Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Brute
In act II we hear a soliloquy by Brutus in which he discusses the reasons behind killing Caesar. What are these reasons and do they make sense? Ethically, would you say it is right to kill someone if you know they will do bad in the future? Find quotes that go with what side you pick. I don't want answers were you tell me you don't understand. This is for you to go back in to the play and think about what we read today. Remember your name at the end of the response.
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They want to kill Caesar because they know that he will want to overpower everyone once he can. By him overporwering everyone will give him the gain and knowlegde to "take down" the whole town.
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't be right to kill someone because we know that they will do wrong later. If we were to kill everyone because we knew they were going to sin then we would all be died.
-Taylor
In act II the soliloquy Brutus discusses the reasons behind killing Caesar. The reasons for them wanting to kill Caesar are they know he is power hungry and when he becomes king he will want to change everything. In my opinion, they do make sense because they do not want everything they have always to change. Ethically, it is never a good idea to kill someone no matter what they have done but Brutus and his followers believe this is the only way to get rid of Caesar and to make sure their future isn’t jeopardized. Trebonius says, “There is no fear in him; let him not die, For he will live and laugh at this hereafter.”(Sc.2 l.190)
ReplyDeleteBeth Cummings
Brutus fears that Caesar will turn into a tyrant, stepping on everyone lower than he. In this time period, I think it would be ethical to kill him. It sounds harsh, but if a leader has the power and the intention to kill or take over anything he pleases, I would try to rid the country of that leader before he could actually do anything. Brutus plans exactly this when he says, "...And therefore think him as a serpent's egg/ Which hatched, would as his kind grow mishievous,/ And kill him in the shell." (Scene 1, Lines 32-34)
ReplyDeleteDaniel Austin
Brutus and his group want to kill Ceasar because they fear that he will become a tyrant soon. This, in my opinion, does make sense for the well-being of Rome. Ethically, no, this does not make sense.
ReplyDelete-Kyle.
Brutus begins his soliloquy by stating that he has no personal grudge against Caesar, as if that would make the assassination okay. He says that the reason he must die is that the possibility of Caesar becoming king is too great. He believes that if Caesar becomes king, he will become "the adder, and that craves weary walking." (Act II, Scene 1, Lines 14-15) He says that an egg is harmless until it hatches, but when it does there may be a snake inside, and snakes are dangerous, and therefore killed. He muses using a metaphor of a ladder, and once the bottom rungs are past, they are no longer cared about. Of course, all of these metaphors aren't random, but apply to Caesar. Brutus fears that once Caesar becomes king, he will become corrupted, as all kings (in his opinion) ultimately will. The rungs on the ladder are the common people. After being stepped on, they will be discarded and pushed even lower down than they already were. This possible future doesn't sound pleasant, if you ask me. Naturally, the smartest thing to do would be to get rid of the ladder-snake, right?
ReplyDeleteHow should we know? Cassius' flattery has begun to make Brutus think that he can predict the future. He thinks that he knows exactly what is best for the world, and nobody has enough common sense to tell him that he doesn't. Why do Brutus' opinions take command over all? I find irony here: Caesar is the "Unconquerable God," and that title eventually brings him death. So now, they have erected Brutus as their ring leader. He is their idol. They have their own god now.
The hypocrisy of the entire situation makes it completely ridiculous. What would happen after they kill Caesar? Here's how it plays out the way I predict: Caesar dies according to plan. Then, the government falls apart. To bring unity back to Rome, a new leader is erected. There is another potential for king. Even if he's wonderful and the people love him, someone will hate him. After all, "He would be crowned. How that might change his nature, there's the question." (Act II, Scene 1, Lines 12-13) Then, the new ruler is killed. Then the government falls apart, and so on. This action will only create a cycle of slaughter. Human nature desires order, starting with a leader. People are always going to want one person to give them security and a sense of order. And always, there is going to be at least one person who doesn't agree with the leader. There is no perfect way. There are only the bad and the good, and even those are arguable. How did Brutus know that Caesar was one of the bad? If Caesar had been allowed to live, he might have been one of the best leaders of all, and not been corrupted at all. But, we'll never know now. Caesar was murdered pointlessly and unjustly. Even if he had been one of the bad, is it ever ethical to kill? Does man have the right to take the only thing given freely to each person? If so, if someone killed Brutus right now, his wife and friends should not be allowed to feel any rage, since apparently it is perfectly fine to kill as one pleases. In a society like that, pointless slaughter would ensue, and soon nobody would be left. So, no. I don't think it was right of them to kill him.
-Kelsey Weems
Brutus' reasons for killing Caeser don't make seem right to me. Just because Caeser is hungry for power and the possibility of his becoming king is great, doesn't make it okay for them to kill him. Ethically, I do not believe that it is okay for you to kill someone if you know what they will do in the future. People can always change and we just need to give them a chance. ''..let him not die,/For he will live and laugh at this hereafter.'' (Sc. II, l.190-191) Just because we know someone is evil, that doesn't give us the right to kill them. God said to love our enemies, and if we were to kill all the sinners in the world, we would all be, uh, dead..
ReplyDeleteJenae Hardcastle
In act II Brutus has reasons for killing caeser.One is because he believes that caeser will not do anygood for the city. Brutus thinks that generaly all kings are bad because they may force someone to do the wrong thing. Ethically I do not think that it is right to kill anyone for any reason. Even if you know wha the person is capable of doing. In my opinion I think you should pray and talk about it with God or your friends so that you can make the right decision. Plus we dont really know if caeser is going to be as bad as Brutus thinks, for all we know he could have a change of heart. Caeser in my opinion comes of very arrogant and prideful to the point were it is annoying, and maybe thats what led Brutus to believe that Caeser was going to be a currupt king. In other words I do not believe that it is right to kill anyone under any circumstance.
ReplyDelete-Carlee
"...therefore think him as a serpent's egg/Which hatched, would as his kind grow michievious,/and kill him in the shell."(Scene 1, Lines 32-34) When Brutus says this he's talkin about how if Caesar gets crowned he will turn into a tyrant. In our time what Brutus and the other conspirators did might seem cruel and unethical, but back in Roman times I'm sure they thought it was best for the people. I personally don't think its right for anyone to take somebody elses life, but if i were in Roman times and knew that killing one person could save the live of many I would think I would do the same thing.
ReplyDeleteIn act II brutus wants to kill ceasure because of his thought that cawsure will not do any good for the furture in the city. He thinks that it will be really bad and he will be a tyrant is what brutus thinks. because he is going to be a king he thinks all kings make bad mistakes and he want to kill him so he cant become king if he is dead. he thinks he will be a currupt king. No i dont think it is right to kill someone if you know they will already do bad in the furture, because GOD can change anyone and he is in control if he is going to do really bad and God dont want it God will let him die because he is the one in control not us.
ReplyDeleteIn act II Brutus plans to kill caesar because he and the other conpirators find him to be ambitious. they kill him because they think he will take over Rome as a dictatorship. It is absolutely wrong to kill in this circumstance. i would never kill anyone for such a hint of ambitious. he refused the crown 3 times. this definetily was not the acts of an ambitous man as Antony states in his funeral speech.
ReplyDeleteCLint