Previously a supporter of Pompey, he was pardoned and became a close friend of Caesar (“Caesar’s angel” according to Antony), however he now sees Caesar as a threat to his Republican idealism.
Under Cassius’s pressure, it is finally in his soliloquy in Act 2 that he realises that “It must be by his death”. He believes so blindly in rational and logical argument that he does not understand Cassius manipulates him. As he claims himself: “Not that I loved Caesar less, - But that I loved Rome more.” he truly acts for the “General good” and has “no personal cause to spurn at him”.
However Mark Antony manages to disprove Brutus’s justification for killing Caesar cunningly in his funeral speech by focusing on Caesar’s positive traits and repeating ironically “Brutus says he was ambitious”.
Cassius
As for Cassius, the initial leader of the conspiracy, his motives are much more personal. Indeed his jealousy towards Caesar is clearly conveyed when he recounts how once he rescued Caesar about to drawn (“this man – is now become a god, and Cassius is – a wretched creature”). On top of that he points out/enhances Caesar’s weakness as well as his cowardice when he says “This god did shake” and so considers his political position as unfair.
Moreover, when he recognises: “Caesar doth bear me hard”, Cassius seems aware of Caesar’s opinion of him and so feels some resentment towards him.
The other conspirators/ general reasons
Similarly most of the other conspirators including “envious Casca” are motivated by “envy of great Caesar” rather than “common good” as Brustus. Yet they pretend to blame him for being ambitious, over-confident, arrogant as constantly talks of himself in the third person (“Caesar” rather than “I”). Indeed, despite his superstitious nature, his pride will prevent him from taking the right decisions. For instance, he ignores the soothsayer’s warning (“Beware the Ides of March”), his wife’s pleas for him not to go to the Senate House, the paper with the name of the conspirators on it which Artemidorus is telling him to read. Besides he refuses to repeal the order to banish Metellus’s brother and calls himself “constant as the northern star” which eventually seals his death.
Conclusion
On balance then, the murder of Caesar is said to be an honourable political “purge” in order to mislead the crowd, while in fact, it seems to be rather a pretext for the envious conspirators to eliminate this powerful dictator instead of keeping the democracy intact.
For Brutus insists on them being “sacrificers, but not butchers”, Caesar must receive death penalty for his excessive ambition, that is why they cry “Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!” at the moment Caesar falls.
Quotes:
Intro
rejoice in his triumphs
soar above the view of men – And keep us all in servile fearfulness
Brutus
“I love - the name of honour more than I fear death”
“the soul of Rome” who “sits high in all the people’s hearts”,
“Caesar’s angel”
“It must be by his death” = soliloquy
“Not that I loved Caesar less, - But that I loved Rome more.”
“General good”
“no personal cause to spurn at him”
“Brutus says he was ambitious”
Cassius
“this man – is now become a god, and Cassius is – a wretched creature”
“This god did shake”
“Caesar doth bear me hard”
General
“envious Casca”
“envy of great Caesar”
“common good
“Caesar” rather than “I”
“Beware the Ides of March”
“constant as the northern star”
Ccl
“purge”
“sacrificers, but not butchers”,
“Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!”
Intro : _ two sides : pro-Caesar/pro-Pompey (glorious war hero/ tyrant)
_ different motives for killing C
Brutus : _ essential because values
_ relation with C/ threat
_ A disprove
Cassius : _ personal : jealousy, resentment (story, C weak etc…)
General : _ ambitious, over-confident, arrogant (enumeration soothsayer, wife, artemidorus, Metellus Cimber’s brother)
Ccl : on balance (honourable political purge/ pretext) + quotes…
