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How do Brutus and Cassius view Caesar's murder in Act 5 Scenes 3 and 5 of "Julius Caesar"? Did they have alternatives to suicide?

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In Act 5, scenes 3 and 5, Cassius views Caesar's murder as needing revenge, feeling his death by the same sword brings honor and atonement. Brutus, haunted by Caesar's ghost, expresses regret and feels more willing to die himself than he was to kill Caesar, reflecting his inner turmoil. Both men chose suicide as a more honorable end than capture or continued fight, aligning with Roman beliefs about honor in defeat.

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In scene 3, Cassius, who has asked his bondsman, Pindarus, to stab him, says the following before he expires:

Caesar, thou art revenged,
Even with the sword that kill'd thee.

It is clear from his final words that Cassius felt that Caesar's murder had to be avenged and he, being one of the assassins, had to be punished for his heinous act. For Cassius, there is honour in his own death. He has atoned for his crime and recognises the irony of dying by the same sword which he used to slay his emperor.

In scene 5, Brutus asks Strato to hold his sword so that he may run into it, killing himself. Brutus' final words are:

Caesar, now be still:
I kill'd not thee with half so good a will.

Earlier in Act 5, Brutus had been visited by Caesar's ghost and in his dying moments he refers to Caesar's restless...

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spirit which can now be at peace since his assassin has now also lost his life. In the second part of his statement, Brutus alludes to the torment he had experienced in murdering Caesar. He had been Caesar's confidant, trusted by him and loyal to him. Brutus had felt that he had acted for the common good, persuaded by Cassius and his co-conspirators that Caesar's death was in Rome's best interest. Brutus' words reflect regret as he states that there had been a greater desire (will) in him to kill himself than there had been to kill Caesar. His conviction then had been half of that which he has now had.

Yes, both men had a choice. They could have battled on and would have either been captured or killed. However, there would have been greater dishonour in both options. Suicide in the face of defeat was, for a Roman soldier, a greater honour. In this sense, then, both Brutus and Cassius felt that they had no choice but to kill themselves.

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