The Measure of Manliness

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the play "Julius Caesar" by Shakespeare, exploring two variant conceptions of manhood. The paper provides a textual analysis of Cassius, who exemplifies a manhood based in physical prowess and achievement, while Brutus exemplifies a manhood characterized by a deep stoicism. A contrast of these two types of manhood (and indeed, the two characters) is a theme that runs as the play's backbone. Their ideas on manhood direct their decisions; it causes Brutus to rush into the assassination without practical planning, thus manliness (and male conceptions of manhood) is the indirect source of much of the conflict in the play.

From the Paper:

"It would be an incomplete discussion to address the issue of manhood in the text, especially within the context of ancient Rome, if one does not look to the concepts of honor and virtue. The Oxford English Dictionary defines honor in the context of Elizabethan idiom in several ways, the most applicable to our exploration of Julius Caesar being "[g]lory, renown, fame; credit, reputation, good name," and "[e]xalted rank or position; dignity, distinction." Virtue means "[c]onformity of life and conduct with the principles of morality; voluntary observance of the recognized moral laws or standards of right conduct[..,]" or "the possession or display of manly qualities; manly excellence, manliness, courage, valour." In Julius Caesar, we see the working out of these concepts through the characters of Brutus and Cassius. Brutus, who longs to have the reputation of a man of morals and of internal dignity, tries to operate with a moral compass. He attends mostly to the principle behind an action and not its outward show. He believes this will be sufficient. His implicit trust in the Romans to recognize a worthy man doing a worthy action when they see it is not politically astute and naive. Because of his naivety in things political (and his belief that the people of Rome are a judicious body as opposed to a fickle mob), we see him making disastrous mistakes such as trying to reason with the crowd even as the body of Caesar lies warm and bloody on the ground."

More papers on The Measure of Manliness:

• Research Paper # 23643 : "The Measure of Knowledge"
• Essay # 72356 : "'The Joys of Motherhood'"
• Analytical Essay # 16717 : "Eliza Haywood and "The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: