Monkey's Paw

1. I wish to have my dream job.

2. I wish to have a happy life.

3. I wish to be smarter and be more educated about the world around me.

#10

            Brutus, though had been easily persuaded and hypocritical at times, was truly noble and valiant. Unlike the rest of the conspirators, Brutus killed Caesar because of his love for Rome. Cassius and the rest, they were all greedy and hungry for power and did not truly love Rome as much as they were jealous of Caesar.

Right before he kills himself, Brutus states, “Farewell, good Strato. Caesar, now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a will.” (V.v.55-57). Brutus committed suicide due to his belief that it was his time to pass, contrary to Cassius’s death caused by weakness and cowardliness.

Brutus’s tragic flaw of naivety became his downfall, but despite his faults, he was truly honorable and brave. Cassius was just sly and slick and Brutus was easily persuaded. This does not mean Brutus was evil or immoral.

            Good intentions came over Brutus during his mission to kill Caesar, not greed or a need for power. This is what sets him apart from the rest of the conspirators and becomes the reason as to why Mark Antony believes him to be noble. Brutus had just fallen into a trap, a trap that any person could be tricked for.  Everyone makes mistakes and though Brutus did not learn from his, he was still a person with good morals and principles. Mark Antony’s words were true and they rang clear, for Brutus was a noble man.

#9

1. “This was the noblest Roman of them all” 
1. Mark Antony
2. Octavius, Messala, Strato, Lucilius, and others
3. Mark Antony and the rest spot Brutus dead.
4. Though the two considered each other enemies, Mark Antony believed Brutus to be truly noble because, unlike the other conspirators, Brutus had killed Caesar because he thought it be for the best of Rome.

2. “Forever, and forever, farewell, Cassius. If we do meet again, why, we shall smile; If not, why then this parting was well made”
1. Brutus
2. Cassius
3. Brutus says his final goodbyes to Cassius as they leave for battle.
4. Here, Brutus and Cassius come to terms that they may possibly die during this battle against Mark Antony and Octavius.

3. “Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala. With meditating that she must die once, I have the patience to endure it now” (IV.iii.218-220)
1. Brutus
2. Messala
3. Brutus has just received the news that his wife, Portia, has died.
4. Brutus here exemplifies the philosophy of stoicism, the idea to live life with limited emotion. Brutus remains calm and collected and shows no pain or sorrow over his wife’s death.

4. “Farewell, good Strato. Caesar, now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a will”
1. Brutus
2. Strato
3. Right before Brutus runs himself into Strato’s sword, he says farewell.
4. Brutus knew that is was his time to die and decides to commit suicide.

5. “Guide thou sword. Caesar, thou art revenged even with the sword that killed thee”
1. Cassius
2. Pindarus
3. Cassius decides to kill himself, but since he’s too cowardly to do it himself, he recruits Pindarus to stab him.
4. Unlike Brutus, Cassius does not have the courage to endure the pain and suffering of war anymore and kills himself. Brutus kills himself because he believed it to be the time for him to die.

#8

1. “Et tu, Brutè? – Then fall, Caesar”

a.     Caesar

b.     Brutus

c.     Brutus has just given the final and fatal blow to Caesar and, as he falls and dies, he utters those words.

d.     Et tu, Brutè translates to And you, Brutus? Caesar feels betrayed by his right-hand man. Brutus stabs him last after all of the other conspirator and Caesar basically asks him, “and you too, Brutus?”

2. “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.”

a.     Brutus

b.     Plebians

c.     Brutus is trying to explain to the Plebians his reasoning for killing Caesar before Mark Antony’s speech.

d.     Brutus makes an argument that Caesar was murdered for the good of Rome. He had nothing against Caesar and he did love him, but he believed that he needed to protect his country and killing Caesar was the only option.

3. “This was the most unkindest cut of all” (III.ii.195)

a.     Mark Antony

b.     Plebians

c.     At Caesar’s funeral, Mark Antony says that Brutus’s last fatal blow to Caesar was the “unkindest” cut out of all of the conspirators who had maimed Caesar.

d.     Mark Antony believes Brutus’s cut to be the most “unkindest” because of the fact that Caesar trusted Brutus whole-heartedly.

4. “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.”

a.     Mark Antony

b.     Plebians

c.     Mark Antony starts off his speech at Caesar’s funeral with these lines.

d.     Though he states that he is not going to praise Caesar, he does the exact opposite. He also states later on in the speech that Brutus was an honorable man, though what he says otherwise makes that statement false. This sets a sarcastic tone to Antony’s speech.

5. “I could be well moved, if I were as you. If I could pray to move, prayers would move me. But I am constant as the Northern Star, of whose fixed and resting quality there is no fellow in the firmament.”

a.    Caesar

b.   Cassius

c.    Cassius begs for Caesar to bring Publius Cimber back from banishment, but Caesar remains firm with his answer of, “no”.

d.   Caesar is “constant as the Northern Star”, meaning that his answers are always final and will never change. 

My Humours

For the most part, I was calm and at ease today so it is possible to say I was phlegmatic. I was also pretty happy and social, hence the large percentage of sanguine. I was neither touchy and aggressive or moody and pessimistic, so there are small amounts of choleric and melancholic.

My philosophy

Rather than look at life with a grim and somber attitude, I follow the Epicurean Philosophy more so than the Stoic Philosophy. Eliminating fears and pursuing happiness seems more appealing to me than dwelling and worrying. Living life and truly enjoying it, or at least attempting to, is something I would much rather do than remain detached and cut off from any relationships. We receive only one life in this world and time is better spent on things worthwhile. 

Tragic Flaw

                 Similar to Brutus, I too have a tendency to be swayed very easily. Once someone is quick to project a strong argument, I would mostly likely agree to his or her side without fully understanding the other facet of the situation. This makes me appear as a bumbling indecisive fool when in reality I am only easily persuaded and perhaps a tad bit gullible.  Peer pressure may be harder for me to endure because I am more easily persuaded. Though Brutus had a more tragic end than I due to this flaw, it is still something that I hope to reverse.