Decoding Brutus: Act II Scene 1

Recap: 

• What do we know about Brutus

• Who does he interact with? 

• What do other charac. say about him? Are their judgements reliable?

Main events: 

• Brutus joins conspiracy

• Brutus meets conspirators and delivers a soliloquy which reveals aspects of his character and leadership style

• Brutus and Portia discuss his troubles

  • All these shows how Brutus behaves in the political and domestic sphere

1. "It must be by his death": Brutus in the political sphere

a. It must be by his death... Kill him in the shell" 

1. Brutus think the only solution is to kill Caesar

2. Motivated by his concern for the welfare of the general public instead of personal hatred

3. States that it is a "common proof" that ambitious people lose their morals once they gain power

4. To prevent this, Brute think Caesar should be killed

5. Compares Caesar to a snake's egg - Something not yet hatched, but which has the potential to be dangerous once it has fully grown

b."Speak, strike, redress... hand of Brutus"

1. Asks if he is being "entreated" or begged to take action

2. Solemnly promises to take action

c. "Since Cassius first did whet... an insurrection"

1. According to Brutus, the period of time between a decision being made and acted upon is like a nightmare

2. Wordplay in "State of man" - not only the physical state of man but also the political meaning of state. He compares man to a kingdom / political state.

3. Uses a metaphor, saying that a man's spirit or soul and his "mortal instruments" (emotion, senses, physical abilities) are conflicted ('in council' has the sense of a debate)

d. Brutus's character

1. Noble and selfless, as motivation is for the "general"

2. Rational and practical, because it is true than many leaders become corrupt when they rise to power

3. Illogical and uses faulty reasoning, bases his decision to murder someone in a hypothetical situation

e. Food for thought

• Why do the letters convince him to take action? 

• Is Brutus gullible or easily convinced?

• What does Brutus's psychological distress tell us about his charac.?

• Why might he find this decision so difficult?

• Do you think the other conspirators are as distressed as Brutè?

  • No, the other conspirators might not like Caesar as much. Are not close friends." 

2. "No, not an oath" Brutus as a leader

a. Speeches

• Brutus is visited by conspirators and delivers two speeches to them

• First speech is when he tells them when there is no need for the conspirators to take an oath

• Second speech is when he discourages them from killing Mark Antony

b. "No, not an oath... pass'd from him"

• Brutus declares that there's no need for an oath - in his opinion, the fact of their own suffering and the abuse they face in the current time is  strong enough motive for action

• If his conspirators think these motives are weak, they should give up, and then Caesar will tyrannize them from above, and men will die at random

• Brutus suggest that they no motivation beyond their situation

• Tells the conspirators that they cannot consider themselves true, noble Romans if they break a promise in the "smallest particle"

c. The second speech

• Brutus says there's no ned to kill Antony, as he is useless without Caesar. Killing Antony would be too violent

• Brutus says that they should sacrifice, not butcher (sacrifices are ceremonial, necessary, even holy)

• Expresses regret that they must kill Caesar; Wish they could have damaged Caesar's "spirit" instead

• Brutus doesn't want the murder to be done in anger

• Says that the conspirators must feel regret for commiting a murder

• Wants them to be seen as "purging", cleansing, rather than something negative

d. Character

• Brutus focuses on gaining the public support and how it might be perceived to the public; Doesn't want to kill Mark Antony because he thinks it would be perceived as "overly violent"

• Food for thought: is he being compassionate and rational, or is he naive? Why does Brutus focus on how the public perceives the murder?

3. "Render me worthy of this wife" Brutus in the private sphere (Refer to Loom, and Exercises)

4. Through this section, you should be able to observe of Brutus: 

• His reasoning behind the decision to join the conspiracy

• His leadership style and the way he motivates the conspirators

• View of the murder as necessary

• His psychological distress over the murder

• His close relationship with his wife