Students' Work on Literary Concepts

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Character Analysis
Write two essays based on two different major characters in the play.

Tragic Hero

Persuasion
Imitate Brutus and Atony's speech at Caesar's funeral and write a speech to justify what you believe is right--the righteousness of the assassin of Caesar or revenge on the conspirators(use presentation strategy,--logic, emotion).

E4 Andy Mak

Ms. Wu 4/8/98

Character Analysis-"Brutus and Antony"

From the time, when Brutus and Antony once served together under the "Great

Caesar" to the final battle at the Philippi, They have allowed us to look into their souls, for

these opposing forces have done their duties of loyalty for the country or love for a friend,

Brutus and Antony have shown great honor in their deeds. We are going to explore the

personalities traits and the change that takes place within them during the development of

the play.

Brutus is very loyal to his country because he "loves the name of honor than he

fears death". Brutus is wiling to do anything for his country, even if it means to kill his

friend as Brutus said "I know no personal cause to kill Caesar, but for the general... think

of Caesar as a serpent’s egg, when hatched is mischievous, so kill him in the shell. Brutus

misjudges people frequently, such as Cassius and Antony. Brutus was convinced that

Cassius, who was attempting to persuade him into going against Caesar was a friend, in

which Brutus said "that do love me, I am nothing jealous". Brutus also failed to see the

potential in Antony, in which he thought "Antony is but a limb of Caesar and to cut the

head, the limbs are useless". At the end of the story, Brutus begins to regret the

assassination of Caesar and that guilty conscience of killing Caesar illuminated itself in the

form of Caesar’s ghost that said "thou shall meet at the Philppi" because Brutus believes

subconsciously that he will die at the Philippi.

Antony is very loyal to Caesar and is proud of serving under Caesar, as Antony

said "What Caesar say, shall be performed". Antony loves Caesar as a "father" because

they were very close. Antony’s love for Caesar was shown, when Antony spoke to the

corpse of Caesar, as Antony said "That I did love Caesar, tis true... Shall it not grieve thee

dearer than thy death". After the death of Caesar, Antony decides to stop being a "suitor"

and "put his body to the marketplace" or to change himself. Antony becomes shrewd after

Caesar’s death, then he demonstrates his political and military skills in the speech he give

at Caesar’s funeral. Antony also becomes corrupt, when he rises to power in the second

triumvirate and orders Lepidus to "cut off some change in the legacies" that Caesar left

behind.

Brutus and Antony are two very well rounded characters and both command full

loyalty to the cause they serve. Both hold high positions of power and was changed

profoundly by the "tragic death of Caesar". Brutus is able to stay true to his cause, no

matter what the conditions, but in Antony that is unable to deal with too much power and

becomes corrupt. Antony can see "right through" a person with a keen sense, as he did

with Lepidus, who he perceived to be a "creature that must be taught". In Brutus, he is

not very observant and judges people by their position or vitues, such as Antony that

Brutus thought was just a suitor.

These are the similarities and differences of these two key characters in the play.

For these two characters are very interesting and complicated. Shakespeare’s characters

are suppose to make us to look into our own personalities and to find any flaws, then fix

them.