I killed my best friend. This could be the beginning of a remake of William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. “Julius Caesar is perhaps Shakespeare’s most renowned and frequently-read play. The historic tragedy includes not only the tragic downfall of Caesar, Rome’s leader, but also of Brutus, his lieutenant” (Hood 9). Marcus Junius Brutus was known as just Brutus in the play. Along with Caesar and Brutus, the story has many other interesting characters. Mark Antony also played an important role in the tragic story of Julius Caesar.
The three men interacted throughout the first three Acts of the play. After Julius Caesar’s death, Mark Antony and Brutus continued to be among the main characters. Later in their lives, both men died, one by his own hand and the other by the hand of a relative. Mark Antony committed suicide after he fled to Egypt. Brutus died in battle. His relative and he rode towards each other. “When they came together each ran his spear through the body of the other, and both were killed” (Haaren 29). While both Mark Antony and Brutus were close to Julius Caesar, they also had differences in their feeling leading up to and directly after Julius Caesar’s death and the speeches they made at the Royal Forum.
Mark Antony and Brutus were close friends to Julius Caesar. Mark Antony was one of Julius Caesar’s generals during the Civil War. The Civil War started in 49 BC and was between Pompey and Caesar. “Antony had long been a protégé of Caesar and in 44 BC, followed in his own father’s footsteps by being chosen as Caesar’s partner for his fifth consulship” (Potter 34).
127 our experts are availableright now
Even though they may have had conflicts, Antony being impulsive, passionate, and spontaneous while Caesar demonstrates that he regards himself as superior to other mortals, Antony remained loyal to Caesar and the conflicts did not last long. Antony offered Caesar the crown to be king of Rome three times but Caesar refused it. When Caesar was killed, Antony was very upset. He told Brutus that if Brutus intended to kill him also, to do it now. Antony wanted to die with the same sword that killed Caesar and wanted to die next to Caesar. While Antony stood by Caesar until Caesar was killed, Brutus was not always in favor of Caesar but was his friend. Brutus fought with Pompey against Caesar, but when Caesar won and had Brutus captured, Caesar told his officers to capture Brutus but not to harm him.
After the Battle of Pharsalus, Brutus apologized to Caesar and was later accepted into Caesar’s circle of friends. Caesar made Brutus governor of Gaul (later Northern Italy) and also nominated him to the urban praetor. Caesar and Brutus had a close relationship at this time in their lives and even though Brutus helped kill Caesar, he claims “not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (Shakespeare 3.2.23). Even though Antony and Brutus were close to Julius Caesar, Antony remained close to Caesar until Caesar’s death, Brutus was not always on good terms with Julius Caesar. Each man had different feelings that lead to Julius Caesar’s death.
After Julius Caesar was killed, Mark Antony wants Brutus to prove to him that Julius Caesar was dangerous and that they had to kill him for the good of Rome. Each man was to give a speech for Caesar. Brutus told Antony, “You shall not in your funeral speech blame us, But speak all good you can devise of Caesar, and say you do’t by our permission. Else shall you not have any hand at all about his funeral” (Shakespeare 3.1.270). Brutus “being the most important character in the play Julius Caesar, acts as an idealist and theorizer might, with no eye for the actual bearing of facts” (O’Connor 44).
He truly believes that Julius Caesar will become a tyrant and for the good of Rome he joins the group of conspirers that plan to kill Caesar. Brutus has a high sense of honor. This sense of honor makes him place above his own personal feeling, the good of Rome. This sense of honor Brutus has is also his weakness. He does not realize that his fellow Romans were not as honorable as he was which caused them to be able to manipulate him into following them in their pursuit to kill Julius Caesar.
Antony remained a loyal friend to Julius Caesar and was held back from going into the theater by a conspirer. He did not realize that the people at the meeting were conspirers planning to kill Julius Caesar. When he finds out that Caesar has been killed, he is calm and almost friendly to the killers, fearing for his own life. He takes their bloody hands and tells them that he does not doubt their wisdom. He even goes so far as to telling them that if they feel he has done wrong also, to kill him now with the swords that still have Caesar’s blood on them.
When he is alone, he shows his true feeling for the death of Caesar. He said, “O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, that I am meek and gentle with these butchers” (Shakespeare 3.1.2 80). He tells Brutus that all he wants is to be given reasons why Caesar was dangerous. Brutus replies that “our reasons are so full of good regard, that were you, Antony, the son of Caesar, you should be satisfied” (Shakespeare 3.1.245). Caesar’s body was moved to the Royal Forum, where Brutus and Mark Antony each spoke at Julius Caesar’s funeral.
Brutus tells Mark Antony before the speeches, “You shall not in your funeral speech blame us, but speak all you can devise of Caesar, and say you do’t by our permission. Else shall you not have any at all about his funeral” (Shakespeare 3.1. 270). Brutus also tells Antony that Antony will speak at the same pulpit as Brutus, after Brutus. There is concern about how the people of Rome feel about the killing of Julius Caesar and Brutus wants to explain why Caesar was killed and that it was best for Rome.
Brutus begins his speech with “Romans, countrymen, and lovers!” (Shakespeare 3.2.14) He states that he loved Caesar but loved his country more. In his speech he tells about Caesar being fortunate and valiant and that he, Brutus, thought this was good but Caesar also was ambitious. Brutus felt that this ambition was bad and would lead to tyranny. He states that had Caesar lived, they would all be slaves, but by Caesars death, they all are free men.
Brutus goes on to say that Caesar’s “glory has extenuated wherein he was worthy, nor his offenses enforced for which for which he suffered death” (Julius 3.2.40). He also states that if he is wrong, then he should be put to death also. Mark Antony begins his speech with “Friends, Roman, countrymen, lend me your ears” (Shakespeare 3.2.82). Mark Antony gives several reasons stating why Julius Caesar was not ambitious. He does this by giving the example, then asking, “Was this ambition?”, then going on the say, “Yet, Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man” (Shakespeare 3.2.95). Antony tells about how three times he offered the crown to Caesar and Caesar would not take it. He “manipulates the crowd and turns the people against the conspirators, who are forced to flee from Rome” (The Shakespeare Encyclopedia 164).
Antony ends his speech by reading Caesar’s will. Brutus and Antony each wanted the people of Rome to side with them. Brutus spoke with plainness and his case in few words. He felt that what he did was right and needed no explanation or defense. Antony used words and phrases to trick the people into believing that he supports Brutus where in fact he was showing that Brutus was wrong for killing Caesar for being ambitious. The two men both loved Julius Caesar but felt different in how they felt about the killing of Julius Caesar and this was expressed in their different speeches at his funeral.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar was truly a tragedy. Friends became enemies, friends killed friends, and friends deceived friends. Mark Antony and Brutus both loved Julius Caesar and considered to be his friend and him their friend. Brutus was convinced by a group of conspirators that Julius Caesar wanted to become king and rule Rome. Brutus joined the group and helped kill Julius Caesar and thought he was justified in doing so to save Rome. Mark Antony did not see the killing as being justified. Even though Antony and Brutus were close to Julius Caesar, Antony remained close to Caesar until Caesar’s death while in contrast, Brutus was not always on good terms with Julius Caesar. Each man had different feelings that lead to Julius Caesar’s death.
