Every story has an antagonist but sometimes the antagonist plays the most important role in the story. Julius Caesar is a play written by Shakespeare that is based on true events from history. It shows ambition, destiny/fate, and much more. However, I will be writing about how Cassius plays the most important role in the play even though he is not the antagonist. First, we will go over what role he played. Cassius is a manipulative man who uses that skill to his advantage, to persuade the protagonist (Brutus) into being on his side. This brings me to my first main point.
My first main point is how persuasive Cassius is and how it helps him. For example, he was able to completely change a man’s, thoughts and perspective which is insane. He persuaded Brutus who was a very respected man into helping him do his bidding. Before Cassius persuaded him he had no negative feelings towards Caesar. He persuaded Brutus in a number of ways as follows. The first way is that he tells Brutus how Caesar has become too powerful and that he does not deserve the amount of power he has, as well as how he will become corrupted with so much authority. Cassius says that their names should be just as worthy as Caesar's and that he has become a god, he specifically quotes “Caesar? Why should that name be sounded more than yours?”. The next thing he does is he rights fictitious letters to Brutus that were supposedly from the citizens of Rome expressing anger against Caesar. The letters read “Brutus, thou sleepest. Awake, and see thyself” (II.i.46). Brutus interprets the letter as a protest against Caesar: “Thus must I piece it out: / Shall Rome stand under one man’s awe?” (II.i.51–52). Believing the people of Rome are telling him their desires through this single letter, he resolves to take the letter’s challenge to “speak, strike, redress” (II.i.47). Cassius was being very persuasive but the thing that truly shifted Brutus is what Caesar is doing to Rome. Brutus truly loves Rome and eventually agrees to join the conspiracy because he believes that Caesar must be removed for the benefit of Rome. Cassius points out that Rome has never been ruled by just one man before and that it will be like a dictatorship. This means that Cassius shifted the play by using persuasion and one other thing which is my second main point.
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The second main point is how observant he is. Cassius is very observant and clever for example He instinctively knew that Antony was a danger to him. He was the one who said to kill Mark Antony but at this point, Cassius starts to lose his leadership to Brutus and Brutus makes the decision not to because they will seem “too bloody”. Brutus allows Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral in the hopes that doing so will work to the conspirators’ benefit. Brutus plans to make a speech to the Roman people, outlining the reasons for Caesar’s death, and he tells Antony that he can speak afterward. Brutus instructs Antony to speak well of the conspirators: “You shall not in your funeral speech blame us, / But speak all good you can devise of Caesar, / And say you do ’t by our permission.” Cassius strongly objects to this plan, pointing out that there’s no way to know “how much the people may be moved .” Brutus insists, however, that having Antony speak at Caesar’s funeral will help justify the conspirators’ actions in the eyes of the Roman people. Cassius saw that Antony was very loyal to Caesar and would probably avenge his death on the conspirators. However, his observances did not make a difference like they did when he persuaded Brutus. Although, overall this skill was very useful in the story.
Cassius plays an extremely important role in this story, he uses persuasion and observance to his advantage. He is the sole reason Caesar was killed and is vital to this story for without him there would be no story (as can be said for other characters too). He is very clever/cunning and those are the reason why I think Cassius plays the most important role in the story/event/play.
All in all, this is a great story/event/play that teaches us the consequences of ambition (Caesars) and jealousy (Cassius’) and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to increase their vocabulary or learn a lesson.
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