Julius Caesar’s pompous attitude and thoughts that he is better than everyone makes him punish those who disobey or do not follow him. As Flavius and Marullus stroll around the city of Rome, they strive to turn people against Caesar. Caesar hears wind of their actions and quickly punishes them. This situation is described when Casca expresses,
I could tell you more news
Too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Caesar’s
Images are put to silence.
(I, ii, 284-286)
Casca explains how Antony offers Caesar the crown three times, but Caesar refuses. Since Casca is one of the conspirators, he looks at Caesar’s refusal as a cocky and conceited act to try and fool the citizens. As he tells Brutus and Cassius that Caesar punished Marullus and Flavius because they do not support him, Brutus worries that Caesar ma become a tyrant. After Brutus leaves, Cassius makes covert plans to deliver fake letters from the Roman people to Brutus. He thinks that Brutus will join the conspirators if he knows the Roman plebeians will back his decision. Although Brutus does not know for sure how Caesar would respond to being king, he believes that Caesar would be too ambitious because he has already begun to prosecute traitors. Caesar’s self-glorified attitude and tactics of controlling a city act as an act of revenge, which eventually returns to haunt him.
Even thought Caesar’s attitude turns others against him, he gains encouragement through the honor and pride he shares with Rome. He also attains consolation from asking others for advice. Calphurnia, his wife, begs him to stay home because of a premonition that came to her the night before. Despite the covetous pull to go to the Senate, Caesar feels tremendous respect towards his wife and agrees to stay home. He agrees by saying, “Mark Antony shall say I am not well, and for thy humor, I will stay at home.” (II, ii, 55-56) Caesar’s honor overtakes him and he agrees to stay home to please Calphurnia, which shows how much respect he feels for her because at this time, men never listened or cared for their wives. Even though Caesar agrees to stay home, he refuses to lie to the men about why he will not be attending the meeting. He says,
Shall Caesar send a lie?
Have I in conquest stretched mine arms so far
To be afeard to tell graybeards the truth?
(II, ii, 65-67)
Caesar finally ends up being persuaded by Decius to go to the senate because he does not want to look like a coward. The pride he withholds for Rome and men overtakes him and causes his death. These two factors seemed so important to him that he ignored the warnings about the Ides of March and went with them anyway. Also, his honor shows through tremendously when he refuses to lie to the men, which leads to his downfall. He thinks the men seem upset that he will not be attending and he feels that his faithfulness to these men is more important that being dishonorable and lying to the men. His actions foretell that because he was so truthful, they ultimately take advantage of him and kill him.
The conspirators may be unfaithful to Caesar even though he honored them, but the Roman people loved him for all the good he brought to Rome. As Antony gives his speech at Julius’ funeral, he tries to remind the plebeians how prosperous and thriving Ceasar made the city. He encourages them by saying, “He hath brought many captives home to Rome, whose ransoms did the general coffers fills.” (III, ii, 90-91) Antony makes his speech right after Brutus’ attempt to manipulate the plebeians to believe what the conspirators did was right and that Caesars was going to be too ambitious and act as a tyrant. Antony wants revenge, but instead he explains to the commoners that Caesar may be ambitious, but he only acted ambitious on behalf of Rome. He expresses that Caesar brought home captives from war to act as slaved ad improve the city. Antony tells how Caesar’s ambition got him killed, but all Caesar wanted to do was to love and be loved by the citizens of Rome. Brutus and the conspirators looked at the slave situation and assumed that if Caesar became king, then he would treat the citizens of Rome as slaves. This event spurred the reasoning for his death, which inevitably caused chaos throughout Rome.
Caesar’s honor sometimes disguises his doubts about people and causes him to trust others too easily. Julius always seemed suspicious of Cassuis and his motives, but he usually ignored this nagging feeling within him. On March 14, 44 BC, Antony and Caesar discuss many issues and Cassius’ suspicious manner is brought into view. Caesar expresses his unsure feelings when he says,
Let me have men around me that are fat
Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep a-nights.
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look;
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous. …
Would he be fatter! But I fear him not.
Yet if my name were liable to fear,
I do not know the man I should avoid.
So soon as that spare Cassius.
(I, ii, 192-195, 198-201)
As Caesat expands on his doubts about Cassius, Antony reassures him that Cassius is a good man. Caesar argues that Cassius is a suspicious man, and then he and Antony go and discuss their views on other issues. Caesar’s conceited attitude contributes to his trusting personality. He senses that Cassius has something up his sleeve, but Caesar trusts that Cassius would not act upon his suspicions. His ability to push his doubts about Cassius away contributes to his death because Cassius ends up being the first person to stab and kill Caesar.