Cassius's perspective is very much that Caesar is a mere man and no better than any other Roman. 'I was born as free as Caesar, so were you.' His recollection of the time he saved Caesar from drowning had a great influence on his view on Caesar, “Tis true, this god did shake.” He ironically utilizes the term ‘god’ as he was astonished that a man of such physical weakness can now have the reputation of greatness, “'Ye gods, it doth amaze me / A man of such a feeble temper should / So get the start of the majestic world.” Cassius’ soliloquy exposes his deceit and manipulation, “Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet I see Thy honourable metal may be wrought from that it is disposed.” His play on words showing his belief that he will be able to manipulate Brutus; honourable “mettle,” as if it were heated metal being changed into something new and finally target Caesar with his own loved companion. There is an element of personal jealousy in Cassius. It is evident in his metaphorical language:, 'Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world / Like a Colossus and we petty men' His simile of ‘Colossus’ also produces imagery of the flawed Caesar. Cassius represents Caesar as a tyrant. Cassius takes it personally and will act on the matter. Therefore, through a variety of literary techniques, embedded in various character convictions and opposing views, Shakespeare is able to blur…
Throughout Cassius’ speech, he used the persuasive appeals logos, pathos, and ethos to try to turn Brutus against Caesar. Out of all three appeals, I believe he used ethos best. In Act 1, Scene 2, one of the first things Cassius says when he is alone with Brutus is, “Well honour is the subject of my story.” In other words, Cassius is saying, “Brutus, you can trust me because I am a very trustworthy person.” This persuades Brutus into listening to what Cassius has to say because it makes him feel as if he can trust in what Cassius is saying. Then, as Cassius continues to talk he says, “I, as Aneas, our great ancestor, did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder the old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber did I the tired Caesar.” Here,…
Cassius’ first monologue was filled with techniques and appeals that helped Cassius convince Brutus to help him assassinate Caesar. In the first monologue, Cassius tells Brutus a story about a time that he saved Caesar from drowning in a river. When Cassius tells his story, he uses very specific word choice to portray himself as a hero and to make Caesar seem like he is weak and helpless. He is using the rhetoric ethos to promote his reputation in doing this and he is trying to convince Brutus that assassinating Caesar wouldn’t be very difficult. In lines 23-26, Cassius says, “Ay as Aeneas, our great ancestor, did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder the old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber did I the tired Caesar.” In this quote you can clearly see that Cassius is bragging about how amazing he is. He is comparing himself to a great legend and trying to make himself seem better than he really is. Making himself sound noble and brave is Cassius’ way of using ethos to his advantage. He is trying to convince Brutus to join him because working with strong men is a huge honor. In the same way, Cassius uses ethos to try to give Caesar the reputation of a fragile ruler who has more than he deserves. In lines 35-41 Cassius says, “I did hear him groan. Ay,…
"Fear him not, Caesar, he's not dangerous; / He is a noble Roman, and well given" (I.ii.196-197). Antony explains to Caesar that Cassius is not a person to be feared, but, a noble man who is trustworthy. Cassius might not be considered noble for some of his acts, but his motives behind them makes him a noble Roman, for he wants the best for the common public and doesn't want a tyrant ruling over Rome.…
Cassius is able to assess his audience and use that to his advantage. In this case, his audience is Brutus, a thoughtful if slightly oblivious patrician and friend of Caesar’s. Brutus has a strong love for Rome,…
The character Cassius in the tragedy of Julius Caesar by Shakespeare constantly reflects palpable jealousy. In Act I Scene II, Cassius claims “I was born free as Caesar; so were you:/We both have fed as well, and we both/Endure the winter’s cold as well as he…”(Shakespeare, lines 5-7); and feels king Caesar does not deserve superiority over him. In this scene, Cassius is pointing out to Brutus that he and Cassius deserve the power to lead Rome more than Caesar. In order to prove these points, Cassius shares three stories with Brutus in his speech: one of when he and Caesar had a swimming contest; another when he saw Caesar sickly and frail after a fever; and lastly one where Caesar again is portrayed as a weak and sickly man. In the monologue by Cassius directed at Brutus, Cassius uses paradox, self-heroic word choice and similes throughout three separate stories to give examples of Caesar’s weaknesses. Cassius’ main goal becomes to portray Caesar as any other man; and to rationalize killing the king to gain power for (what he…
Julius Caesar in the play "The tragedy of Julius Caesar" was a in line to be the next ruler of Ancient Rome. Caesar becomes drunk in power as most people would when there are roughly a million people adoring you. The people of Ancient Rome truly liked Caesar, in fact in Act 1 Scene 1, a commoner says "..we are taking holiday for Caesar's arrival.." In this act the reader gets a sense on how much the people like Caesar. However it is also shown to the reader how much noblemen do not like or trust Caesar to be a good leader. Throughout Act 1 and 2 Cassius is trying to convince Brutus, one of Caesar's good friends, to help them murder Caesar so he could take the crown. Brutus and his followers believe they are doing a service to the people. That in some way sacrificing Caesar is for the better good. However this being said Caesar's death was not a sacrifice it was a butchery, there is no need to go out and kill someone.…
