Brutus Character Analysis Essay Example

Arguing what kind of character Brutus is, in Julius Caesar, one would initially say that he is a noble, caring, man. Shakespeare used a variety of imagery, tone, connecting metaphors, foreshadowing, and personification to capture who Brutus truly is. There were many conversations with characters who did not care for Rome, the people, and Caesar that would emphasize a deeper meaning of what Brutus’s motives were when trying to figure out how to save Rome as a whole.

One of the main characters of the story is Brutus, who is a conspirator against Caesar. After the death of Pompey, Caesar gained more power. Similarly, Cassius, Casca, and Cinna only wanted the worst for Rome and its people. This hatred for both them and for Caesar only grew from then on. However, Brutus had a different goal in mind. Even though he agreed with the conspirators that Caesar was power-hungry and could not rule properly, he was a noble, sincere, and considerate individual. Brutus sees this in Caesar and feels like he does not need to rule Rome, stating: “We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar.” (2.1.180). Caius and Brutus are comparing Antony to a limb of Caesar, while Brutus compares Antony to a head. You can make killing someone slow and agonizing by cutting off their limbs first, then their head; or you can make it faster and less tedious by cutting off the head first. If one's head is to be cut off, he or she will die immediately, with no torture. Because Brutus was comparing Antony to Caesar's only limb, they would consider this a simile:

Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,

To cut the head off and then hack the limbs,

Like wrath in death and envy afterward;

For Antony is but a limb of Caesar.  (2.1.175-178).

For Shakespeare to start a reply with immediate, gruesome details for a deeper characterization of Brutus; but to also deepen the imagery and tone within this speech. Using such adjectives as bloody, cut, and death, creates a murderous scene in readers' imagination, despite Brutus wanting this to be a quick murder. He doesn't want to kill him–but to save the people of Rome. In this reply to Caius, we can see Brutus attempt to justify their acceptance to murder Caesar with parallelism and a shifted tone of voice from a dangerous tone to a victorious tone, with Brutus stating, “Let’s be sacrificers, but not butchers Caius. (...) Let’s kill him boldly, but not wrathfully. (...) We shall be called purgers, not murderers.” (2.1.179.185.193). Over these 14 lines, it can relate each statement to the structure and tone, therefore showing parallelism in this response.

Purgers, sacrificers, and boldly all go hand in hand with being defined as something that has a motive or is a justified action. Butchers, wrathfully, and murderers all intertwine with each other since they define it as a more violent action that is not justified. These are also more bloody, careless acts that require major clean-up. Something that needs to be done with care and precaution.

Brutus doesn’t want murder or a bloody scene. He wants something more quick, clean, and fast, as he doesn’t want Caesar to suffer his death, but to also have a proper death, stating:

Let’s carve him as a dish fit for the gods, 

Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds. (2.1.186-187)

This was not only personification–personifying Caesar as a sophisticated dish for the gods, but comparing the two using as which shows a metaphor. Both pose a deeper meaning to Brutus’s motives, morals, and feelings towards Caesar. Brutus is compassionate and considers the fate of Rome and its people, as well as not want Caesar to suffer. It is being argued that Brutus feels this way towards Caesar since he is not considerate of the people of Rome and lacks empathy, which allows Brutus to not want the people to endure such tyranny. With this being said, Brutus is so devoted to saving the people of Rome that he keeps it from his wife, Portia, out of fear. She ended up stabbing her leg to prove a point of devotion and trust to Brutus. As someone you marry, trust and communication need to be two overflowing elements. When that isn't prevalent, people will do crazy things; Portia stabbing her leg. Brutus would allow his wife, someone he loves, to hurt themselves like this with no emotion further proves that he is a devoted character.

Reflecting on this 21-line response to Caius to the overall story of Julius Caesar, the reader can also see this devotion of Brutus to Rome in other discussions. Shakespeare writes on page 117, Act 3, Scene 2, lines (), “If there be any in this assembly, any dear friends of Caesar’s, to him, I say that Brutus’ love to Caesar was no less than his. If that friend demands why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” This remark to the plebeians of Rome allowed Brutus to say that if Caesar stayed alive, they would be under tyranny rather than live as freemen. The tone being expressed here sounded sincere and asked for forgiveness from the people. Brutus is attempting to justify why this had to happen, as well as why it had to be Caesar. Brutus never hated Caesar, but he hated how he was going to rule. This was not in the best interest of Rome. This can prove that Brutus is a dedicated, compassionate, and genuine character. 

Towards the end of the play, Antony was defending Brutus to the remaining alive people, pointing to Brutus and saying: 

This was the noblest Roman of them all.

This was the noblest Roman of them all.

All the conspirators save only he

Did that they did in envy of Great Caesar.

He only in a general honest thought

And common good to all made one of them.

His life was gentle and the elements

So mixed in him that Nature might stand up

And say to all the world “This was a man.” (5.5.74-81)

This was the second to last paragraph in the story, which is significant since it leaves the reader with the thought that Brutus was a noble, gentle, honest man, as Antony said. This allows the reader to interpret this directly, instead of thinking on their own to decide whether Brutus was all these things. There is no argument against this since everything Brutus did in the play was for a genuine cause. He loved Rome, and the people of it, and wanted what was in their best interest instead of trying to take power when Caesar died.

We can prove that Brutus was a noble, honest, devoted, and compassionate character in Julius Caesar. It portrayed this through an array of personifications, similes, tone, and foreshadowing that all connect to build an atmosphere. Initially, in Act 2, Scene 2, Brutus’s response to Caius showed he didn’t want to murder Caesar, but to sacrifice him for the people of Rome. It was all for a cause–to save the plebeians. Antony, someone who despised Caesar, stood up for Brutus and explicitly stated that Brutus was the noblest of them all. He had no intentions from the sabotage of Caesar; all he wanted to do was help. Antony didn't have to say this and could have just expressed that he was happy Caesar was dead, but completely disregarded this and spoke highly of Brutus instead. Brutus also came out to the people and said that his devotion and love towards Rome were much more significant than his friendship with Caesar. In short, Brutus was the noblest person in Rome, who could argue throughout the whole story.