Is Brutus An Honorable Man Essay, Research Paper
In deciding whether or not a person is good, all of their characteristics must be looked at.
That person might look good on the outside, but if their heart is exposed they may not
look as perfect as thought. In Shakespeare s Julius Caesar, Brutus is a perfect example of
this idea. He is sympathetic, kind, and generous, but when his motives are questioned, he
does not look so sensitive. Brutus is not an honorable man.
Brutus was a very selfish and self-centered person. He continually ignored
Cassius and the conspirators ideas. He was the leader and everyone was supposed to go
along with them. Not to mention that all of his decisions went against Cassius and they
were all the wrong moves. Brutus refused to admit that he was wrong or listen to other
people. He had a big ego and was obviously used to being in charge. When Cassius
thought it was a bad idea to leave Sardis and go to Phillipi to fight Antony, Brutus did
exactly the opposite. His idea of friendship should be questioned because he constantly
disagreed with Cassius, his best friend, and that is not what friendship is all about.
Brutus did not value the people around him. Along with ignoring his friends, he
killed his closest friend of all time. For most normal people, killing their best friend
would not even be an issue, no matter what they thought was best for their country. If
they thought something bad could be happening, they would talk to that friend and tell
them what they think and how it should be resolved. No real friend would jump to
conclusions and make such a drastic decision as killing that person. Brutus also did not
value his wife, Portia. He was never home for her and, eventually, part of her suicide
was linked to this. To drive her to suicide was a very selfish act on Brutus part. He
should have been there for his wife.
Brutus did not think about his actions before they were done. He didn t think
about what would happen to the Roman empire if Caesar were killed. By assinating
Caesar he started a civil war. He ruined an entire empire by his quick and stupid
descions. Many, many people died that did not need to. How can a person be considered
honorable when they were responsible for so many lost lives and the loss of an empire?
Brutus was not a very good military leader. His action when his army first arrived in
Phillipi was to march down from the mountains. Everyone knows that it is better to
fight from high elevation rather than low. Brutus actions were quick, not very well
thought-out. This kind of thinking can get other people, as well as himself, into trouble.
Brutus may look like a kind and sensitive person while putting a warm blanket on
Lucius, but he really was not a good person. This kind of person only means trouble.
Just look down deep into his heart and that person s real personality can be seen.
Honorable is a good thing and Brutus is not this.