Some people dream of success..While others work hard at it.

“ Ye gods, it doth amaze me. A man of such a feeble temper should so get the start of the majestic world and bear the palm alone. (Act 1 Scene 2- lines 127-130) In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Cassius Longinus, a Roman senator, makes plans to assassinate the ‘ambitious’ Julius Caesar. Cassius uses his flattery and patriotism to persuade other noble Romans to join him, but he shows jealousy and personal aggression towards Caesar. He wonders why the people have chosen to reward and praise Caesar, and knows that if the Roman commoners continue to, they will live in servile fearfulness. Although the act seemed patriotic to the conspirators, Cassius's hidden anger and envy drove him into the assassination of the ambitious Julius Caesar"

Throughout the play, Cassius’s personality and motivations change completely, but the one thing that won’t let go is his envy for Caesar. Cassius is completely disgusted by the fact that Julius Caesar has now become a ‘godlike’ human. “ Why man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves. (pg 36) ” Cassius compares Caesar as a giant who sits on top of the world, as Caesar believes himself to be beyond the reach of any other human being. He shows envy by describing himself and all of mankind as unimportant, smaller humans. Although Cassius doesn’t start the conspiracy to gain more power, he believes that with Caesar gone, Rome will praise the conspirators and believe that the act is just, raising the amount of power that Cassius has now.

Cassius’s carries a personal anger over Caesar and believes that if Caesar is chosen as king, Rome will suffer greatly. “I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor, did from the flames of Troy, the old Anchises bear. So from the waves of Tiber, did I the tired Caesar. And this man is now become a god… (pg 34)” In this quote, Cassius believes he is superior over Caesar. He believes that Caesar shouldn’t be regarded as a god-like creature, and later on shares that this ‘invulnerable’ Caesar did suffer a fever in Spain, and did shake. Now, Cassius bears a grudge over Caesar, and is confused why such a weak-hearted man like Caesar should be chosen to rule over Rome and not pay attention to any of his faults. He believes that such a man is not worthy at all. Furthermore, Caesar’s rudeness and disregard over Cassius makes him feel angry towards Caesar even more, that he feels such a need to kill him. Cassius’s motives for killing Caesar are considered selfish and dishonorable, although he does believe that it is done for the good of Rome.

With the assassination of Julius Caesar completed, the celebrations didn’t last. With Antony turning the public against them, the conspirators now had to deal with a war they hadn’t been expecting. Cassius’s envy and anger towards Caesar led not only to the death of Caesar, but also his own. With his jealousy and aggression toward Caesar, Cassius turned into this fearless man, who would do anything to see Caesar fall. He did achieve his goal of assassinating Caesar, but he failed to get the support of the people of Rome. The assassination was achieved, but with the aggression and anger the conspirators put into the assassination, there was no way the people of Rome could see the justice in it. For Cassius, his goal was planned to be noble, but with the amount of anger the conspirators put into the assassination, Cassius failed to justify the means of his goal of killing the ‘ambitious’ Julius Caesar.