Julius Caesar

Q: Can killing someone ever by justified?

Killing someone can almost never be justified. There are few times when homicide is the only solution. Brutus thought that one of those times was at hand. But was he justified in his decision? Did Caesar really need to die? Brutus thought so, and I agree with him. Caesar thought of himself as a god, and could easily take advantage of his power and misuse it. He also is weak, and shows his weakness several times. Moreover, Brutus is one of the few who can stop Caesar, and he knows it. He is obligated as a noble Roman to end Caesar’s wicked rule.

Cassius says it best when speaking to Brutus about Caesar, “Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves. Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings. Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that ’Caesar’? Why should that name be sounded more than yours? Write them together, yours is as fair a name.” Caesar thinks of himself as a god, and he is supported by everyone else in his thoughts. Caesar is no better than anyone else, and someone needs to make him realize it. This kind of mentality can be very dangerous. Caesar could become too strong and abuse his power. He could endanger all Romans if this happened, and single-handedly destroy the society that his predecessors worked so hard to create. Brutus knows he can’t let that happen

Cassius tells Brutus about various shows of weakness by Caesar and Brutus does not like what he hears. A man who has seizures in the streets and must be saved from a river is not the best person to be leading. These kinds of incidents show weakness to the public and Rome’s enemies. Also, as Cassius says, “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.” Cassius, the man...