Julius+Caesar+Scene+5.5

Group Members:
1. Kim Wang 2.  Hana Chung  3. Sam Bansil 4. Katie Jamer 5. Nick Choman 6. Ali Sharifbeigi 7. James Almeida 

**I. Important Events**

 * Brutus and some of his other followers are in despair, running away from the angry mob.
 * Brutus, who had lost all hope, desperately wishes to kill himself.
 * Clitus refuses, as well as Dardanius.
 * Brutus elucidates his vision, where he had twice seen the ghost of Caesar, which symbolized that his time of death was near.
 * He begs Volumnius, who declines.
 * As the sounds of the mob grows closer, Clitus, Dardanius, and Volumnius flee, assuming Brutus will follow.
 * However, Strato and Brutus stay behind, and Strato agrees to hold the sword while Brutus kills himself.
 * Brutus runs into the sword Strato is holding and plunges to his death.
 * Antony declares Brutus a quintessential man who displayed the greatest nobility out of the other Romans.
 * In the end, Octavius and Antony believe that Brutus truly was an honorable man and pays their tributes during his funeral.



**II. Important Lines**
1. “This was the noblest Roman of them all...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'”(//Julius Caesar// 5.5). Antony said this quote, which basically stated that Brutus was the only conspirator without envy. By making the rightful decision to kill himself, he displayed pride and dignity, while still holding responsibility for his actions; therefore, this made him an honorable man.

2. “Now is that noble vessel full of grief, that it runs over even at his eyes”(//Julius// Caesar 5.5). Clitus is discussing Brutus's suicidal thoughts to Dardanus, explaining how he almost pitied Brutus, who was so filled with sorrow and guilt. He sympathized for Brutus, who had to endure consequences and overcome mental struggles because he had killed Caesar, his own best friend. Clitus describes the weary and hopeless expression Brutus had, which overwhelmed his whole body and outwardly divulged his true emotions.

**III. Character Development**
Brutus's successful suicide attempt was driven by the guilt and regret that he felt after realizing his mistake. Previously, he had affixed his mindset and convinced himself into thinking that he was right, seeing no faults in his infallible plan. However, whereas he had been so inclined to kill Caesar to protect the Roman Republic, he began to slowly change his perspective through the warnings he received from Caesar's "ghost." By looking at his actions from a different point of view, he was able to openly point out his faults and face the vengeance of Caesar through the two visions he had interrupted as a clear foreshadowing of the future. In conclusion, Brutus's suicidal attempt altered his reputation from a mere savage, to a truly honorable man.



**IV. Motifs**

 * Suicide: After the death of Caesar, suicide was constant among the conspirators. Cassius had ordered his slave to kill him, and Titinius had managed to kill himself, eventually leading up to the tragic and unexpected death of Brutus.
 * Honorable men: While Mark Antony had cleverly proved Brutus's motives to be unjustified and unlawful by continually repeating, "Brutus was an honorable man," his sarcastic tone was not shown when he solemnly declared him as a truly respected and noble man. This was due to the fact that Brutus had been the only one to admit to his faults and take responsibility for his regrettable actions.
 * Guilt: Due to the overwhelming pressure and guilt that Brutus felt, it drove him to the peak of his endurance, ultimately leading to the murder that concluded the end of the play.

//1. Mark Antony//
__To the Public Eye:__ Mark Antony merely wishes to have the conspirators brought to justice. He also appears to despise Brutus, whom he sarcastically referred to as an "honorable man." __In Private:__ In actuality, Antony is a man driven to his cause. It seems that he will literally stop at nothing to avenge the death of Caesar (his close friend). Furthermore, Antony really does end up believing that Brutus is in fact honorable. __ Proof of this :__ At the end of Act 5: Scene 5, Brutus has committed suicide with the help of four of his followers (Clitus, Dardanus, Strato, and Volumnius). Upon seeing the fallen body of Brutus, Antony realizes (or finally admits that although all the other conspirators had murdered Caesar out of envy, Brutus had done it with the belief that he would be saving Rome and its people. //2. The Conspirators// __To the Public Eye:__ The conspirators appeared to have murdered Caesar because they believed in Brutus's cause- that by ridding Rome of Caesar, they would essentially be ridding it of a potential tyrant. __In Private:__ Their reasons were much more sinister and characterized by pure greed and envy. Proof of this: (Look at the previous "Proof of this")

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Brutus had admitted to his followers that the ghost of Caesar had appeared to him twice at night, once at Sardis, and another time, at Philippi Fields. He interprets this as a warning, which lead him to finally face the consequences for committing such an unlawful crime, ultimately taking responsibility for his actions. As a result of his final decision, he opted to commit suicide, which was the only "honorable" way to die.=====

**VI. One Sentence Summary**
Brutus successfully commits suicide with the help of Strato, and after Octavius prepares a funeral rite for Brutus, Antony genuinely praises him as an honorable man as a tribute to his tragic death.