"Julius Caesar" is a story about betrayal, lies, and distrust. It shows us that everybody, even the simplest of people, has inner battles within themselves between good and evil. The temptation of betrayal is one of these inner battles. We see characters contemplating betrayal. It tears them down from the inside out and eventually leads to their defeat.
To understand why betrayal will lead to destruction we must understand what betrayal is. Betrayal is the deliberate act of disloyalty. This means that when you betray someone you understand that what you are doing is wrong. This has different effects on people, but in many cases betrayal will lead to your own downfall. The decision of wronging a companion would overwhelm many of us. In "Julius Caesar" I believe Brutus is the best example of a character ruined by betrayal.
Brutus was a good friend of Julius Caesar's. He was trusted and treated like family. Sadly, one of Brutus' biggest flaws was that he was easily manipulated. Cassius, a lead conspirator, took advantage of this and made Brutus grow to fear Caesar. He believed that Caesar had too much power and would soon be a tyrant over Rome. Cassius proposed to murder Caesar in order to …show more content…
He didn't think with the same clarity that he used to. He became irrational and made sloppy decisions, such as letting Antony talk at the funeral. The old Brutus would've known that Antony would try to sway public opinion. Another example of Brutus' inability to be rational is apparent when he chooses a poor battle strategy when preparing to fight Octavian and Antony. I believe that this poor battle strategy is a key factor his death. If Brutus hadn't decided to betray Caesar, then he would still be a logical man; if he was still a logical man, then he would've chosen a better battle strategy; if he had chosen a better battle strategy, then he possibly would've lived through the