Friday, September 12, 2014

In "Julius Caesar", how many times does Brutus make a blunder?

It's basically every time he ever makes a decision. And more or less every time this happens, Cassius then gives the correct answer - which Brutus ignores.

1) Brutus entirely misjudges Casca's character:

What a blunt fellow is this grown to be!
He was quick mettle when he went to school.

Cassius corrects him:

So is he now in execution
Of any bold or noble enterprise,
However he puts on this tardy form.

2) Cassius has a good idea, which the play proves true:

Decius, well urged. I think it is not meet
Mark Antony, so well beloved of Caesar,
Should outlive Caesar. We shall find of him
A shrewd contriver...

Brutus overrules him, getting it wrong:

Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,
To cut the head off and then hack the limbs...
For Antony is but a limb of Caesar...
We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar,
And in the spirit of men there is no blood.

As it turns out, there is quite a lot of blood when Caesar is murdered. Enough for everyone to bathe their hands in. Brutus' idealism is fatal.

3) Mark Antony wants to speak at Caesar's funeral. Brutus says "You shall, Mark Antony." Cassius is right, again:

You know not what you do. Do not consent
That Antony speak in his funeral.
Know you how much the people may be moved
By that which he will utter?

... more in the next post

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