If we look carefully at this scene when Cassius asks all
the conspirators to "swear our resolution" together as a form of a pact, the response
that Brutus gives is tremendously revealing in terms of what it shows about his
character. Let us see how he responds to the suggestion of
Cassius:
No,
not an oath. If not the face of men,The sufferance of our
souls, the time's abuse--If these be motives weak, break
of betimes,And every man hence to his idle
bed.
You have to love the
honesty and moral integrity of Brutus, even if it is a quality that is abused by Cassius
and the other conspirators. He argues against taking an oath, because he argues that the
honesty of their faces should be enough. If, he says, that actually they are not honest
to unite together, then they should end this conspiracy now, because it is not worth
proceeding with it because of their moral lack. However, if they are honest enough, the
conspirators should need no oath to spur them on, only "their own cause," which Brutus
obviously believes is for the ultimate good.
Clearly Brutus
reveals himself here to be politically naive. He is a man of his word, and yet he is
blind to how this is a weakness and a strength. His nobility and bravery and courage is
clear from his speech, but at the same time we have already seen how easily an
unscrupulous character like Cassius can manipulate him, which leaves questions in our
mind about the characteristics that he dangerously lacks.
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