Character Of Brutus From Caesar Example Of Honor example essay topic

Brutus Brutus was first and foremost an honorable man, putting the safety of Rome above everything else. His three most noticeable characteristics were his honor, his naivete, and his stoicism. However, his honor honesty, and trustfulness eventually became the things that killed him. First of all, Brutus is a stoic. He and his wife Portia are both very stoic, and they don't show emotions towards things.

The most striking instance of Brutus's toi cism is when Portia commits suicide. Cassius is having a hard time accepting Portia's death, but Brutus just shrugs it off. He immediately says to Cassius 'Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine' (V.. 157-158).

Another example is when Portia stabs herself in the thigh. Even after this Brutus does not tell her what his plan is and instead immediately sends her off. Finally, when facing the possibility of taking his own life, he shows little emotion and instead still thinks out everything extremely carefully. Brutus's else of honor and his love for Rome was his most striking quality. With those qualities also comes a sense of honesty. The best example of Brutus' honor was his decision to join the conspirators.

Although he was a good friend to Caesar and Caesar had not done anything bad yet, the very threat of Caesar becoming a tyrant led Brutus to joining the conspirators. Cassius said Brutus could be swayed with his honor, meaning Brutus values his honor so much that he places it above all else (I. ii. 304-308). Besides from joining the conspiracy, Brutus also himself said he would look at all public matters equally and that 'I (Brutus) love the name of honor more than I fear death' (I. ii. 85-89). Upon Brutus' death, Marc Antony called Brutus the 'noblest Roman of them all' (V. vs. 68-75).

He said all the conspirators except Brutus killed Caesar out of envy. Even when committing a crime so severe as murder, Brutus suggested to the conspirators that they should 'carve him (Caesar) as a dish for the gods' (II. i. 172-173). Brutus' loyalty for Rome is demonstrated when he says about Cae asr, 'I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general' (II. i.

21-22). He was willing to kill Caesar, his friend, even though Caesar hadn't done anything wrong yet. Finally, Brutus was honorable in death. Outmatched in battle, Brutus decides to die nobly by his own sword rather than be captured and humiliated. Brutus' weakness was that he was too naive, too idealistic. He thought everybody would be as honorable as he.

Examples are when he decided not to have the conspirators take an oath, and trusting Marc Antony to not support Caesar in his eulogy. He decided not to kill Marc Antony because he thought Antony would be helpless without Caesar. It turns out Antony would be a major factor in Brutus' death. Antony's speech would be the very thing sway the public and force Brutus to flee. Unlike what Brutus had thought, Antony stayed loyal to Caesar and not to the conspirators like he said he would. Finally, Brutus' decision to join the conspiracy against Caesar was partly due to his naivete.

He thought the other conspirators were killing Caesar for the goodness of Rome but most of them did it for their own personal gain. In conclusion, Brutus had many positive characteristics, and only one glaring negative quality. However, that one quality, his naivete, was able to bring him down. Overall, his characteristics were being honorable, noble, honest, being a stoic, and his naivete. Most people will remember him for being the honorable man, doing everything for the good of Rome. Antony said it best when he said 'This was the noblest Roman of them all' (V. vs. 68).