“You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight. This quote can be assimilates to Brutus in Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar. In a way he died as a hero but he did live long enough and saw himself becoming the villain. Throughout the play, Brutus had been consumed in a lot of drama and deaths. The readers can tell the internal arguments he has with himself about it too. In William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, there are many tragic deaths, drama, and heroes and villains. The question is, who is the hero and who is the villain.
Brutus is an honorable man in this play but when Cassius, one of the main characters, and antagonists from the play, points out to Brutus why he doesn’t like Caesar, Brutus starts analyzing it. Then his first internal argument in the play starts to form. “Men at some times are masters of their fates. / The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves, that we are underlying. / Brutus and Caesar- what should be in that “Caesar”? / Why should that name be sounded more than yours? / Write them together, yours is a fair name” (I.ii.140-145). In this quote Cassius vents his feelings on Caesar. He knows that Caesar is power- hungry, and only wants to become king or ruler of Rome. “Why, there was a crown offered him; and, being offered / him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then / the people fell a shouting” (I.ii.220-223). Casca, a friend of Cassius, tells Brutus and Cassius this news. After hearing this cognizance, Cassius knows that Caesar was only doing that as a display to the citizens who were there witnessing it. Wanting Caesar to stop trying to get into power, once Brutus and Casca leave his presence, Cassius begins to plan a way to execute Caesar so he wouldn’t ruin or change Rome’s government, and a way to get Brutus on their side. Brutus is a devoted friend of Caesar and since they are such trusty friends, Brutus can lead Caesar to Cassius’s trap without speculating anything because he thinks Brutus is noble to him.
Once Cassius gets what he wants, Brutus to be on his side, they and some others begin to plan how they will get to Caesar and kill him. Then when Brutus agrees to join the conspiracy to annihilate Caesar, it is the beginning of him becoming the villain. He is still the hero though; he only joined the conspiracy for the good of Rome. “This was the noblest Roman of them all. / All the conspirators save only he / Did that they did in envy of great Caesar. / He only in a general honest thought / And common good to all, made one of them” (V.v.68-72). This quote is said by Antony at the end of the play. In that scene, he and Caesar’s adopted son, Octavius have seen Brutus’s dead body. They have seen the good in Brutus and have noticed that he has acted out of his love for Rome.” …not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (III.ii.21). That was part of the speech Brutus gave to the citizens after he and the other conspirators killed Caesar. This was the last act Brutus did before he started becoming more of a villain. This quote and the quote Antony says at the end of the play are the same. They both are saying how Brutus didn’t really want to kill Caesar. He just felt like he had no choice, he saw that what Caesar was doing was changing Rome. He acted out of love for his country, not anger or jealousy over Caesar like the other conspirators.
In the time it took Brutus to say his speech to the citizens, Antony, Caesar’s right-hand man, was plotting against them. He was planning the civil war that was sure to come; he wouldn’t let them off the hook for what they have done. They would have to undergo what Caesar went through. The conspirators said that Caesar was ambitious, but could not see what was so ambitious about Caesar. Later he comes out with Caesar’s corpse to give a speech of his own on his sensitivity about Caesar. In his speech he gets all the citizens to go against Brutus and the conspirators. Then the citizens start to go after the conspirators killing them for what they have done to Caesar. Thus, the Civil War begins. Brutus and Cassius are the leaders of their side of the army. Many of their soldiers have already died. Brutus and Cassius have perceived many of these deaths, their own friends’ deaths. “Oh, coward that I am, to live so long / To see my best friend ta’en before my face!” (V.iii.34-35). Cassius says this line after he sends one of his soldiers, and friend, Titinius to see if the people by their tents are allies or enemies. Pindarus misinterprets what he sees; when Cassius tells him evaluate what is happening with Titinius. Cassius thinks the people he saw by their tents were enemies and they have taken and killed his friend, Titinius. Feeling deplorable for outliving an innocent friend he asks Pindarus to kill him. After apprehending how many of his colleagues have perished, Brutus realizes that the reason behind their deaths have been because of him, he decides he has no more reason to live. He knows that Caesar is haunting him for what he has done to him. “Caesar, now be still. / I killed not thee with half so good a will” (V.v.51-52). Brutus, in this quote, is telling Caesar that he can now rest. He understands what he has done and is penitent for it. He is saying that he has killed himself more willingly than he killed him.
In conclusion, in this play, there are many tragic deaths, drama and heroes and villains. Brutus was a hero in this story. However, he did live long enough to see himself becoming somewhat of a villain. He witnessed and was part of many of his friends’ deaths. Knowing that what he did was wrong and seeing how it was affecting and hurting everyone, he killed himself. He did a lot of good for his country and did what he believed was best for his country.
Work Cited
Harvey Dent in Batman: The Dark Knight- Attention getter
No Fear Shakespeare: Julius Caesar- Quotes