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Essay / The Foundation of an Ideal Man in Julius Caesar, a play by William Shakespeare
Throughout history, men have had set standards for what they should be and how they should act. In medieval Europe and feudal Japan, the codes of chivalry and Bushido took the best characteristics of man and pushed these standards further. These codes took many forms and caused men to strive to go down in history as the “ideal man,” but they failed more often than they succeeded. The main problem is that although many men embody certain parts of the ideal man, very few of them can actually be accounted for due to a lack of separation. In the case of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Brutus is an "honorable man" and considered very noble but he is too naive to be considered the "ideal man". The ideal man is a multitude of ideas and is profoundly difficult to define. The complexity of becoming ideal is what makes it sought after and almost impossible to achieve. Because the ideal man is imbued with certain characteristics, he strives to improve his character rather than his image. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The true foundation of the ideal man lies in the characteristics he carries within himself and one of the most crucial characteristics of the ideal man. it is to be honorable. Honor should be defined as doing the right thing no matter what and living a very moralistic lifestyle. In William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, Brutus easily exemplifies the ideal man in this regard. Although Brutus betrays his friend, it is done with the most honorable intentions in mind. Brutus tries to protect the people of Rome above all for his own needs. In fact, Brutus' honor is further demonstrated here because, even though everyone around him participated in the assassination for the wrong reasons, only Brutus truly remained true and moral, regardless of the consequences. No one summed up the character of Brutus better than Mark Antony. In Antony's words, Brutus was "the noblest Roman of all:/All the conspirators, except he/, did this out of envy of the great Caesar" (5.5.70-73), which really shows that after all the problems caused by Brutus, Antony still respects him. Brutus himself can be admired for the fact that he "loves the name of honor more than he fears death" (1.2.89). Even the suicide of the noble Brutus is what literary critic Jan Blits considers "more than a last-ditch effort to salvage some honor from defeat, even as he understands that suicide is the only honorable choice left to him." » (Blits 6). Honor, in this way, is an important trait, and all men should strive for honor because it distinguishes who is good and bad. Without honor, humanity is without morals and does not care for each other. Honor gives respect and empathy to the world in a positive way. Honor also goes hand in hand with loyalty and honesty. Brutus remains constantly loyal to Rome, regardless of obstacles, including death itself, and he always maintains his honesty in business. He is loyal to his country to his wife and his best friend, even to the point of putting himself in danger. However, Brutus cannot be considered the ideal man in this case because he lies to Portia and does not tell Caesar. However, these are just Shakespeare's attempts to humanize Brutus and show that everyone makes mistakes. Even “there Cassius” with his “lean and hungry look” (1.2. 195) illustrates the characteristics of loyalty as he remains faithful to Brutus and listens to him regardless of the situation.Even when Brutus makes blatantly stupid decisions, he still sticks to Brutus' choice, even to the point of death. He knows that “it is better for the Emey to look for them” (4.3.197). However, he trusts his friend and lets his "will continue" and orders his army to "follow [themselves] and meet [Antony]. ] in Philippi” (4.3.227-8). This decision had disastrous effects and Cassius knows it. Like Kusunoki Masashige, Roland the Frank and many others, Cassius blames his friend's bad choices for his death, out of pure loyalty. Cassius is far from the ideal man but he still shows these traits of loyalty, and Jan Blits even admits in his review of Julius Caesar that "Cassius's suicide was undoubtedly an act of friendship" (Blits 4) . This attribute is very important in the ideal man and should be treated as such. Without loyalty and fidelity, no one could trust each other, which also reflects a lack of honor. This trait creates many connections and leads to a more enlightened society. In addition to the bonds of loyalty that bind the ideal man, the ideal man is strengthened by compassion and concern for others. Brutus cares about the people of Rome and deeply fears that “the people will choose Caesar as their king” (1.2.78). Brutus wants Rome to return to the way of the people and remain the old republic. This is because of his concern for the people rather than himself. Compassion is a key characteristic of every man and is important for empathy and allowing men to understand when to be merciful and when not. Brutus also shows this by the way he is very compassionate towards Portia, his wife, and hides his secret from her in order to protect her. In addition to Brutus in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Cassius also exemplifies the trait of compassion as he cares deeply for Brutus and places him above himself. We see compassion for others, especially in Brutus's inner struggle and his decision to kill Caesar. He feels bad and knows “no personal cause to blame him for/except that of the general” (2.1.13). Even Caesar, for a brief glimpse, has compassion for his wife and friends, listens to his wife, and puts her needs before his own for a short, albeit very short, time. Shakespeare uses these glimpses of Caesar to show that although Caesar is arrogant, he nevertheless has certain objectionable aspects. The importance of compassion in a man is linked to how he treats women and compassionate men are often the champions of women and help everyone else. These characteristics are very admirable and exemplify the ideal man. Many characters in Julius Caesar demonstrate great intelligence. As well as his ability to show compassion, Caesar, who seems blind to all the signs of his death, still demonstrates great intelligence. Therefore, intelligence should be defined as characters who possess intelligence in all situations. Brutus may seem intelligent, but he continually makes bad decisions. In fact, many people analyze the moment when Brutus makes his biggest mistake. Cassius demonstrates intelligence throughout the novel, but he never manages to get Brutus to agree with him. When Cassius agrees with Brutus, he makes a fatal mistake. Intelligence allows a man to be confident in his ideas and not worry about how his opinion looks to some, but Cassius cares far too much about siding with Brutus. Cassius' need to side with Brutus culminates when Cassius and Brutus argue over their war plan; Cassius' plan is "it is better that the enemy seek us" (4.3.197). Brutus bases his argument on emotion; Cassius's is based on logic, but it can't make Brutus lose.