Cassius domino effect

Cassius’ Domino Effect The divine lightning that rules our lives has always made us both the protagonist and the victim. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Julius Caesar, he focuses on the actions and results in the play that occur in a domino effect, with characters that set forth events that lead to great suffering. In Julius Caesar, Cassius is the tragic figure who contributes to the vision of the conspirators as a whole, but through the “ divine lighting,” matters could not be helped.

Cassius’spersonalityleads to his, and many others, fatal downfall. Cassius’s is seen as the leader of the conspirators, the manipulative master behind the cruel plan. He, with many others, disdain Caesar for his arrogance, yet Cassius encompasses the same exact trait. His arrogance is shown in Act I, when he and Brutus are talking, and Cassius notices the unease in Brutus’ eyes when they believe Caesar is crowned. He says, “ I was born as free as Caesar,” (1. 2, 104).

After Caesar’s death Brutus becomes the leading face of the conspirators, leaving Cassius without even the pride of that small feat. Brutus becomes the leading face of the conspirators so now Cassius cannot even pride himself with that. When Cassius and Brutus fight, thinking the other has deceived them, Cassius falters, “ Cassius is aweary of the world—/ Hated by the ones he loves, braved by his brother/ . . . / Strike as thou didst at Caesar, for I know/ When thou didst hate him worst, thou I lovedst him better/ Than ever thou lovedst Cassius,” (4. , 106-119). Cassius jealousy still remains, despite Caesar’s death. The feeling of unworthiness still runs deep, he feels like he still can’t compare to Caesar and it is tearing him apart. In the end though, through another misunderstanding, Cassius believes that the battle has been lost and his close friend, Titinius has been captured, he exclaims, “ O coward that I am to live so long/ To see my best friend ta’en before my face! ” (5. 3, 36-37). Ironically as Caesar has lost his best friend so has Cassius, which leads to his conflicted death.

In the end Cassius is the conductor of his own suffering. It was Frye who wisely proclaimed that the tragic heroes seem the inevitable conductors of power, yet they become the both the instrument and victim of the “ divine lighting. ” Cassius is seen as the leader of the conspirators leading him to contribute to the vision of the conspirators as a whole, but through his choices he causes the suffering of many including himself. Revenge is bittersweet.