Cassius admits that Caesar is treated like a god and recalls events of Caesar’s physical weakness. Caesar was a powerful man who planned to become the supreme ruler of the Roman Empire in order to solve the many economic, political and military problems the empire was against. While, there were people that feared such a powerful man because this dictator threatened his/her position. Cassius voices his reason for Caesar being unfit to rule, Cassius says, “Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, Dear Brutus is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings” (Shakespeare, I, i, 139-141). Saying that it is not his/her fate to blame, but that is his/her own fault that they have not done anything to make them great. Cassius blames his and Brutus’s lack of will to grant Caesar to power. Cassius and Brutus’s jealously of Caesar makes it unjustifiable to kill him. In her article, Alice Shalvi argues, “Shakespeare implicitly condemns the conspiracy, then, on two scores: firstly, because it inevitably involves moral corruption even in the best and noblest of men and, secondly, because murder is always no matter in what…
In Shakespeare’s interpretation of Julius Caesar’s assassination titled, Julius Caesar, a man named Cassius is attempting to get the help and alliance of a fellow Roman named Brutus in the conspiracy of assassinating the Roman leader. He accomplishes this in constructed and detailed monologues to persuade Brutus to join the conspiracy. In each of Cassius’ monologues, Cassius strategically uses appeals and rhetorical devices to ultimately give a successful and persuasive speech to his audience, Brutus.…
The exposition of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare immediately presents the ideals that underpin the differing views of Caesar’s rising power through his two protagonists, Brutus and Cassius. Both characters posses different interpretations on Caesar’s reign on Rome, one being loyal to Rome and a love and respect for Caesar “I love him well” but the other being a spiteful and vitriolic towards a “feeble old tyrant.” This highlights the notion of Cassius’s selfish prejudice towards his own contentment, which is only shown behind closed doors. Brutus on the other hand is victim to Cassius’ vitriol and becomes the pawn as he is manipulated “poor Brutus, with himself at war,” Brutus is troubled emotionally, torn by his patriotism and his respect for Caesar, above all he has an undying love for Rome, “Brutus had rather be a villager than to repute himself a son of Rome.” It is this love for Rome that causes such internal turmoil for Brutus, through Shakespeare’s use of juxtaposition of characters, he is able to highlight to the audience, the lengths that man will go to in order to…
The Republican president, Herbert Hoover, was personally blamed for failing to deal with the consequences of the Wall Street Crash in October 1929. The Great Depression that followed was the most severe economic depression America had ever seen, and the whole world entered a state of poverty and hunger. Following the election in November 1932, Hoover was replaced by the Democratic leader, Franklin D Roosevelt, who aimed to tackle the Depression by introducing the ‘New Deal’. This consisted of a plan to stabilise the banking system, get Americans back to work, and to get American industry and agriculture back on their feet. Roosevelt reassured American people by saying, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror". He received 57% of votes, whereas Hoover received 40%, and most significantly, he won in 42 out of the total 48 states in the USA, showing he had the majority support in most areas of the USA.…
Being a tragic hero, Brutus has one major flaw; Brutus is too easily swayed to believe what others say or think. Cassius writes notes in different handwritings to try to get Brutus to join the conspiracy and dethrone Caesar. “All tending to the great opinion / that Rome holds of his name, wherein obscurely / Caesar’s ambition shall be glanced at”…
Watership Down is a story that shows the us value of leadership. It shows us how leadership is effective in the different rabbit communities and how different character traits factor to success. You can look at the protagonists and even the antagonists of the story to get a sense of the different qualities that leaders posses. Hazel, our protagonist, guided the rabbits with his cunning wit and bold intellect. Bigwig, who can also be considered as a protagonist, was Hazel’s right hand man who took Hazel’s ideas and forced them into action. However, we must switch our thoughts to General Woundwort and Cowlip who had thriving communities until their flaws were found out. What did some rabbit leaders do to achieve their goals and why did superior warrens fail after Hazel’s group came? To answer questions such as this you must know and have the proper “tactics” to appeal to followers and communities. In order to have a successful community it is vital to have a leader who listens, inspires, and brings his followers to a main goal.…
The evidence that supports Cassius’ view of Caesar as weak and gentle in act 1. Scene ii. Are that Cassius thinks Caesar is no better than him and Brutus. Cassius says “I was born free as Caesar; so were you: we both have fed as well, and we can both endure the winter’s cold as well as he:” (1.ii.97-99). Cassius also says “the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings. Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that “Caesar”? Why should that name be sounded more than yours? Write them together, yours is as fair a name;” (1.ii.140-144).…
In the “Tragedy of Julius Caesar”, Cassius tries to convince Brutus to be King and to kill Caesar for the good of Rome. For example, when Cassius tells Brutus a story of a flood “For once, upon a raw and gusty day, The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores, Caesar said to me “Darest thou, Cassius, now Leap in with me into this angry flood, And swim to yonder point?”/Caesar cried Help me, Cassius, or I sink”(I, II, 100-104,111). This shows Caesar is weak and cannot even take care of himself. It helps Brutus because it will show Rome that Brutus would be a much stronger ruler. Another example, when Casca tells Cassius that Caesar rejected a crown three times and then “He fell down in the market place, and foamed at the mouth, and was speechless”(I, II, 252-253). This shows Caesar is not a strong ruler and shows that he has epilepsy. This helps Cassius because it will easily help him convince the citizens of Rome to over throw a ruler with epilepsy. In the end Cassius continues to try to convince Brutus to kill Caesar.…