In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare presents a broad range of historical personalities as complicated human beings in agonizing conflict with one another and with themselves. Literary authors A.L. Rowse once wrote, “No issue hinders a man’s leadership capabilities more than his confusing perception of honor, noble idealism, and inner self-conflict” (15). In his drama about power, nobility, assassination, and revenge, Shakespeare examines this particular issue best in his simple yet complex characterization of Brutus. Guided by conflicting emotions, Brutus, an idealistic man, is unable to assume political leadership of the conspiracy against Julius Caesar. However, although he ultimately participates in Caesar’s murder, he is neither a clear-cut hero or villain. On the contrary, it is the corruption and instability of human nature that eventually leads to his downfall.
Brutus lacks several important ingredients in regard to assuming political leadership: confidence and ambition. He is also indecisive. His inner conflict is first revealed in a conversation with Cassius in which he responds to Cassius’ fear that his friend Brutus disapproves of him. Brutus assures Cassius that he is not angry with him, but with himself.
Again, Brutus’ conflict consists of his love for Caesar on one hand, and his concern for the social good and welfare of the Republic on the other. According to historian Steven Ozment, Brutus “tends to rationalize his actions by altering his view of its desirability” (qtd. in Roberts 152). He can find no justification to gain the political leadership of the conspiracy against Caesar in Caesar’s past actions; therefore, he finds justification for it in what Caesar might become. He assumes that Caesar will develop into a somewhat bombastic and unbearable tyrant if he is crowned king. On the basis of this assumption, he decides to murder him. The flaw of his reasoning is that Brutus does not raise the question of whether or not a moral end justifies immoral means, nor does he consider that his actions may be met with public disapproval.
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Brutus overcomes his natural sense of shame over the idea of conspiracy and murder. As demonstrated in his soliloquy, he convinces himself that Caesar will ultimately become a dictator: “And since my quarrel with Caesar cannot be justified by what he actually is, /I must work it out in this way: that what he is, developed and extended, / Is likely to reach such and such extremes… so that I must kill Caesar…” (2.1. 29-34). Brutus is convinced that the souls of free men suffer by the potentiality of Caesar’s coronation, and that the conspirators are all honest Romans, concerned only with the good of the state. He believes in their cause, but his nobility and self-conflict prevents him from leading the conspiracy.
Finally, Brutus conceives of Caesar’s death as a religious sacrifice rather than a human slaughter. He is blind to the possibility that his sacrifice may, in fact, be sacrilege, because the gods have ordained Caesar’s rule. Although Brutus is too weak and too conflicted to assume leadership of the conspiracy, Shakespeare weaves the recurrent motif of honor and honesty around his gentle characterization of Brutus. In so doing, he undoubtedly confirms that the corruption and instability of human nature does, in fact, have a negative impact on the noblest plans.
