Brutus Purity

Brutus's Purity (4.3)

Bill Long

We saw in Acts II and III that Brutus's misjudgment of Antony had dramatic negative consequences for the conspirators. Speaking in his typical analogical fashion, Brutus compared Caesar to the head and Antony to the limbs (2.1.163) and concluded that "he (Antony) can do no more than Caesar's arm/ When Caesar's head is off (2.1.182-183)." Thus, there was no need to kill Antony along with Caesar. It was Brutus's belief that Antony was not dangerous that led him to override Cassius' objection in 3.1 to Antony's speaking at the funeral. Antony spoke, after Brutus inexplicably left him "in charge" on the rostrum, and "mischief" resulted.

One would have thought that this experience of terrible misjudgment would have led Brutus to temper his insistence on his own perception of reality, and even might have made him a little more humble toward his chief conspirator, Cassius. Not only your life. In Act IV Brutus gathers the garments of purity even more tightly around himself, thereby creating yet more opportunities for foolish judgment on his part. Three passages in 4.2 and early in 4.3 show that Brutus's assumed purity sets the tone for further misjudgments.

1) Brutus's Shock, 4.2.38-39

Cassius utters a yet unspecified complaint against Brutus. "Most noble brother, you have done me wrong (4.2.37)." Although Brutus will ask Cassius to explain himself in private, his first response is anything but conciliatory: "Judge me, you gods! wrong I mine enemies?/ And if not so, how should I wrong a brother (4.2.38-39)?" An allegation is laid at Brutus's door. Instead of taking Cassius complaint seriously, he immediately invokes divinities to clear him. Actually, Cassius wasn't asking the gods to judge Brutus. He simply wanted an answer or clarification.

By flying immediately to the gods as a testimony to his righteousness or purity (it is as if he says, "As God is my witness"), Brutus tries to take the complaint out of the cycle of human interaction and place it in the ultimate court of right and wrong where he, Brutus, is always right. It is overkill driven by a sense of his own purity. Brutus is scandalized that someone can even think he (Brutus) could harm him. Given Brutus's history of bad decisions, what is so unusual that someone might think Brutus has injured him? Brutus' sense of moral purity drives this intemperate reaction.

2) Justice and Contamination, 4.3.18-28

Just as Antony knows that he might have to alter Caesar's will so that more money would be availble for his war effort (4.1), so Cassius has permitted an underling to gain money by extortion of his subjects, no doubt forwarding some of that money to Cassius for payment of troops and supplies. Brutus expresses his shock and moral superiority to any such scheme. Wasn't Caesar killed for justice's sake (4.3.19)? If this is so how can we "contaminate our fingers wtih base bribes (4.3.24)?" This is a response of a person who never has had to worry about raising money for any project; he assumes that all the money he has is "pure" money. Money derived from the "impure" method of bribery is to be eschewed. Rather than indicating Brutus's idealism, as many scholars would have it, I take this reaction as an indication of Brutus's blindness about how money is really raised in difficult ventures. Arms have to be twisted. It isn't pretty. The real world warriors, Cassius and Antony, know this. Brutus is less an idealist than a person fundamentally ignorant of the harsh fiscal realities of war. Maybe he can't see it; maybe he doesn't want to see it. His language of purity and contamination here helps to build a wall between himself and the real world.

3) Brutus, Strong in Honesty, 4.3.66

Brutus even goes further. He feels he has nothing to fear from Cassius' threats toward him because "I am arm'd so strong in honesty/ That they (i.e., threatening words) pass by me as the idle wind (4.3.67-68)." When Brutus then immediately turns to his own complaint--that Cassius has not given him expected money, his hypocrisy is readily apparent. 'By all means,' Brutus appears to say, 'don't extort money for yourself but, by the same token, give me the money you have promised me. For I can't get my hands dirty by raising my own money by "vile means."' Only one so self-deceived by concepts of his own purity or sense of honesty and justice could condemn Cassius for conduct that would bring Brutus the thing (money) which he condemns Cassius for not providing! Cassius literally is damned if he provides Brutus the demanded money (which he would get through extortion) or damned if he doesn't provide Brutus the demanded money.

Brutus continues to compound his errors as scene passes to scene. It is hard to see Brutus as a character with a "tragic flaw," since he has so many flaws pervading his character. Perhaps the most one can say is that his original unwillingness to look inside himself, thinking that he was empty within, is the root from which all his subsequent errors, misjudgments and sense of purity arose. Ultimately you cannot argue with people who think themselves pure. You must either break from them or submit to them. Cassius will choose the latter.