Literature

Write one post and respond to two others, answering the following question, using text from the play to support.   (20 pts.)

Prompt: Was Brutus an honorable man?

Post 1. I would not call Brutus an honorable man, despite Antony and Octavius thinking he ought to be buried an honorable man. Maybe he was honorable to himself in that he did what he wanted when it came to killing Caesar and carrying out his own set of plans, but kind of like how you can't get the toothpaste back in the tube once you squeeze it out, he can't un-kill Julius Caesar. Maybe he did realize that his suicide was the only way to avenge Caesar's death, but then I'd also argue that it's taking the easy way out of dealing with the repercussions of your actions, I can't remember who said it in the play but someone even says that suicide is easier than facing the music (paraphrased, of course!). I'm interested to see what others think!

Post 2. lthough Brutus may think he's an honorable man, his actions speak otherwise. He betrayed his friend and conspired to murder him, which is dishonorable no matter how terrible Caesar may have been. The way in which Brutus and the others murdered Caesar is also far from honorable, but was rather secretive and sly. One could approach this question from Brutus's point of view, in which he thought his actions were honorable for both himself and Rome. However, I'm under the firm belief that Brutus's opinions of Caesar were fueled by his own envy and the whispers of the conspirators that knew they could twist the arm of Caesar's friend to lead him to betrayal. Brutus may have been fearful of what Caesar was becoming (or had already become), but the way in which he conspired to kill him and followed through with his plans highlights how dishonorable the act was, no matter the excuses that Brutus had made up in his mind.