priorities when it comes to allegiance, and this is why, in his mind, Caesar had to die. Even after he is forced to flee Rome, he knows he must fight Antony because he is afraid Antony will become a tyrant. The contrasting motives of Brutus and Cassius greatly affected their choices and as a result so were the events leading to their outcome. The characters of Brutus and Cassius are nevertheless very different in their ability to trust others. Brutus is a very trusting person, almost
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Approximate Word count = 1268
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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