Julius Caesar Essay: Is Brutus An Honorable Man?

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Is Brutus an honourable man? At the end of act five, scene five of the play ‘Julius Caesar’, Mark Antony gives his opinion on Brutus, “This was the noblest Roman of them all”. Shakespeare chose to end the play with this phrase to make Brutus sound like the tragic hero. Throughout the play, Brutus was described as noble. During the feast of Lupercal Brutus says, “What means this shouting? I do fear the people do choose Caesar for their king...yet I love him well”. Brutus loves Caesar, but would not allow Caesar to rise to power and then turn his back onto the people of Rome. He cares more for Rome and the people rather than Caesar, even though he is Brutus’ friend. Brutus said in the play, "I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general." Brutus has nothing against Caesar, but he fears that Caesar might become a tyrant. The phrase “If it be aught toward the general good…I love the name of honour more than I fear death” suggests clearly that if he looks at honour and death at the same time he thinks that honour is more valuable than his own life. In addition he would rather die than to sacrifice his own honour. Brutus only cares about what will benefit the people and Rome and he would not have joined the…show more content…
If Brutus was honorable he wouldn’t have been so easily persuaded by Cassius to go as far as committing a murder. By doing this, he broke the trust between him and Caesar. Before Caesar died after the last stab of Brutus, he cries “Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar!”. This line gives a strong impression of disbelieve and shock, because “Et tu, Brute?” means “Even you, Brutus?” which supports the statement of Caesar being shocked. Caesar was surprised and even astonished of Brutus’ betrayal, the meaning of saying this is that Caesar thought even his best friend has shown disloyalty to him than he might as well just
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