Manipulation in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar Essay Example

A person of great power has a large amount of control and influence over the vast majority of the population that they lead. Oftentimes, their leadership position is gained through manipulation of the people as they try to sell themselves to them. The people of Rome are doing all they can to fight for the authority over the city. As much as everyone loved Rome, they used that love for their own personal benefits. Although the main characters in Julius Caesar believe they are manipulating the commoners onto their sides to better Rome, their true intentions are selfish, doing it for the benefit of themselves, which creates the differing opinions through the commoners minds allowing the divide between Rome to occur. 

The manipulation used within Cassius’s plan of impersonating the commoners to kill Caesar causes a divide of unity within the city of Rome. Brutus is immensely personable, meaning that he is someone that is well-known and liked throughout the city. The commoners create similar opinions with him, while also siding with him during any situation that occurs. Whether Brutus had a thought that was good or bad, the commoners would always believe that it was for the good. This is something Cassius took to mind, when luring him into the plan of killing Caesar. He knew that if Brutus were to help within the actions, the commoners would know it was for the better of Rome, never thinking anything less. “Well Brutus thou art noble; yet I see Thy honorable mettle may be wrought From that it is disposed; therefore it is meet That noble minds keep ever with their likes;.... As if they came from several citizens, Writings, all tending to the great opinion.”(Shakespeare, Julius Caesar I.ii.308-311 317-318) Cassius decides that sending false letters “written” by the commoners would be the best chance he would get to Brutus falling into the plan of action. Brutus was a kind hearted person, someone who was a good friend of Caesar’s, but through Cassius’s manipulation that changed drastically. Within the letters Cassius explained how killing Caesar would be for the better of Rome, making the city better as a whole. While also including how he should be the one with the crown, due to him being so liked by everyone and his good decision making. This allowed Brutus to have a change of heart about his good friend Caesar, who was now no longer his good friend, but someone he wanted to kill. The commoners listen to Brutus, just the way he listens to them. They know Brutus wouldn’t just do something to do it, but that there is a good reason behind it. Cassius knew his selfish intentions of his manipulation towards Brutus, he was not only getting to his head but his heart as well, which lured him into thinking that killing Caesar is a good idea.

Brutus correlating the commoners' love of Rome to their opinions of Caesar to help himself into becoming king only furthers the mistrust and manipulation among the people of the city. At the beginning of the play Brutus and Caesar were good friends, where Brutus rooted towards him being king of Rome. Brutus never thought anything less of him, always believing that he was a great representation of their city and that they needed him in the lead role. After Cassius had manipulated him against Caesar, stating how he could be better for Rome while also trusting that he should be gone, his opinion on Caesar changed immediately. Brutus began to believe the lies that were being said about him which led him into the plan. After they had finally finished the job of Caesar, Brutus spoke to the commoners outside of the Capitol. There is where he then selfishly transferred the messages of lies to them as well, “If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” (Shakespeare, Julius Caesar III.ii.20-22) Now that Cassius has gotten Brutus to turn his back on Caesar, he starts to make up lies about him, making him seem like a terrible person while also persuading the crowd of commoners against him. He explains to them that anyone who loved Caesar hated Rome, since he didn’t love Rome as much as everyone believed he did. This was Brutus’s way of manipulating the commoners to believe that he is better as king. He also allowed them to trust that killing him was for the benefit of their city. By making Caesar look bad, it makes Brutus come out as a better person which then pressures the commoners into wanting Brutus. Through the manipulation of Cassius getting Brutus to turn his back on Caesar, Brutus has now manipulated the commoners against him through the lies he proceeds to make up and explain.

Marc Antony’s selfish need to be king causes him to manipulate the commoners through the detailed story of Caesar's killing, forgetting that this will be detrimental to the people of Rome. After the killing of Caesar had taken place in the Capitol, Brutus and Marc Antony had speeches amongst the crowd of commoners outside, Brutus going first. Marc Anthony, similarly like Brutus, wanted the power of being king of Rome and he knew that the best way of pursuing that was by manipulating the crowd onto his side. This is why he sets the horrifying scene towards the commoners, “Look, in this place ran Cassius’ dagger through; See what a rent the envious Casca made; Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabbed, And as he plucked his cursed steel away, Mark how the blood of Caesar followed it, As rushing out of doors, to be resolved If Brutus so unkindly knocked, or no; For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar’s angel. Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him! This was the most unkindest cut of all;” (Shakespeare, Julius Caesar III.ii.175-184) After each of the conspirators took part in killing Caesar, Marc Antony spoke second. During his speech, he had explained in descriptive detail each stab that was forced into Caesar during the killing and by which conspirator. This started to rile up the commoners, building the emotions up inside of them due to their opinions on what had happened. The commoners were getting angry, sad, and suspicious towards the conspirators on what they had done to Caesar. Because of all these emotions it started a riot to brew between the commoners of Rome. There were differing opinions, some were happy while others were not. Instead of creating unity within the people of the city, it caused a huge divide. The people were now no longer rooting for the same person of authority, but multiple. Through Marc Anthony using manipulation to set the horrifying scene of Caesar’s killing, he believed he was persuading the commoners to want him as king, but instead turned everyone against each other creating hatred, resulting in Rome continuously falling apart.  

Through the manipulation of the conspirators persuading the commoners onto their sides, doing it for their own selfish reasons of wanting authority, creates opposite opinions through who should hold the crown, resulting in the split between the city of Rome. Cassius uses manipulation to draw in Brutus for the plan of killing Caesar, ruining Brutus’s reputation, but doing it for the sake of himself so that the commoners would believe it was for the right reasons. Brutus uses manipulation through creating lies about Caesar, putting him down, allowing the people of Rome to believe he truly never loved the city, to only make himself look better for the crown. However Marc Anthony draws the horrifying scene of the killing into the peoples heads, manipulating them to start a riot upon the conspirators and one another, while also showing himself as a better fit for the crown. Because Brutus, Cassius, and Marc Antony had used manipulation to draw one another away from each other, they are no longer united as a whole, but they have completely split apart. In the end, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar shows how manipulation can take over even the strongest of cities.