“Be not deceiv’d: if I have veil’d my look, I turn the trouble of my countenance merely upon myself. Vexed I am of late with passions of some difference, conceptions only proper to myself, which gave some soil, perhaps, to my behaviours;” Act 1, scene 2. Here, Brutus is conflicted between his love for Rome, and his love for Caesar. This conflict is what later on drives him to join the conspiracy. Brutus’s desire for Rome to remain a republic causes him to join the conspirators and kill Caesar who he feels will lead Rome down the wrong path. Brutus is motivated to do so because of both his patriotism to do the best for Rome, and his honor to do what he believes to be the right thing. Brutus believes he would save Rome this way and he feels that honor is more important than death.
Brutus is extremely patriotic and would do anything for the benefit of his country. Brutus loves Rome and is motivated to join the conspiracy as he feels that the best for his country would be for it to stay a republic. Brutus becomes restless and conflicted as he compares his great friend Caesar to the well being of Rome. “Brutus had rather be a villager than to repute himself a son of Rome under these hard conditions as this time is like to lay upon us.” Act 1, scene 2. Here, Brutus explains to Cassius who has just tried to persuade Brutus to join the conspiracy that he wouldn’t want to be a Roman under Caesars rule. Brutus feels that it is best for Rome to stay a republic instead of a kingdom. In Act 1, scene 2, Brutus has not yet decided to join the conspiracy however; the quote above shows how he will later on be motivated against Caesar. Brutus explains he is very patriotic and this means that he would do anything to stop someone who might hurt his country; in this case it is Caesar. Brutus himself has no reason at all against Caesar however, he believes that Caesar may harm his beloved country and this quote shows that. “It must be by his death; and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general.” Act 2, scene 1. Brutus’s only reason against Caesar is that Caesar may become king. It is not that Brutus has any personal conflict against Caesar, but Caesar may make Rome a kingdom under his rule, which Brutus is very much against. This again shows how Brutus loves his country so much that he is willing to murder for the benefit of Rome. Brutus loves Rome but is unable to decide whether to do what he believes is best for his country.
Brutus not only is patriotic but is also an honorable man who believes in doing what he thinks is the right thing. In this case, Brutus believes that the right thing to do is to kill Caesar for the benefit of Rome. “Set honor in one eye, and death I’th’ other, and I will look on both indifferently; for let the gods so speed me as I love the name of honor more than I fear death.” Act 1, scene 2. Here, Brutus says that he believes honor is a lot more important than dying. However, for Brutus to be honorable and do the right thing, the person who must die is Caesar. Because Brutus believes in honor, he is motivated to kill Caesar, as he knows it is the right thing for Rome. Not only Brutus knows he is honorable, but Antony knows that Brutus is an honorable man as well. “This was the noblest Roman of them all. All the conspirators save only he did that they did in envy of great Caesar. He only in a general honest thought and common good to all, made one of them.” Act 5, scene 5. This shows that everyone knew that Brutus was an honorable man. Brutus was the only conspirator who did not kill Caesar out of envy and anger. Brutus killed Caesar because he believed that it was best for his country. Brutus was motivated to join the conspiracy because he wanted to help Rome unlike the other conspirators who did it out of jealousy. Brutus is both a patriotic and honorable man. He thinks through what he is going to do and has his reasons. Brutus always wanted to do what was best for Rome and what he believed to be the right thing to do.
The conflict within Brutus was deciding whether to kill his great friend for the benefit of Rome. Brutus was a patriotic and honorable man who wanted to do what he believed was the right thing to do. His patriotism and honor brought him to kill Caesar. Brutus did kill Caesar however; he did not achieve his goal as a civil war broke out after Caesar’s death. Brutus also dies in the end without achieving his goal for Rome to be peaceful and stay a republic. Assassinating a person is never a noble or worthy thing to do, but Brutus felt that it was a noble thing to do, as it was to save his country from becoming a kingdom under Caesar’s rule.
