Does the End Justify the Means?

Does the End Justify the Means?

“Let’s kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; Let’s carve him as a dish fit for the gods, Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds. And let our hearts, as subtle masters do, stir up their servants to an act of rage, … We shall be called purgers not murderers” page 74.
This quote characterizes Brutus as wanting to be an honorable man who would do anything for honor. Brutus was driven to rid of Caesar, and was motivated by his honor and his nobility as well as him being gullible. He listened to, and considered, everything Cassius told him and was easily influenced. Brutus was afraid of Caesar’s ambition and how it could lead him to tyranny. Caesar had to go.
Brutus was motivated by his honor, something he was very proud of. Brutus was motivated by honor because he wanted to do something that was good for the people of Rome and something that could help improve the city. At the beginning of the book Brutus just dislikes that everyone would have Caesar as king, but he is still his friend. Cassius came in and started to tell Brutus how Caesar was a bad person and that Brutus could just as easily have the power. Cassius eventually got Brutus to believe that killing Caesar was what is best for the people.
“Set honor in one eye, and death i’ th’ other, And I will look on both indifferently; For the gods so speed me as I love The name of honor more than I fear death.” Page 32.
This quote is set when Cassius is starting to talk to Brutus about Caesar. Brutus looks at honor and death indifferently and he loves honor more than he fears dying. This shows that he is motivated because he would do anything for honor.
Brutus, after Caesar’s death, tried to convince everyone, even himself, that what the conspirators and him had done was an honorable act.
“…If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” Page 128
This is during Brutus’s speech to the crowd, to explain what the conspirators had done. He believes that what they did was for the good of the people and that this would improve the city. Brutus says that his reason for killing Caesar was that he was ambitious, and then gives no proof that he was at all. Brutus thinks that he is an honorable man, and might be, and believed that killing Caesar was for the good of Rome.
Cassius also motivated Brutus, because Brutus was quite gullible. He believed what Cassius told him and took this into consideration when deciding if killing Caesar is a good idea. Had Cassius not been there, Caesar may have lived, and been a great ruler of Rome.
“Be any further mov’d. What you have said I will consider; what you have to say I will with patience hear, and find a time Both meet to hear and answer such high things.” Page 36-38.
This is something that Brutus replies with when Cassius tells Brutus that he and Caesar are equals. They are all equals and yet, they have to feel grateful if Caesar even nods at them. What Brutus says here is that he’d like not to be persuaded any further, but what he has said he will consider and whatever he may say later, he will patiently listen to. This shows he is gullible, because although he asks not to be persuaded any further, he listens to what Cassius says and thinks about what it means. He would like to be honorable, but he is still gullible.
“I must be by his death; and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, But for the general.”
This is when Brutus is alone in his garden and is thinking to himself. It shows that he is trying to do what’s good for the people, but also that he is gullible. He has no personal reason for killing him, but Cassius said that he was ambitious and got Brutus to think so as well, and now Brutus thinks that it is good for the people that he kills Caesar. What Brutus means by this is that he can’t think of any personal reasons to kill Caesar, but it’s what’s best for the people, and everyone will be happy one Caesar is gone. He believed what Cassius told him. These quotes show that Brutus is gullible and is easily influenced by others, especially Cassius.
I don’t think that the end justified the means, because by the end, everyone was dead from lack of good communication and Caesar didn’t have to die, there was no proof that he was ambitious. Brutus was easily motivated by his love for honor and his ability to be easily influenced by the words of others, especially Cassius. These were problems with Brutus. He was blinded by honor that made him believe that killing Caesar was the very best thing he could do for the people. His thoughts were only reassured whenever Cassius came to talk to him, to tell him more about how Caesar could never be a good ruler; he’s too ambitious and will turn Rome into a tyranny. Yes, technically Brutus achieved his goal of killing Caesar, but he didn’t improve Rome, he led it into war (which was against Antony). I don’t think that his goal was noble, or worthy in any way, because killing Caesar was what he thought was good, and he did it with good intentions, but managed to turn most of Rome against him.