Weblog 17

Weblog 17 What is Cassius suggesting and how does he build his argument? Cassius is supporting Brutus’s view on Caesar’s rule in Rome. Both believe that Caesar should not be the sole ruler of Rome. Cassius supports Brutus by primarily by proving how ordinary of a man Caesar is. He feels that it is not worth living a life where one must bow down to another person, who was born of equal rights and abilities. Cassius even went as far to give an example proving how weak Caesar could be. His example portrayed him and Caesar as two men of equal conditions jumping into a river where Caesar had to eventually call for Cassius’s help to prevent himself from drowning. Cassius then tells Brutus that he is upset at how he has to be his servant as Caesar acts like a pompous jerk towards him and other people. Cassius goes on by giving another example of when Caesar was sick in Spain. He described how weak Caesar was and how he was like a sick girl as he groaned for water. Cassius then tells Brutus how shocked he is by the fact that such a sick man has the ability to be the ruler of Rome and its Empire. Cassius says that he feels every man should have the right to lead a free life, free from subjection to a single man. He also adds his belief of how men themselves are the ones who can control their lives and should do so by taking action, disproving the concept of destiny and fate. Furthermore, Cassius supports Brutus by adding how, in reality, names have no difference in significance and that the names ultimately have the same function. Cassius then criticizes society on how people can allow one man to rule them all. He says that people have changed and that before, nobody would allow a dictatorship in the Roman republic.