Schenkel

Michaela Schenkel
Rabiola
Epic Tradition, 1
13 March 2013
The Blameless Ideal
Everybody loves to hear about the misfortune of others. These types of tales
are entertaining to the listener or reader, because they believe that they would
never be so incompetent or misguided. This principle of blamelessness can be seen
in Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare and Agamemnon translated by Richmond
Lattimore, in which the central characters meet their downfall through exceeding
pride and arrogance. Both Julius Caesar and Agamemnon display rulers blatant
arrogance and pride, leading to their deaths. Agamemnon, Caesar and those who
plot against them fail to realize their faults and act upon their arrogance, causing
their demise.
Foreshadowing later mishaps and deaths, the characters in Julius Caesar and
Agamemnon fail to realize that they are headed down a dangerous path. Coming
home from war, Agamemnon, a warlord, thinks highly of himself. Exceedingly
arrogant and rude, Agamemnon, after years away from his home and wife, says to
Clytemnestra, My will is mine. I shall not make it soft for you (Lattimore ll.932).
Speaking abruptly, Agamemnon makes it clear that others wishes to not hold the
same authority and precedence as his. Following a similar path, Julius Caesar acts
as if he is above all. His pride leaves him to feel as if he is invincible and incapable
of fear (Shakespeare Act 1, Scene 2, ll.199). He does not feel that he could commit
any wrong. When Brutus and Cassius take over, they believe themselves to be
above Caesars ignorance: Our reasons were so full of good regard/ That were you,

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Antony, the son of Caesar,/ You should be satisfied (Shakespeare Act 3, Scene 1,
ll.229-31). Believing themselves incapable of making Caesars mistakes, Brutus,
Cassius, and those who conspire with them, end up following a similar path of
conceitedness, yet refusing to acknowledge that they could be anything like Caesar.
Disregard for others leads these characters to act upon their misguided ways.
With misguided ideas, Agamemnon, Caesar, Brutus, and Cassius, act
unwisely, making those around them vengeful and upset. Constantly flaunting his
power in front of Clytemnestra, Agamemnon brings another woman into his home
and goes as far as to order his wife to take care of her: Take this strange girl within/
now, and be kind (Lattimore ll. 950-51). Clytemnestra is upset at this treatment of
her, which builds up even stronger feelings of resentment toward Agamemnon.
Flaunting his relationship with another woman in his wifes face, Agamemnon
doesnt even realize his fault until it is too late. While Agamemnon may have the
excuse of being blatantly oblivious to his wifes feelings, Julius Caesar has
foreknowledge of issues that may arise due to others feelings and chooses to ignore
them such as a soothsayer telling him to [b]eware the ides of March (Shakespeare
Act 1, Scene 2, ll.20). Caesar responds by saying, He is a dreamer. Let us leave
him. Pass! (Shakespeare Act 1, Scene 2, ll.26). Acting upon his misguided ideas
and feelings of superiority, Caesar ignores any idea proposed that suggest that he
might be wrong. Taking it upon themselves to end Caesars reign, Brutus, Cassius,
and several other conspirators follow misguided principles as well. They have the
notion that they are above Caesar and would be a better ruler than him. After killing
Caesar, they rule with similar arrogance to him, even fighting among themselves.
During a fight between Brutus and Cassius, Cassius tells Brutus that Caesar durst
not have moved [him] thus (Shakespeare Act 4, Scene 3, ll.61). Angry at Brutus

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accusations, Cassius becomes angry and self-righteous. Believing his ideals over
Brutus, Cassius almost starts a battle. These self-centered tendencies lead to rather
unpleasant ends.
Due to their selfish and prideful ways, the characters of Agamemnon and
Julius Caesar meet their demise from those around them. Agamemnon after further
angering Clytemnestra meets his end when Clytemnestra kills him in anger: Much
have I said before to serve necessity,/ but I will take no shame now to unsay it all./
How else could I, arming hate against hateful men/I stand now where I struck him
down. The thing is done. (Lattimore ll. 1372-79). Wrapped up in his own selfabsorption, Agamemnon doesnt even realize that he was at fault until he has been
stabbed by Clytemnestra. Caesar is stuck in a similar predicament. Although he
seems to have some basic knowledge of a plot to kill him, only once Brutus and the
others show up does he realize that they are there to kill him. His parting words are
Et tu, Brut? (Shakespeare Act 3, Scene 1, ll.81). Brutus, as a friend, being the
one to stab him, makes him realize his faults, but too late. Those who kill Caesar
think themselves beyond death since they believe themselves better than Caesar.
They fail to realize that some may be upset about Caesars death. Antony, Caesars
son, believes that the conspirators are at fault and wishes to avenge his fathers
death. He rallies the Plebeians with his speech at Caesars funeral making some
believe that Caesar [had] had a great wrong. (Shakespeare Act 3, Scene 2, ll.108).
Now against Brutus and the other, the Plebeians, led by Antony, go out to kill the
conspirators, seeking justice. Seeing no way out, the conspirators start to kill off
themselves and each other, realizing that they should not have assumed power
over others. These rulers all had it within their power to prevent their deaths, until
they started to see themselves as all powerful.

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A simple character flaw led to these rulers deaths. By failing to acknowledge
any fault within themselves, they opened the door to allow others to do it for them.
Arrogant and prideful, the characters of Agamemnon and Julius Caesar flaws made
others angry and resentful toward them. Through acting upon prideful thoughts and
ideas, tensions were stretched even further as these rulers flaunted their position
and their supposed higher ideals. Continuing down the path of blamelessness, the
rulers started to gain many negative connotations to others and became a status of
resentment. Others felt that it was necessary to take action and end the rulers
reign. These rulers ability to rule was hindered by their arrogant ways.

Works Cited
Lattimore, Richmond Alexander. Aeschylus I: Oresteia. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 1970. Print.
Shakespeare, William, and John Crowther. Julius Caesar. New York, NY: Spark Notes,
2003. Print.