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Shakespeare and the 19th-Century NovelJulius CaesarShakespeareBrutusHonour

AQA GCSE · Question 06 · Shakespeare and the 19th-Century Novel

SOURCE TEXT:
Read the following extract from Act 5 Scene 5 of Julius Caesar and then answer the question that follows.

At this point in the play, Anthony and Octavius respond to news of Brutus' death.

MESSALA How died my master, Strato?
STRATO I held the sword, and he did run on it.
MESSALA Octavius, then take him to follow thee,
That did the latest service to my master.
ANTONY This was the noblest Roman of them all:
All the conspirators, save only he,
Did that they did in envy of great Caesar.
He only, in a general honest thought
And common good to all, made one of them.
His life was gentle, and the elements
So mixed in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, ‘This was a man!’
OCTAVIUS According to his virtue let us use him,
With all respect and rites of burial.
Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie,
Most like a soldier, ordered honourably.
So call the field to rest, and let's away
To part the glories of this happy day.

QUESTION:
Starting with this conversation, explore how far Shakespeare presents Brutus as an honourable man in Julius Caesar.

Write about:
• how Shakespeare presents Brutus in this conversation
• how far Shakespeare presents Brutus as an honourable man in the play as a whole.

How to approach this question

1. Begin by analysing the eulogies for Brutus in the extract. Note that even his enemies, Antony and Octavius, acknowledge his virtue and honour. 2. Formulate a thesis that addresses the complexity of Brutus's honour – that it is both a virtue and a flaw. 3. Structure your essay to explore key moments that reveal his character. Discuss his soliloquy in Act 2 where he decides to kill Caesar, his interactions with Cassius, his speech to the plebeians, and his quarrel with Cassius in Act 4. 4. Use Antony's famous refrain 'Brutus is an honourable man' from his funeral oration ironically to show how Brutus's honour is perceived and manipulated by others. 5. Conclude by summarising how Shakespeare portrays Brutus as a tragic hero, a man of principle in a world of political expediency.

Full Answer

A strong answer will argue that Shakespeare presents Brutus as a fundamentally honourable man whose tragedy lies in his flawed judgement. The extract provides the final verdict on his character from his enemy, Antony, who calls him 'the noblest Roman of them all' because his motives were for the 'common good to all', unlike the other envious conspirators. This confirms his honourable intentions. The answer should then explore the complexities of this honour throughout the play. Brutus is shown to be a loving husband and a respected figure who genuinely believes he is acting to save the Roman Republic from tyranny. However, his honour also makes him naive and easily manipulated by Cassius. His decision to let Antony speak at Caesar's funeral is an honourable but disastrous political miscalculation. His rigid adherence to his principles leads to conflict with Cassius and ultimately to his downfall. Thus, Shakespeare presents him as a tragic hero whose honour is both his greatest virtue and his fatal flaw.
This question asks for an analysis of Brutus's character, focusing on the central trait of 'honour'. You need to evaluate whether he truly is an honourable man, considering his noble intentions versus the catastrophic consequences of his actions. The extract provides a final, positive assessment of his character, which you should use as a starting point to discuss the more complex and often contradictory evidence from the rest of the play.

Common mistakes

A common mistake is to see Brutus as either a simple hero or a villain. The best answers will explore the tragic complexity of his character. Another error is to ignore the political context of Rome and the difficult choices Brutus faces. Avoid simply retelling the plot; focus on analysing Brutus's motivations and flaws.
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