Essay on Madness and Ambition in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

â€Å"Even the noblest men can be seduced by power; it has the power to kill, to distort, and to corrupt† Through this passage, Matthew Sims captures in essence how individuals often turn to betrayal and deception in order to gain their heart’s desires. This characteristic is not only present in life, but can also be seen in modern and classical literature, including the well known work of Julius Caesar. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, the lust for power transcends any one individual and ultimately leads to death and corruption of not only Caesar, but also of Brutus and Cassius. The play begins with Caesar parading through the streets of Rome as he triumphs in his victory over Pompey. However, Brutus, Cassius, and many others hatch a plot to†¦show more content†¦By ignoring the decrees of the Republic in an effort to become an autocrat, he undermined the Roman political system through murder, deceit, and lawlessness. However, moral integrity is not the only thing lost by Gaius Julius Caesar. As previously stated, a person’s greed often leads to their demise. This is most evident with Caesar himself. Caesar was willing to betray Pompey, his once friend and ally, in order to gain sole control over the Republic. In fact, Caesar’s drive to control the city began to evoke the jealousy and fears of many of the inhabitants, â€Å"You showd your teeth like apes, and fawnd like hounds, and bowd like bondmen, kissing Caesars feet. (Shakespeare Act V, Sc.I, lines 47-48). Ultimately this authority causes Brutus to come to the conclusion that Caesar’s tyranny must be prevented through his death (Sims). Caesar’s newfound power put Brutus, his former supporter, in a position where the only way to save the republic would be to depose of its current leader. Caesar’s demise was indirectly caused by his hunger for power, which caused Brutus to kill him in order to stop the would be dictator (Sims). 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