Dilemma

-Song-like poem from Brutus’s view
-Two sides reasoning within him

My mind is weary
My soul stuck in place
I cannot seem to find the solution
In this dilemma

To soak my hands with the blood of my friend
Or to let Rome fall under the rule of the tyrant

Caesar is my alley
My friend during great conflicts
How unlucky am I
To make such burdening choices

Caesar is a threat
A dangerous rising dictator
This is my only chance
To save Rome from him

Kind to Romans, he is
Gentle to ones in need
Humbled in every way
Loved by all the Romans

A mask may be easily put on
A façade to gain support
Even if he is humbled to the heart
Who knows when his gentleness will fade?

Caesar, oh Caesar, a good friend
If only men were more stable in mind
If only kindness will never fade
Then fears like this will be needed no longer

My mind is weary
My soul stuck in place
I cannot seem to find the solution
In this dilemma

To soak my hands with the blood of my friend
Or to let Rome fall under the rule of the tyrant

Julius Caesar Links

Here is an useful link I found that introduces all of Julius Caesar's achievements and events he encountered during Ancient Rome:

http://www.iol.ie/~coolmine/typ/romans/romans6.html

Below is another link I found. This is a good source of Shakespeare's works. The website has examples, summaries, and study guides that help others understand the meaning of Shakespeare's works better.

http://absoluteshakespeare.com/index.htm

Book and the Performance

I understood more about the characters in Julius Caesar when we watched the play performance in English class. Watching the play was different from reading it. By reading Julius Caesar, I could only understand what each character said, for the script does not go in detail in how each line is spoken or how the characters are acting. However, the experience watching Shakespeare's play revealed so much more. I was able to get an impression of each characters' characteristics by their physical appearances. The hand-motions and voice tone brought more definition to how each character felt when they spoke their speeches. For example, during Act One Scene Two, Cassius spoke a great deal to Brutus. When I read the play, I could only imagine Cassius speaking in monotone with little emotion behind each line. However, by watching Julius Caesar, I could hear how his feeling shifted within his speech.

Persuaded

I can't understand how the characters are so easily persuaded in Julius Caesar. Caesar was presistent to go to the senators at first. Later he was convinced by his wife to stay home one moment, but decided to go again in the next. His mind changed so quickly. If Brutus could so easily agreed with Cassius and stained his hands with Caesar's blood (as shown in the picture below) then had hehe talked with a supporter of Ceasar instead of Cassius, would he had support Ceasar instead of joining the conspiracy against him? All the characters seemed to be unsteady and easily influenced. Their minds could be changed easily by acts and schemes. So far in the book, no men had act entirely loyal to one decision without wavering.

Letters

I felt surprised when Brutus decided to join the conspiracy when he received the letters that Cassius forged. Didn't he think that it could've been written by anyone? It didn't cross his mind that perhaps it was Cassius's scheme to lure him to join? In his first conversation with Cassius within the book, it is qutie evident that he didn't fully trust Cassius. Brutus should've felt suspicious. After all, why would someone send him a letter like that just soon after Cassius's offer to the conspiracy? I was surprised how quickly he made his decisions right after reading the letters Cassius forged.