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My Essay for English about the theme of friendship in The Tradgedy of Julius Ceasar. Everyone please give their honest opinion of it, it builds off of an idea I had in my last entry regarding friendship and trust.
In Shakespeare’s play, Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the theme of friendship is very prevalent. With friendship, comes the story of betrayal and how Brutus came to do what he did. Some friendships last, and some do not. This play was molded out of friendship, and lasted throughout until the conclusion.
The first example of a type of friendship in the play was with Marcus Brutus, and Julius Caesar. Brutus was Caesar’s best friend. However, Brutus was led down a path of betrayal by many others. Cassius, who was very envious of Caesar, managed to convince Brutus to undertake a plot to kill his own best friend. Arguably one of the best quotes to exemplify the ultimate betrayal of a friend…
“Et tu brute? Then fall Caesar” (Act III, Scene 1).
And you also, Brutus? Caesar was stunned by the fact that Brutus would be involved in a plot to kill him. He was friends with Caesar, that is not questioned, but why did he do it? Why did he betray his best friend?
“Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (Act III, Scene 2).
It was also his friendship with Rome that caused him to betray Caesar. He felt that if Caesar took power, he would become corrupt and become an oppressive dictator. He claimed that Caesar had “ambition.” But what was this ambition he had? His ambition to take over Rome when he had it, literally, in the palm of his hand?
Mark Antony goes to disprove this point that Brutus made, even more in his speech at Caesar’s funeral. Antony would be the only friend of Caesar to go and defend him.
“I thrice presented him a kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse…” (Act III Scene 2).
Caesar was not ambitious at all. He was presented the crown three times. He refused to take it, three times. The people of Rome loved him, and they wanted him to become ruler of Rome. The real friendship in this play lay within Anthony towards Caesar. He fought with him, and he was loyal to him. The theme of friendship is played more towards the negative, betrayal side in this play. Brutus goes to betray Caesar, for his friendship towards Rome, while Mark Antony goes to defend Caesar, for his friendship in Caesar. It really is a never ending cycle that goes to kill Brutus in the end. Friendship is something not to be betrayed, for it goes to never turn out well.