Brutus Intentions In Shakespeare's The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar

Will mankind ever rid itself of those traits that so often lead to tragedy? William Shakespeare suggests not. In his Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare illustrates how love, whether it be love of self, love of others, or love of power, can corrupt. By analyzing the text with psychological criticism, one can understand the incentives for the characters’ actions and the resulting scenarios. The daunting task of discerning people’s intentions is often made even more challenging by one’s emotions. One’s love for a person, an ideal, or a standard often obscures other people’s motives and contributes to one’s demise. Akin to the Elizabethan era, Julius Caesar’s era was relatively peaceful, but it was during this seemingly progressive time period …show more content…
Brutus’ struggle was deciding whether to protect Rome or his beloved Caesar. His love for the former eventually overpowers his love for the latter. He accepts that both Rome and Caesar cannot stand together, unharmed, as they work against each other’s best interest. One of them must be sacrificed for the greater good: “[T]his is my answer: not that I / loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.”(3.2.21-22) Needless to say, Brutus’ intentions were pure, or at least they appear to be. He doesn’t covet the throne, doesn’t show envy. He simply wants what is good for the people and feels that Caesar’s death was the only way to achieve that. William Fowler explains: “[A] good man could do incalculable harm from the best possible motives.” That’s the power of Shakespeare. He introduces themes that resonate with every reader, regardless of time period; every reader has surely fallen at the hands of poor judgement, a time when the intentions seem to justify the means. Are good intentions enough to excuse scheming and murder? What are the boundaries of a good man? His story arcs and contradictory schemes compels readers to think and question their own