Selfish – Throughout the play he makes it clear that he is looking out for himself first and foremost. Extroverted – in contrast to Brutus, who is introverted. Hot-tempered – also in contrast to Brutus. mwestwood, M.A.

In Julius Caesar, Brutus’s good character traits include his dignity, nobility, and loyalty. He is also a selfless, determined man who is primarily concerned with the stability of Rome and the well-being of others. Brutus’s bad character traits include his naivety and poor decision-making abilities.

He describes Cassius as a man who rarely smiles, does not enjoy life, and is always observing the hidden motives in others. Caesar continues to describe Cassius as being uncomfortable when someone outranks him and therefore, dangerous with ambition.

In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Cassius is jealous and envious of Caesar. He sees Caesar as just an ordinary man, like himself. He tells the story of a time when he rescued Caesar from drowning, which demonstrates, in his own mind, anyway, that he is even Caesar’s superior.

Julius Caesar can be considered both a good and bad leader. Caesar’s ability to rise through the ranks quickly and to command armies at such a young age are good examples of his natural leadership abilities. While dictator, Caesar continued to improve Rome by overhauling its tax system and improving the calendar.

Communication skills Julius Caesar, as many other politicians and soldiers in Roman times, was also a good orator. He used to show up, impeccably dressed, at the Roman Senate, and addressed his soldiers with vehement speeches.

After eliminating his rivals in a civil war, general and politician Gaius Julius Caesar began serving as dictator of Rome in 49 BCE….Here are the top seven lessons we came up with:

• Presentation matters.
• Take risks.
• There’s nothing wrong with starting small.
• Nothing is set in stone.
• Never kid yourself.

Julius Caesar’s Characteristics

Positive Traits	Negative Traits
Intelligent, energetic, motivated, extremely generous, cunning	Power-hungry, self-conscious, arrogant, calculating

Brutus

Julius Caesar Themes

• Theme #1. Heroes vs. Villains.
• Theme #2. Omens. The significance of omens in Roman society at the time portrayed in the play is another major theme.
• Theme #3. Tyranny and Power.
• Theme #4. Role of Fate.
• Theme #5. Honor.
• Theme #6. Power of Speech.
• Theme #7. Identity.
• Theme #8. War and Ambition.

Fate versus Free Will Julius Caesar raises many questions about the force of fate in life versus the capacity for free will. Cassius refuses to accept Caesar’s rising power and deems a belief in fate to be nothing more than a form of passivity or cowardice.

In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, three types of literary devices are highlighted: allusion, hyperbole, and allegory.

Honor in Julius Caesar is synonymous with bravery and selflessness. This is why Brutus is considered honorable by nearly every character in the play: he is earnestly committed to public service and the overall good of his country. As with Brutus, honor for Caesar means bravery and strength.

His last words are, “Caesar, now be still, / I killed not thee with half so good a will.” The significance of Brutus’s last words is that they reveal his difficult feelings about taking Caesar’s life and depict him as a genuine, honorable character.

In William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, there is a major difference between two of the characters, Brutus and Mark Antony. Brutus was very honorable and Antony was very persuasive.

Brutus is known as a tragic hero in the play Julius Caesar because he faces a major conflict between his loyalty to his friend and his loyalty to his country. Brutus has strong support for the people of Rome and does not want them to lose their power.

Brutus’ tragic flaws are part of what makes him a tragic hero. In Julius Caesar, Brutus is a great example of a tragic hero. His tragic flaws are honor, poor judgement, and idealism (Bedell). In Shakespeare’s plays, the tragic hero and his flaws cause the downfall of the play (Tragic Flaws).

The three main decisions that led to Brutus’s downfall in Julius Caesar were joining the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar, refusing to kill Mark Antony, and allowing Antony to address the people after Caesar’s death.

Brutus committed two great faults after Caesar’s death. The second fault was, when he agreed that Caesar’s funerals should be as Antonius would have them, the which indeed marred all.

Why does Brutus allow Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral? Brutus allows Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral in the hopes that doing so will work to the conspirators’ benefit. Brutus’s mistake in letting Antony speak derails the conspirators’ cause and leads to tragedy.

Brutus idealism leads to his downfall. His innocence and purity of motives cause him to trust the motives of others. He believes he is doing the right thing: what is best for Rome and the Roman people. The traits that allow him to be a successful private man are the very ones that hurt him in public life.

Brutus addresses the onstage crowd, assuring them that they may trust in his honor. He did not kill Caesar out of a lack of love for him, he says, but because his love for Rome outweighed his love of a single man.

Brutus shows himself to be a poor judge of character because he underestimates Antony. Some key mistakes he made are letting Antony speak at Caesar’s funeral, joining the conspiracy, mistakingly trusting Cassius, and being swayed by flattery.

Overall, Brutus is an idealist, who selflessly acts in order to protect the interests of others. He firmly believes that Caesar is a threat to the Republic and is considered the most honorable senator throughout the play.