Caesar And Antony example essay topic

Who's The Noblest of the Main Characters in Julius Caesar? When attempting to get a read on all the characters of the play Julius Caesar and which one has the smallest flaws you need to look at each character and evaluate them individually. You have to consider if Aristotle would consider them noble or not. You have to decipher if the characters are being noble for the right reasons. You have to also look at which characters exhibit positive virtues and which ones don't. Aristotle says, "virtue or excellence is a characteristic involving choice, and that it consists in observing the mean relative to us, a mean which is defined by a rationale principal, such as a man of practical wisdom would use to determine it.

It is the mean by reference to the two vices: the once of excess and the other of deficiency. It is, moreover, a mean because some vices exceed and fall short of what is required in emotion and in action, whereas virtue finds and chooses a median. Hence in respect of it's essence and definition of its essential nature virtue is a mean, but in regard to goodness and excellence it is an extreme" (Aristotle 1107 a, 1-8). None of the main characters are truly noble or virtuous but no one really is.

Of all the main characters I find that Brutus has the least amount of flaws. But he too is not deficient of flaws. In order to prove my point I will give reasons why some of the other characters cannot be considered the noblest of them all. The almighty, egotistical and borderline arrogant Julius Caesar had his flaws. Caesar proved to be deficient in fear while also exhibiting excessive courage. In attempting to prove how courageous he was, Caesar wanted to prove a point to Cassuis by jumping into the flooded Tiber river.

Caesar said to Cassuis, "Dar " st thou, Cassuis, now Leap in with me into this angry flood, And swim to yonder point (Shakespeare, 1.2-102-104)? After they jumped into the water a dismayed Cassius describes what happens next, "Upon the word, Account " red as I was, I plunged in And bode him follow: so indeed he did. The torrent roared, and we did buffet it with lusty sinews, throwing it aside And stemming it with hearts of controversy. But eve we could arrive the. point proposed, Caesar cried "Help me Cassuis or I sink (Shakespeare 1.2,104-111)! Cassius then saved his life.

Caesars whole point of jumping into the raging flood was to prove how courageous he was, but he was nearly killed for his reckless behavior. Aristotle would say, "there is no name that describes a man who exceeds in fearlessness - many virtues and vices have no name; but a man who exceeds in confidence is reckless" (Aristotle 1107 b). If Aristotle were Roman at this time he would be more than a tad leery of having Caesar as leader due to his reckless behavior. A reckless leader would be characterized basically the same way as an Ignorant soldier. Caesar sure acted like he could tame the flooded Tiber River, but once he realized he made a great mistake he called for help. After studying Caesar it actually surprised me that he would actually belittle himself and call for assistance in anear death situation.

I find it funny in reading the play further that Caesar is threatened by Cassius now, this man has one large male ego working against him. If I were to categorize Caesar according to Aristotle's definitions of the various types of soldiers I would say without a doubt that he resemble an ignorant soldier the most. Aristotle defines the term ignorant soldier as " people who act in ignorance of their danger give the impression of being courageous... Once the ignorant realize, however, that the situation is not what they suspected it was, they are deceived and run away" (Aristotle, 1117 a 20-25). As I already mentioned Caesar is fearful of his lean, athletic body. Caesar says "Let me have men about me that are fat, sleek-headed men, and such as sleep a-nights, Yond Cassuis has a lean and hungry look: He thinks too much: such men are dangerous" (Shakespeare 1.2,192-195).

Caesar is clearly fearful of Cassuis, but when Antony reassures him not to be fearful he quickly shot back, "But I fear him not. Yet if my name were liable to fear Ido not know the man I shall avoid" (Shakespeare 1.2,198-200). Sounds kinda like Caesar is reassuring himself and others around him that he is way too mighty to be fearful of anyone. Once again Caesar is acting with excess confidence, he truly believes Cassius is a threat to him, we all know Cassius is a threat, but he will not let others around him know he is fearful of anything. His recklessness and overconfidence finally got the best of him though. He truly believes he's invincible and that fear itself should terrified of the all-worldly Julius Caesar.

When his wife, Calphurnia, urges him to stay in because she had these premonitions of his death and demise and that there's danger out there for him Caesar rebuked, "The gods do this in shame of cowardice: Caesar should be a beast without a heart if he should stay at home today for fear, no, Caesar shall not; Danger knows full well that Caesars more dangerous than he. We are two lions littered in one day, And I the elder and more terrible, And Caesar shall go forth" (Shakespeare 2.2, 40-47). Caesar is highly attracted to honor and being courageous he's almost obsessed with it. Its almost like he's going out of his way to keep his reputation for being a fearless warrior.

