Principles Quotes - Julius Caesar | Julius Caesar- Summary, Themes & Characters - Novels PDF Download

CASSIUS

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

In awe of such a thing as I myself. (1.2.99-103)

Cassius uses the veil of honor to mask his own ambition.  His pride will not allow him to be led by a peer.  His pride is wounded by the fact that Caesar, whom Cassius sees as no more worthy than him, has assumed the leadership of Rome.

CASSIUS

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. You 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. (1.2.132-138)

Part of what bothers Cassius about Caesar isn't ambition; it's the sheer gall of Caesar wanting to be immortalized.

BRUTUS

Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:

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. (1.2.180-184)

Brutus' honor gets the better of him here – or does it?  Does this mean he'd rather not deal with the whole mess, or that he'd never be a villager and won't stand by and let Caesar take Rome?

CASCA

O, he sits high in all the people's hearts,

And that which would appear offense in us

His countenance, like richest alchemy,

Will change to virtue and to worthiness. (1.3.162-165)

Honorable men have incredible power; they can make any enterprise (even a dirty one) seem noble by attaching their name to it.  On the flip side, they've got to be responsible and discerning about what causes they choose to support, because people trust them to make the right decisions.

BRUTUS

O conspiracy,

Sham'st thou to show thy dang'rous brow by night,

When evils are most free? O, then, by day

Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough

To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiracy.

Hide it in smiles and affability;

For if thou path, thy native semblance on,

Not Erebus itself were dim enough

To hide thee from prevention. (2.1.84-93)

Brutus senses that these dishonorable means can't be justified, even by an honorable cause.  He can tell from early on that the shadow hanging over Caesar's murder will stretch far beyond the act itself.  Even if the murder didn't end up causing civil war, it would have still cost Brutus, in his own mind, some degree of his personal honor.

CASSIUS

Yes, every man of them, and no man here

But honors you, and every one doth wish

You had but that opinion of yourself

Which every noble Roman bears of you. (2.1.98-101)

What does it mean to be honored by dishonorable men, or men willing to commit a dishonorable act?  Do these men see themselves as honorable, or is self-interest at the heart of their plot?

BRUTUS

what other bond

Than secret Romans that have spoke the word

And will not palter? (2.1.135-137)

Does Brutus really believe everyone is as honorable as he is just because they're all Romans? How does he view Cassius' motives, and why then should he distrust Caesar?

CASSIUS

Decius, well urged. I think it is not meet

Mark Antony, so well beloved of Caesar,

Should outlive Caesar. We shall find of him

A shrewd contriver; and, you know, his means,

If he improve them, may well stretch so far

As to annoy us all; which to prevent,

Let Antony and Caesar fall together. (2.1.168-174)

By suggesting that they also murder Antony, Cassius removes the veil of honor from the plan.  This isn't simply about protecting Rome from tyranny; it's making practical moves to protect them from further "annoyances" in whatever it is they plan after the murder.

BRUTUS

Believe me 

for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor

that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom, 

and awake your senses that you may the better 

judge. (3.2.15-19)

Brutus still believes that he retains his honor, even after the whole "murdering our leader" incident.  It's interesting that he relies on his honor to convince the people the murder was justified, when it's likely that the murder is the very thing that compromised his honor.  That Brutus doesn't see this is probably a good indicator that he actually did have honorable intentions: he intended no wrong, and thus can't see how anyone would think so.

BRUTUS

Remember March, the ides of March remember.

Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?

What villain touched his body that did stab

And not for justice? What, shall one of us

That struck the foremost man of all this world

But for supporting robbers, shall we now

Contaminate our fingers with base bribes

And sell the mighty space of our large honors

For so much trash as may be graspèd thus?

I had rather be a dog and bay the moon

Than such a Roman. (4.3.19-29)

Brutus isn't politicking here. They've obviously fled the country, so it doesn't matter so much what the Romans think. Instead, this bribery is a question of personal honor.  For Brutus, his honor is at stake more than anything else, especially given that he's resigned himself to some sad fate after murdering his friend.

CASSIUS

Let's reason with the worst that may befall.

If we do lose this battle, then is this

The very last time we shall speak together.

What are you then determinèd to do?

BRUTUS

Even by the rule of that philosophy

By which I did blame Cato for the death

Which he did give himself (I know not how,

But I do find it cowardly and vile,

For fear of what might fall, so to prevent

The time of life), arming myself with patience

To stay the providence of some high powers

That govern us below.

CASSIUS

Then, if we lose this battle,

You are contented to be led in triumph

Thorough the streets of Rome?

BRUTUS

No, Cassius, no. Think not, thou noble Roman,

That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome.

He bears too great a mind. But this same day

Must end that work the ides of March begun.

And whether we shall meet again, I know not. (5.1.106-125)

Honor trumps everything else here.  Though Brutus would not gladly kill himself (as his father-in-law Cato did when faced with defeat), he reneges on his feeling that suicide is cowardly when he faces the alternative. Anything is preferable to the shame and dishonor of returning to Rome in chains.  Brutus fought to make Rome free, and so he'll go to his death free rather than return to Rome by force.

BRUTUS

Caesar, now be still.

I killed not thee with half so good a will.         He dies. (5.5.56-57)

Brutus admits that he killed Caesar willingly, but given everything that's transpired, and everything he now knows, he is doubly resigned to kill himself.  This is his honorable acceptance of his own faults, and his fate.