Julius Caesar Group

Question:


catlover
Student
High School - 10th Grade

Who is the villain in Julius Caesar?

Please use evidence from the actual play to support your answer and provide at least three reasons.

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Posted by catlover on Sunday October 18, 2009 at 3:14 PM and tagged with julius caesar, villain.

Answers:

  1. mshurn
    mshurn Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    The most obvious answer to your question would be to say that Cassius is the play's villain because of his selfish personal motives and his manipulation of Brutus. Cassius despises Caesar and resents the great power he has assumed in Rome. In one of Cassius's monologs in Act I, he states his case against Caesar, emphasizing Caesar's weakness in contrast to his own strength. Cassius understands Brutus's sense of honor and love for country, and he uses these traits to lure Brutus into the conspiracy, even going so far as to forge letters to Brutus, supposedly from Roman citizens, begging him to free them from Caesar's dictatorship. Cassius is clever and deliberate, carefully planning each step in his plan to enlist Brutus in Caesar's assassination. Furthermore, after Caesar's assassination, Cassius uses his new power to enrich himself. In the violent argument between  Cassius and Brutus in Act IV, Brutus condemns Cassius for accepting bribes, for profiting from his position of strength.

    In some ways, however, Antony behaves as a villain, also. He is genuinely outraged by Caesar's murder, but once he drives the conspirators from Rome and seizes power for himself, his character comes into question. He executes more than one hundred Roman senators, anyone whom he perceives to be a potential enemy. Then he changes Caesar's will, making sure that monies set aside for the Roman people will instead go to himself. Finally, he betrays Lepidus, conspiring with Octavius to cut Lepidus out of sharing any of the fortunes to be gained through the war. When Octavius defends Lepidus, Antony compares Lepidus to his (Antony's) horse, someone to be used. Through all of these actions, Antony shows himself to be greedy, arrogant, and deceptive--hardly the characteristics of any kind of hero, but certainly those of a villain.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/julius-caesar/character-analysis
    http://www.enotes.com/julius-caesar/summary

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    Posted by mshurn on Monday October 19, 2009 at 11:13 PM