After seeing Caesar’s body Mark Antony, Caesar’s associate, plans revenge for Caesar’s killing. Antony then plans an alliance with Octavious. The play ends with Mark Antony winning the battle against the devious Cassius and the vulnerable Brutus.
The character I firstly intend to discuss is Caesar because this is the character who the play evolves around. Caesar first enters the play after his victory in the civil war against Pompey. Mark Antony offered the crown to Caesar three times. As Caesar was walking through the streets of Rome, in act 1, a Soothsayer approached him and told him to “Beware the Ides of March”. Caesar was a superstitious man but took no notice of the Soothsayer. However on the Ides of March Calphurnia, Caesar’s wife, Had had a disturbing dream that blood would flow from Caesar’s statue and begs him not to do to the Senate house. Caesar then tells Calphurnia that he would not go but he is then persuaded by Decius to go, That day at the senate house in act 3, scene 1, Caesar was killed by the conspirators months after Julius Caesar refused to take the crown off of Mark Antony. A ghost of Caesar appeared in Brutus’ tent near Sardis telling Brutus that they would meet again at Philippi. “To tell thee that thou shalt see me at Philippi”. Philippi was where Brutus and Cassius would meet Antony and Octavious to do battle.
I am now going to discuss Cassius. I would say that Cassius was a very devious and selfish man. Cassius approached Brutus in act 1, to tell him that he felt that Caesar was becoming too powerful “Why man he doth bestride the narrow world like a colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs” Cassius then sent flattering letters through Brutus’ window saying that he would be a better emperor than Caesar. On night Brutus could not sleep, he justifies the idea of killing Caesar to himself. That same night all of the conspirators arrive at Brutus’ house and all decide to kill Caesar at the Senate house the following day. Cassius and Brutus disagree over killing Mark Antony but then they both decide not to. They also have an argument later in act 4 because Brutus accuses Cassius of dishonestly handling money, finally their quarrel was resolved and Brutus told Cassius that part of his anger was caused by the news that his wife, portia had died and Cassius admits why he has a temper. Cassius and Brutus both lost the battle against Antony and Octavious and like Brutus, Cassius in the face of defeat did not want to return to Rome a prisoner of Antony. Cassius then commits suicide.
I on the other hand, in my own opinion I feel that Brutus was a very noble man. I feel that he was very noble to Rome, a bit too noble perhaps. At the start of the play Cassius approached Brutus and told him that he thought that Caesar was becoming to powerful, Brutus thought this as well. Just after, Brutus received very flattering letters, Cassius and all of the conspirators came round to Brutus’s house. That was when Brutus decided to join in on the attack.
After Caesar’s death we see Brutus justifies the killing of Caesar to the crowd, in act 3, scene 2, Brutus then makes a mistake by letting Antony speak at Caesars funeral, as Antony was able to turn the crowd against Brutus. However at the battlefield Brutus and Cassius meet to join forces against Antony and Octavious. Antonys forces over run Brutus’. Brutus then commits suicide. I think he took a very honourable way out.
Lastly I would now like to discuss Mark Antony. Antony was very loyal to Caesar, I believe that he was also very obedient. At the start Antony offered Caesar the crown three times. After Brutus had justified the killing of Caesar to the crowd, Antony was still able to turn the crowd against Brutus and Cassius, which proves that Antony is an excellent public speaker. When Antony, Octavious and Lepidus were preparing for battle, Antony and Octavious decide to kill Lepidus so that they can share power. Antony and Octavious win the battle and Antony declares that Brutus was the noblest Roman of them all. “And say to all the world ‘This was a man’ “.
As we see all four characters in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” all had character flaws. Cassius acted out of envy, was easily made angry and was clearly scheming. However, his manipulative tactics with Brutus at the beginning of the play were clever and to an extent successful.
