The unjust Assassination of Julius Caesar
One of the basic needs of human nature is to control something in one's life whether it be money, or a group of people. Throughout the long history of politics people have fought for control of the government using many different means both just and unjust. One of the immoral ways to gain power in a political system is by assassination. This theme is one that is discussed in William Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the story of Rome at a time of political unrest. In the work Caesar, the new autocratic leader of Rome, is assassinated by a group of power hungry senators who believe that he is becoming too powerful. Through the use of the characters of Caesar, Cassius, and Brutus: Shakespeare clearly conveys to the reader that no assassination is or will ever be just. First, Shakespeare shows that the killing was unjust through Julius Caesar himself. First, the murder is proved to be wrong when Antony reads Caesar's will to the public. For example, Antony reads the will to the crowd and in it Caesar "gives/, to every several man seventy-five drachmas." The conspirators killed Caesar on what they believed he might do to the citizens of Rome, when in reality he loved them enough to put them in his will, cle
arly canceling any good cause for the assassination. The conspirators also slew Caesar because they believed that he was too ambitious. For example, when Caesar "put it[the crown] by thrice.../ and at every putting-by mine honest neighbors shouted," he threw the killers into a jealous fit. The moment the conspirators learn of this news their plans to kill Caesar move into overdrive, based only on their interpretation of an act which was meant to be humble, further reinforcing that the murder of Caesar had no just cause. Lastly, Caesar's ghost appears to Brutus with some disturbing news. When the ghost of Caesar appears to Brutus in the middle of the night he tells Brutus "thou shall see me at Philippi." By having "thy evil sprit" of Caesar rise from the dead and appear to Brutus, Shakespeare clearly shows that the murder of Caesar was not right. Through the actions and words of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare proves that the killing was unjust. Lastly, Shakespeare erases any doubt that the assassination was not unjust by causing many bad events to happen to Brutus. First, Shakespeare shows that the assassination of Caesar was unjustified when Portia dies. This, which Cassius exclaims to be a "insupportable and touching loss," shows that Brutus wrongly assassinated Caesar, when even Portia (his wife) believes that taking her own life is the only way out such an unjust act that she did not commit. Next, Brutus proves that even he felt that the as
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Approximate Word count = 986
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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