Not that I lov'd Caesar less
Brutus:
Julius Caesar (III, ii, 22)
"Not that I lov'd Caesar less, but that I lov'd Rome more."
Brutus attempts to explain to the throngs of angry, frightened people who have assembled in the Forum why he and his fellow conspirators assassinated Julius Caesar. He tells them that Caesar would have enslaved them if he had lived, and asks if they would rather be slaves than free men; would they rather have Caesar alive, or be free men and have Caesar dead. He goes on to say, "As Caesar lov'd me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him, but, as he was ambitious, I slew him."
Themes: murder and assassination, freedom
Speakers: Brutus
Related Content: Julius Caesar Study Guide, Julius Caesar Text, Brutus (Shakespeare), Julius Caesar (Shakespeare)
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