Julius Caesar Betrayal Quotes
Nicole Richie had once said, “It's hard to tell who has your back, from who has it long enough just to stab you in it”. She is correct in her suspicion because even foes pretend to be allies, so that they can have an advantage over their opponents, as their pretences are difficult to detect. The theme of betrayal, a theme made evident in the quote, is also present in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The quote by Nicole Richie is correct because foes may appear as allies to gain an advantage, which is shown throughout the scenes of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
The theme of betrayal is portrayed quite clearly in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. It is made evident from the very beginning that Caesar has many enemies, and these enemies are indistinguishable …show more content…
After the assassination of Caesar, Brutus explains his reasons for committing such an act. Antony deceives Brutus into believing that Antony understood their reasons and would join them as an ally. By becoming a supposed ally, Antony gains the advantage of trust, as Brutus trusts him to speak at Caesar’s funeral. At Caesar’s funeral, Antony goes against Brutus’ trust, and reveals Caesar’s will, and incites the plebeians to come to the conclusion that Caesar had been a good man, and that Brutus was in the wrong. Antony reveals his true intentions when he says to himself, “Mischief thou art afoot; / Take thou what course thou wilt” (III. iii. 275-276). Antony had taken advantage of the trust bestowed upon him by pulling off a brilliant act on his part, that effectively persuaded Brutus. Not only that, Antony also takes advantage of the trust that the plebeians had given him. His ulterior motives are revealed when he criticizes Lepidus’ ability to stand besides them and asks, “Is it fit, / The threefold world divided, he should stand / One of the three to share it?” (IV. i. 15-17). This shows how Antony has no intention of fulfilling his promise made to the plebeians to uphold Caesar’s will. Instead, he wants to gain power for himself, and gets rid of Brutus and the other conspirators to get his way. He had acted as a perfect friend/ally to the plebeians as he acted to Brutus, and he also took advantage of them as well.
The theme of betrayal is portrayed quite clearly in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. It is made evident from the very beginning that Caesar has many enemies, and these enemies are indistinguishable …show more content…
After the assassination of Caesar, Brutus explains his reasons for committing such an act. Antony deceives Brutus into believing that Antony understood their reasons and would join them as an ally. By becoming a supposed ally, Antony gains the advantage of trust, as Brutus trusts him to speak at Caesar’s funeral. At Caesar’s funeral, Antony goes against Brutus’ trust, and reveals Caesar’s will, and incites the plebeians to come to the conclusion that Caesar had been a good man, and that Brutus was in the wrong. Antony reveals his true intentions when he says to himself, “Mischief thou art afoot; / Take thou what course thou wilt” (III. iii. 275-276). Antony had taken advantage of the trust bestowed upon him by pulling off a brilliant act on his part, that effectively persuaded Brutus. Not only that, Antony also takes advantage of the trust that the plebeians had given him. His ulterior motives are revealed when he criticizes Lepidus’ ability to stand besides them and asks, “Is it fit, / The threefold world divided, he should stand / One of the three to share it?” (IV. i. 15-17). This shows how Antony has no intention of fulfilling his promise made to the plebeians to uphold Caesar’s will. Instead, he wants to gain power for himself, and gets rid of Brutus and the other conspirators to get his way. He had acted as a perfect friend/ally to the plebeians as he acted to Brutus, and he also took advantage of them as well.