the degeneration of political morality in julius caesar

The Degeneration of Political Morality in Julius Caesar

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. (Act III. Scene ii.74-78)

Julius Caesar is among the best of Shakespeare’s historical and political plays. The play is about the power struggle that occurs after the assassination of Julius Caesar. This play takes place in ancient Rome in 44 BC, when Rome was the center of an empire stretching from Britain to North Africa and from Persia to Spain. Even as the empire grew stronger, so, too, did the force of the dangers threatening its existence. Gliding into the ancient history of Rome we discover that Gaius Julius Caesar threw a country into chaos and this led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. Caesar, Crassus and Pompeii formed a political alliance which was called the first Triumvirate and dominated Roman politics for several years. The political alliance of this triumvirate crumbled. Caesar conquered Gaul and this granted him unmatched military power. Civil war resulted from which he emerged as the unrivaled leader of Rome. After assuming control of the government, he began a program of social and governmental reforms; including the creation of the Julian calendar. Caesar was deemed to be one of the greatest military commanders in history. In the play Julius Caesar, we see Rome groping towards a new political structure in an effort to accommodate Caesar; the language of monarchy, dimly remembered from the past, is the only language they have for this new structure.

A Timeless Thirst for Power
Caesar in the play is returning to Rome in triumph after defeating the sons of Pompey in the battle of Munda. Caesar rejoices in his triumph and is pleased with the reaction of his people and overwhelmed with their welcome. However, He is stubborn to heed the nightmares of his wife, Calpurnia, and the supernatural omens pervading the atmosphere. Caesar is ambitious indeed; he refuses to listen to those who love him yielding to the flattery of the conspirators he ultimately goes to the Senate, at the prospect of being crowned.
Caesar shall forth. The things that threatened me
Ne'er looked but on my back. When they shall see
The face of Caesar, they are vanishèd. (II. ii. 10-12)
Caesar prevailed in conquering Rome but he was self-aggrandizing and had a feeble constitution. In act III scene i, Mettilus Cimber draws towards Caesar with a petition for the recall of his brother from banishment. Caesar disagrees and he stays firm in his decision to punish Publius Cimber. The conspirators beg and intercede in favour of Publius. Caesar is constant in his decision and refers to himself as the ‘Northern Star’ unshakeable. But I am constant as the northern star, Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality There is no fellow in the firmament. (III. i. 60-62)
Prior to all this, Cassius manages to manipulates Brutus into joining the conspiracy. Brutus is a powerful public figure and Cassius urges him to join the conspiracy, so that he would be a weapon of hegemony over Julius Caesar. Brutus was always a man who worked for the welfare of Rome. As Brutus was the right hand of Caesar, Cassius and the other conspirators believed that Caesar would turn a blind eye if Brutus was part of their conspiracy. Brutus’s rigid idealism is both his greatest virtue and his most deadly flaw.
Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves. (I. ii. 135-138)
Marcus Junius Brutus was a Roman senator and masterminded the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar. Brutus reconciles with Cassius and feels the necessity of the republic being better served without Caesar. Brutus with his speech conquers the citizens for a brief moment. Brutus was pure in his motive to help the republic.
If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of
Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar
Was no less than his. If then that friend demand
Why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: --Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved
Rome more. (III. ii. 18-23)
There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambition. (III. ii. 28-30)
Mark Antony’s powerful funeral oration stems not just from its tricky irony but from the way it overturns Brutus appeal. Antony persuades the conspirators that he was on their side, thus gaining their leniency, and then to persuade the plebeians of the conspirators’ injustice, thus gaining the masses’ political support. Antony was a perfect player changing his game plan. He now delivers himself to the whims of fortune by turning Brutus and his conspirators down. Antony proves that he is a consummate politician, using gestures and skilled rhetoric to his advantage. Antony is adept at tailoring his words and actions to his audiences’ desires.
The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest-- For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men— (III. ii. 77-83)
He hath brought many captives home to Rome Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried,
Caesar hath wept: (III. ii. 88-91)
Antony knew that Brutus was indeed a noble man, but for the fortune that had come up him he had to abandon Brutus.
This was the noblest Roman of them all;
All the conspirators, save only he
Did what they did in envy of great Caesar;
He only in a general honest thought
And common good to all, made one of them. (V. v. 68-72)

Opinion formation:
The citizens of Rome were in crises as to whom they should follow. Brutus was pure in his notions of murdering Caesar and in his oration he spoke of his love for Rome and that Caesar was ambitious. The citizens were moved by Brutus speech and went along with all his idealist notions however, this was short lived. Brutus spoke about his love for Rome and its citizens and he evoked that sense of patriotism in all who listened to him.
On the other hand, Antony was well prepared to put Brutus and his conspirators in trouble. Antony took advantage of Brutus and proved to the citizens that Caesar wasn’t ambitious but indeed an honorable man. With effective use of illustrations Antony disproved the theory of the conspirators. He then went on to highlight Caesar’s love for the citizens by referring to a will that Caesar had supposedly left them. There was a misrepresentation of facts which lead the citizens to believe Antony. Under the spell of Antony the citizens are reduced to monosyllables and Antony willingly engages the people of Rome to plunder loot and destroy. (III. ii. 206-7). It is also very clear that Antony has furthered his plans and forms the second Triumvirate with Octavian and Lepidus and literally butchers 100 senators with scores of other men in the civil war that followed.
Shakespeare has in this play shown the same penetration into political character and the springs of public events as into those of everyday life. For example, the entire plan of the conspirators to liberate their country fails from the generous nature and Brutus’s over confidence in the goodness of their cause and the belief that all are like them. Those who think well of themselves, fall prey to their security, humanity and honesty force men to resist injustice and tyranny thus making them unfit to cope with the cunning and power of those who are opposed to them. Brutus was a friend of liberty and he trusted the professions of others, because he himself was sincere.
Finally we find that Rome has fallen, the republic has died everything that Brutus idealistically believed and sacrificed has broken, civil wars created havoc on all and the Romans did it to each other. This could be said of any country where the leader looks to satisfy their selfish motives or visions. The situation in Rome as presented by Shakespeare does not have to be limited to what happened then. When we take a look at politics today we find politicians who are as suave and cunning as Antony and gentle and idealistic as Brutus. Time will only tell as to whom the tide will favour.