Journal #6

            To explain their reasons for killing Caesar, the group and its members each have their motives. Brutus’s main reason is that Caesar will become overcome with power, and the people shall regret the day they gave him crown.

Brutus says, “Brutus had rather be a villager Than to repute himself a son of Rome Under these hard conditions as this time Is like to lay upon us” (I. ii. 173).

Cassius says that they did Caesar a favor by shortening his life; for Caesar feared death, and the quicker he died the less he would have to worry about it.

Cassius states, “Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life Cuts off so many years of fearing death” (III. i. 105).

 Of course, we know that Cassius’s dream is to have power and fame in the Roman Empire when he says, “So often shall the knot of us be called “The men that gave their country liberty”” (III. i. 122).

Brutus did it out of honor; therefore his motive was justified. Yet, Cassius wanted fame and created another reason to show his intelligence to his group. Cassius did not have a reason to kill Caesar but for personal gain.