Representation of Virtue in Julius Caesar and The Prince

Running head: REPRESENTATION OF VIRTUE IN JULIUS CAESAR AND THE PRINCE
REPRESENTATION OF VIRTUE IN JULIUS CAESAR AND THE PRINCE
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REPRESENTATION OF VIRTUE IN JULIUS CAESAR AND THE PRINCE
Introduction
Virtue refers to the highest level of moral values demonstrated by an individual and those
that do not possess virtue are considered anti-social. Possessing strong virtue is especially
important for people who are responsible for the wellbeing of others such as politicians. Political
persons must possess highest level of virtue because millions of people put their trust on them.
Literary greats in the past have have tried to provide examples of virtue through their characters.
In this essay, the works of two great literary geniuses shall be analyzed to understand the
actions of a political person. The two works that have been chosen are William Shakespeare’s
Julius Caesar and Machiavelli’s The Prince. While in Julius Caesar, Shakespeare dealt with the
themes of ambition and virtue, in The Prince, Machiavelli focuses on several themes such as
goodwill, freewill and virtue amongst others.
The aim of this essay is to argue that a political person must possess both Shakespeare
and Machiavelli’s version of virtue. While the main character that demonstrated virtue in
Shakespeare’s play was Brutus, Machiavelli’s prime character possessing virtue was the prince.
Discussion
A better examination of the two plays could be done when the readers have a clear view
about that is virtue. The word ‘virtue’ originates from the Latin word ‘virtus’ meaning moral
excellence. Therefore, virtue is a quality or trait that is deemed morally good (Frey 2019). Any
person possessing virtue is qualified as a good human being with high moral standards. The
quality is decreasing in individuals as the world is advancing, as people are more concerned
about their own interest (Bright, Winn and Kanov 2014). However, most concerning is the

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REPRESENTATION OF VIRTUE IN JULIUS CAESAR AND THE PRINCE
depleting virtue in the people who hold authority and power. With an analysis of the
representation of virtue in both tests, it would be easier to explain the way it informs the actions
of a political person.
The difference in the two texts is that Julius Caesar is a fictional play based on the life of
the Roman emperor and The Prince is a kind of political guide. Julius Caesar tells the story of
the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, his godlike status in the eyes of the Roman citizens, Brutus,
Mark Antony and Cassius, his able comrades (Frey 2019).. Most importantly, this play is about
the story of Brutus, a noble man yet vulnerable who falls too quickly into people’s words. Brutus
is a perfect example of the way to be a man of virtue. When Caesar enters Rome with his
entourage after defeating his archrival’s (Pompey) sons in the battle, Brutus notices the pride and
ambition in Caesar’s eyes, which he thinks is not good for the republican. He feels that Caesar’s
ascendency to the throne would not reflect the republican virtue. The other power-hungry
senators such as Cassius and Casca succeed in making Brutus enter into a conspiracy to kill
Caesar. Brutus agrees because he feels that this is the best thing to do for his nation, Rome. Here,
it could be seen that Brutus has a transparent and balanced view about the political scenario in
the country. Frey (2019) shows that most of the characters in the play and other plays based in
Rome display great personal virtue but fail to save their country from being doomed. Similar
could be said about Brutus, a noble and virtuous man whose only aim was the common good of
the people although he could not execute his virtues in an effective way. This shows that while
he had all the virtues that a noble man must have, he lacked some other important traits that
make a man virtuous. Brutus believed worry for the betterment of Rome “to be the most virtuous
activity and views his own reputation as a means of advancing the good of Rome” (Frey 2019).
To him, honor is not eclipsing the greatness of another person but to live with virtue and never