Was Brutus a Traitor or a Patriot?

In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus’s integrity was often in question. Was he a traitor or a patriot? A patriot is defined as “a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors.” With that in mind, it is clear that Brutus was a patriot instead of a traitor. Brutus believed he was doing what was best for his country, which is something people still go to great lengths to do today. He saw Caesar’s ambition and he wanted to stop Rome from falling under the rule of one man. One might disagree because Antony spoke of Caesar’s humility, but Brutus perceived ambition, so his intentions were good. To him, killing Caesar was his only choice. And it was the right one.

Trust is a fragile thing. Caesar saw Brutus as one of his closest friends, yet even he turned against Caesar in the end. However, that does not necessarily mean that Brutus was a traitor. If you look at the context behind the situation, you will find that there is a lot more depth to it. Brutus was only doing what he deemed necessary. After killing Caesar, he addressed the crowds by saying that, “If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, to him I say that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less than his. 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.” (3.2.17—22). He was acting as a patriot, because he chose his country over a friendship.

The driving force behind Brutus’s decision was Caesar’s ambition. Yet Antony says Caesar wasn’t ambitious, because he brought wealth to the city, wept with the poor and refused the crown when it was offered three times. Each time Caesar was offered the crown, however, he seemed less and less willing to part with it. Casca, who witnessed the whole thing, said that: “He put it [the crown] by once—but, for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he [Antony] offered it to him...