Brutus and Cassius
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In Julius Caesar, Brutus is the puppet of Cassius. Cassius controls Brutus by fooling him into believing that killing Caesar would be good for Rome. Brutus is portrayed as a very easily impressioned and idealistic person. His characteristic makes him a potential follower for Cassius.
Brutus is Cassius’s tool to get to Caesar. Brutus is close to Caesar and believes anything if it is for the “good” of Rome. His idealism becomes his flaw. Cassius knows that to get to Brutus he has to convince him that the plot is for the good of Rome. From the beginning Cassius tries to recruit Brutus into his rebel group:
“I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus, well, honor is the subject of my story. I cannot tell what you and other men think of this life, but, for my single self, I had as lief not be as live to be I was born free as Caesar. So were you. We both have fed as well, and we can both endure the winters cold as well as he. For once upon a raw and gusty day, the troubled Tiber chafing with her shores, Caesar said to me, “Darest thou, Cassius, now leap in with me into and swim to yonder point?” Upon the word, this angry flood accoutred as I was, I plungДÐd in and bade him The torrent roared, and we did buffet it follow. So indeed he did. With lusty sinews, throwing it aside and stemming it with hearts of controversy. But ere we could arrive the point proposed, Caesar cried, “Help me, Cassius, or I sink!” I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor, Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber did I the tired Caesar. And this man is now become a god, and Cassius is a wretched creature and must bend his body If Caesar carelessly but nod on him. He had a fever when he was in Spain, and when the fit was on him, I did mark how he did shake. Tis true, this god did shake! His coward lips did from their color fly, and that same eye whose bend doth awe the world did lose his luster. I did hear him groan, ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans mark him and write his speeches in their books— “Alas,” it cried, “give me some drink, Titinius,” As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me a man of such a feeble temper should so get the start of the majestic world and bear the palm alone.”
In this speech Cassius says that Rome does not deserve a ruler who is weak and who really is not god-like. He is implying that he and Brutus are better. Also, Cassius allies with Brutus through sending him false letters:
�“Brutus, thou sleepst. Awake, and see thyself. Shall Rome, etc. Speak, strike, redress!” “Brutus, thou sleepst. Awake.” Such instigations have been often dropped Where