Brutus' Noble Character in Julius Caesar

William Shakespeare’s tragic play Julius Caesar was centered around the conspirators’ plan to kill Caesar. While the plan was successful, the play did not end there. This Shakespearean play was a tragedy and involved the deaths of many other characters. One of the characters who died was Brutus, the leader selected by the conspirators. At the end of the play, Antony refers to Brutus, saying that he was the noblest Roman of all. I too believe that Brutus was the noblest character in the play.

While Brutus was selected as the lead of the conspirators, he did not join based on anger against Caesar, the way Cassius and the rest of the conspirators did. Brutus led the conspirators against Caesar to stop him from coming to power in Rome. With Caesar as king, Rome’s republican system of government would be dismantled. Brutus was not against Caesar. In fact, Brutus even loved Caesar. However, he loved Rome more. Brutus only involved himself in the plot to assassinate Caesar because he truly believed Caesar’s death would benefit Rome.

Brutus was willing to put his life on the line for the greater good of his republic and its people.

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One of Brutus’s greatest strengths was his agreeability. Many of the people of Rome liked Brutus and honored him. There was no one Brutus was ever rivaled with, not even Julius Caesar. Brutus was also courageous in the way he risked his life for Rome. Brutus stood up for what he believed in and took action to protect the prosperity of Rome and its people. Brutus was selfless in his actions with the conspirators and through this was found to be very honorable. While honorability is a positive personality trait, it greatly contributed to Brutus’s weakness.

Brutus’s honor acted as a weakness in many areas. Cassius was able to sway Brutus into joining the conspirators because of forged letters honoring him. Brutus’s sense of honor led him to believe most other Romans thought as highly as he did. He believed that his fellow men possessed great deals of honor. Brutus was able to be convinced that the assassination was for an honorable cause for all of the conspirators and not just himself. Sadly, he was mistaken. Brutus was the only conspirator fighting for an honorable cause, rather than self-motivations of envy or vengeance. After the assassination of Julius Caesar, Antony gave funeral speech for him. Brutus believed Antony was as honorable as himself and that his speech for Caesar’s funeral would not be an invitation for the people of Rome to riot. Once again, Brutus’s honorability had betrayed him.

After the public assassination of Julius Caesar, Rome fell into a threat of civil war. Brutus was head of the conspirators responsible for Caesar’s death. Because of this, Brutus felt responsible for the turmoil the republic was going to face after Caesar’s death. This turmoil could only seem worse when Brutus realized his main cause in killing Caesar, to protect the republic of Rome, had the exact opposite effect. Brutus’s sacrifices, though limited, were great. Brutus sacrificed his friendship with Julius Caesar for the betterment of Rome. After the state of Rome worsened, Brutus’s first sacrifice had failed him. Brutus’s final sacrifice was his own life, which he himself took by running into a sword.

Antony claimed that Brutus was the noblest man of the Romans. Brutus’s actions were noble, or honorable, and so was Brutus as a person. However, these good intentions were carried through poorly and led to the demise of the republic of Rome.