Julius Caesar
by William Shakespeare
Table of Contents
Caius Cassius
Throughout the play, Cassius and Brutus are aligned in the same cause of defending the republic from the tyranny of a self-proclaimed monarch. However, Cassius’s reasons for wanting to assassinate Caesar, and his methods of achieving his goals in general, are different from Brutus’s in a number of ways. Whereas Brutus is steadfastly idealistic and honorable to a fault, Cassius does not scruple to use manipulation or deception to achieve his goals—as in the case of forging letters from Roman citizens to convince Brutus to join the conspiracy, as well as accepting bribes and raising money for his army through other questionable means. Also, unlike Brutus, Cassius personally despises Caesar, and seems personally offended by Caesar’s claims to god-like gifts and abilities. While Brutus always acts out of a genuine desire to serve the people of Rome, Cassius generally acts out of the desire to serve himself. However, by the end of the play, it appears that Brutus’s presence has had some influence on Cassius for the better. After their argument, Cassius genuinely expresses love for Brutus, rather than just self-interest. He has also come to a more complex understanding, it would seem, of his participation in Caesar’s assassination, and may even feel penitent, as indicated by his dying words: “Caesar, thou art revenged,/Even with the sword that killed thee” (V.iii.44-45).
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