Aristotle would say, "the more we are naturally attracted to anything the more opposed to the median does this thing appear to be" (1109 a 10-15). I would say that Caesar is way past the median as far confidence and courage go. Antony is not without his flaws as well and isn't the noblest Roman of them all. His speech to the crown incites a riot and thus kills many of people. Antony also seems to be very selfish in giving out the money that Caesar proposed in his will.

Antony says, "But Lepidus, go you to Caesars house: Fetch the will nit her, and we shall determine How to cut some change in legacies" (Shakespeare 4.1 6-9). I feel that Antony's rule will be marked by extreme tyranny, much worse than Caesars rule. He has shown he doesn't have much compassion for the lives of people nor does he seem to want to give out too large a share of money to the people. He seems very self indulgent.

Aristotle says, "a man who revels in every pleasure and abstains from none becomes self indulgent while he who avoids every pleasure like a boor becomes what might be called insensitive. Thus we see self control and courage are destroyed by excess and by defiance and are preserved by the mean" (Aristotle, 1104 a 23-27). Antony seems already to be very self indulgent and there's no way a self indulgent person should be considered the " noblest of them all". The last character I will mention and the one who I feel is the noblest of them all is Brutus. None of the characters I mentioned earlier is truly virtuous and neither is Brutus. But, the thing that sets Brutus apart from the others is that his deficiencies are minimal compared to Caesar and Antony.

His major flaw is that he loves the name of honor more than anything. He reaffirms my belief when he was talking to Cassius about what the people would say if he was to dethrone Caesar. .".. What is it that you would impart to me? If it aught toward the general good, Set honor in one eye and death I' the' Other, And I will look at both indifferently; For let the gods so speed me, as I love the name of honor more than I fear death" (Shakespeare 1.2 85). This isn't necessarily a terrible thing though.

Brutus, doesn't care if the people choose Caesar and his is killed for it, he is more concerned about the honor that will bestow his name for dying for what he believed to be the right thing. While Caesar best exemplified the ignorant soldier, I believe that Brutus resembles the citizen soldier the most. The citizen soldier is a soldier who fights for the honor that may bestow him. They will stand there till the very bitter end. Aristotle says of citizen soldiers", they stand their ground and die. For citizens, flight is disgraceful and death preferable to saving ones life on these terms (Aristotle, 1116 b 17-20).

Why do they stand their ground? They do so for honor, which is much better than the other traits many soldiers exhibit. Brutus also shows how much his honor means to him, and what others think of him when he is talking to Cassius about what would happen if they lost this battle against Antony and his army. "No, Cassius, no; think not, thou noble Roman, That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome' he bears too great a mind. But this same day Must end that work the ides of March begun; And whether we shall meet again I know not. Therefore our everlasting farewell take.

Forever, and forever, farewell Cassius! if we do meet again, why we shall smile; If not, why then this parting was well made" (Shakespeare 5.2,110). Brutus was having a terrible time dealing with the thought that Antony would take him prisoner and parade through the streets using him as a trophy, thus giving Antony triumph in this battle. Heh as let it be know that he will either win this battle or die honorably. Hedecided that then and there he would rather kill himself for the sake of honor rather than be a medal for Antony. This takes courage to knowingly die for something you believe to be just. Brutus knew that he would be a prisoner and would die at the hands of Antony anyhow, so he thought it would before honorable to die fighting for the end of tyranny, which Antony surely would have kept as the rule of Rome.

I believe that he is thinking that the people of Rome will look at him after he is dead as a true hero. A man who decided to end his life rather than live in a tyrannical rule. Brutus states", Shall have glory by this loosing day More than Octavius and Mark Antony by this vile conquest shall attain unto" (Shakespeare 5.5, 36). Brutus did everything he did for what he believed was the best for all of Rome.

He didn't like the tyranny rule that Caesar had maintained. Hedecided he would take the chance that the people would accept his decision to take the life of Caesar to end tyranny. His big mishap was to let Antony speak at the funeral. If he hadn't let him do that everything would have been fine.

He trusted the word of Antony too great. As I have stated Brutus was with flaws, but his flaws are lesser to the others I have discussed. Caesar was a egotistical ruler who let the power of his throne get to his head. Believe that he truly sensed danger but he didn't want to let others know he had fears.

Antony was basically a clone to Caesar, he would have probably kept the tyranny as the rule. He showed signs of being extremely greedy when he wanted to change the will. As for Brutus, I think he should have died fighting for what he believed in, but he was fearful he wouldn't die. His only drawback was that he coveted honor so. If Aristotle had to choose who he wanted as a ruler I am very confident he would choose Brutus, as he is closer to being a truly noble man than the others.