Poor Decisions In Julius Caesar And Arthur Dimmesdale

Over the past year in English 10, we have read many short stories, books, poems, and plays. Each character in these stories has taught a lesson. Every choice that a character made has affected their future. This is teaching that every action someone takes has a consequence, whether good or bad. Three characters who made poor decisions that had a negative impact for their future were Julius Caesar, Fred Collins, and Arthur Dimmesdale.

In The Julius Caesar Play, the main character, Julius Caesar, made a choice to not listen which resulted in his death. Julius Caesar is a story about a man who returns from war after defeating Pompey. The townspeople do not like caesar especially Caesar’s friends. His friends are secretly planning his death on March 15 so they can take over his leadership position. In act one, scene two, A
soothsayers approaches Caesar and warns him about the ides of march. “Beware the ides of March… He is a dreamer; let us leave him”.Caesar doesn’t listen to him and moves on. In act two, scene two, Calpurnia tells Caesar not to go to the ceremony because of a dream she has where he dies. Caesar did not listen to Calpurnia, and went to the ceremony anyway. “How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia! I am ashamed i did yield to them. Give me my robe, for I will go.” Caesar makes the wrong decision which ends in his death from getting stabbed by his friends and not listening to anyone.

In Mystery of Heroism, Fred Collins’s cowardly choices, ruined his chance of becoming a hero. Fred Collins was dared to run out into the battlefield to retrieve a pail of water because he was thirsty. “Some comrades joked Collins about his thirst. “Well, if yeh want a drink so bad, why don’t yeh go git it!”. Collins gives into the dare and runs to the well. He fills up the pail of water and returns back to base. On the way there he comes across a half dead man from his side of the battle. The man has been wounded and ask Collins for a drink. “When wild-eyed Collins came running, this officer raised himself…. he called: “Say, young man, give me a drink of water,

will you?”. Collins tells the man no and moves on. When he returns back to base, his troop was impressed, until one of the men knocks over the pail of water. Fred Collins heroic but dull decisions results in wasted effort for a drink of water.

In the Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale’s choice to not tell anyone his secret, resulted in his death.

The Scarlet Letter is about a woman named Hester Prynne who commits adultery with the church minister, Arthur Dimmesdale.
Hester gets pregnant and the townspeople begin to figure out what happened. Even though Hester admitted to her sins, she will not give any information about the father of her baby. “A sickness, a sore place, if we may so call it, in your spirit. Would you, therefore, that your physician heal the bodily evil? How may this be, unless you first lay open to him the wound or trouble in your soul? "No!--not to thee!--not to an earthly physician!" cried Mr. Dimmesdale”. One decision that Dimmesdale makes was not tell anyone his relationship with Hester Prynne. He has become so guilty about his mistake that a scarlet letter “A” has appeared on his chest. At the end of the chapter, Dimmesdale feels so guilty that he stands on the scaffold along with Hester and pearl, and confesses his sin. “With a convulsive motion he tore away the ministerial band from before his breast. It was revealed”. Moments later Dimmesdale passes away from grief he can no longer withstand. Dimmesdale made one wrong choice which eventually lead to his
death.

In conclusion, every character mentioned has made a poor decision which resulted in a negative impact for their future. Julius Caesar chose not to listen to the warning signs that foreshadowed his death. Fred Collins selfishly chose not to help a dying man, which ultimately led to Collins not helping anyone at all. Dimmesdale committed an unlawful sin which had the outcome of his death. The significance of these characters was to teach a lesson on how one small decision can have a strong enough impact to dramatically affect the future.