What defines true Romans? Julius Caesar — By William Shakespeare

01 Feb, 2015 - 00:02 0 Views

The Sunday News

TODAY we pick up our story when Cassius suggests to the other conspirators that they take a mutual oath of faithfulness to their cause. We see an instance when Brutus differs with Cassius and as stated before they differ in a number of ways leading to catastrophic consequences.

When Brutus asked the rest of the conspirators to give him their hands all over one by one, Cassius suggests that they swear their resolution. Brutus rejects that suggestion. He says there is no need for an oath. If men are troubled and their souls are tortured, if things around them are abused — if these are so insufficient to bind them together that they have to take an oath, then it would be better they part immediately, and forget the idea of challenging the tyranny they have to bear.

Brutus suggests that if that be the case then they should break up and let every man return to his idle bed. Let tyranny rage on unrestricted in search of its prey till each man has become a victim of its wickedness. However, if their intentions have the fire to kindle/inspire even cowards and to harden even the tender hearts of women, they do not need any external stimulus to spur them on to their work other than their noble cause for seeking correction. He asks what bond do they need other than the honour of the Romans not to betray the secret.

Brutus is of the opinion that those who take oaths are cowards, deceitful men, old wretched fellows with no spirit of life in them and they are so used to be ill-treated that they accept and even invite injuries. Such men who are suspicious of persons need to take oaths.

“Swear priests and cowards and men cautelous, old feeble carrions, and such suffering souls that welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear . . .” He adds that to think that their enterprise or their performance needs an oath, when every drop of blood that every Roman bears, and nobly bears may be guilty of a separate act of evil.

If one breaks the smallest particle of promise that has passed his lips, then he is not a Roman. Being a true Roman is enough to hold them together. A true Roman is not a tale-tell who will disclose what has been agreed in secret. Cassius brings up the question of inviting old Cicero, a senator, to join them. He is supported by other conspirators like Casca, Cinna, Metellus who all feel he must not be left out. Metellus says: “O, let us have him, for his silver hairs will purchase us a good opinion, and buy men’s voices to commend our deeds, it shall be said his judgement rul’d our hands; our youths and wildness shall no whit appear, but all be buried in his gravity.”

What Metellus means here is that Cicero’s silver hair will get for them a good opinion, and men will approve their actions. It shall be said that Cicero’s wisdom inspired their actions. No one will notice the wild youthfulness in their act, for his well-known maturity will cover them. In other words white/silver hairs are associated with wisdom. The conspirators are aware of the shortcomings in their act. But Brutus overrides this decision and reminds them that Cicero will never follow what other men begin.

When Decius asks whether no other man should be touched except Julius Caesar, Cassius feels, too, that Mark Antony, “so well beloved of Caesar”, should not be allowed to outlive him, once again Brutus overrides him. Brutus is confident that Mark Antony will be quite powerless, once Caesar is dead. He tells Cassius that their actions would appear too bloody before the citizens. To cut the head and then hack the limbs would look as if they killed a man in anger and display their ill-will if they let his friends suffer the same fate. He says Caesar is the head and Antony is but a limb of him.

He tells Cassius that they should be sacrificers, not butchers. They are against the spirit of Caesar, not against his body and in spirit of man there is no blood. Brutus wishes if it were possible to kill Caesar’s spirit without cutting his body. Therefore, since this is impossible Caesar must die. But he says they should kill Caesar boldly but not in anger. “Let’s carve him as a dish fit for the gods, not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds.” He says they should ensure that his body is not cut and mutilated like that of a wild animal.

Brutus also appeals to their hearts, like cunning masters, incite their body to carry out the bloody act and then appear to rebuke it for the deed. If they act like that it will appear as if their action was a result of necessity rather than hatred. They shall be called purgers/healers, not murderers. He repeats that as for Mark Antony they should not think of him, for he can do no more than Caesar’s when Caesar’s head is off.

Cassius still expresses fear of Antony for the ingrafted love he bears to Caesar. But Brutus overrides Cassius making a wrong judgment. He tells Cassius not to think of him, for all he can do after Caesar’s death is to be sad and die for him and that would be the last thing in his mind, because Antony is given to sports, to wildness, and much company.

 

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