Edict #Fine: Darn It, Brutus!
“One of Caesar's biggest critics was also his friend, Marcus Brutus. Despite the fact that Caesar had named Brutus the governor of a part of Gaul (now France) in 46 B.C., Brutus decided to participate in Caesar's assassination just two years later. Because he acted in what he believed to be the best interests of Rome, Brutus is now viewed as a man of tremendous principles and dignity.”
-K12 Literature Online Course for 7th Grade
Ever question authority figures just because you think they happen to be mistaken? In this final Edict of the year, that is exactly what I intend to do. I question the authority that claims Marcus Brutus committed a dignified act when he chose to help commit the murder of his best friend. The rub? That authority figure happens to be whoever wrote my online English course. The double rub with ice cream on top? Why would it be a good idea to tell me—teach me—that sometimes murder is okay if your heart is in the right place? Just to be clear, I don’t do not care who you are or what you think your cause is. Hurting people isn’t is not okay even if you are Marcus Brutus, and possibly believe your actions are in the ‘best interest’ of Rome. A cool motive that results in murder is still murder.
Here’s a top ten list of things Brutus could have done instead of backstabbing, literally, his best friend:
And while I’m I am attempting to use humor to point out that Julius Caesar’s transgressors had all kinds of choices, the lesson Shakespeare attempted to teach in his play, Julius Caesar, is bigger for all of us than a history lesson. Is the murder of Caesar by Brutus symbolically repeated over and over in our daily lives simply because we are in a ‘gray area’ doing what ‘we think is right’ because ‘oh by the way the situation is complicated’ and ‘you’ll understand why I do what I do when you are older’?
I think I understand things pretty well right now. As much as I have detested math in the past, I’ve grown rather fond of it lately. Things fall into place pretty quickly when equations are balanced, the rules are followed, and answers are double checked. I think most moral questions could probably be answered using some kind of mathematical algebra.
For example, do we have the right to hurt someone’s feelings because we disagree with their opinion?
No.
Why not?
Because reasonable people can disagree in the pursuit of truth.
Here’s another example. When you are arguing, should you get angry and start throwing barbs at your debate opponent?
No.
Why not?
Because then you lose the respect of other people regardless if your position might have later been deemed right or wrong.
Get the picture?
Brutus had all kinds of opportunities, according to Shakespeare’s play, to tell Caesar to ‘Chillax because the people might love you, but the Senate kind of hates you…a lot.’ In short, he could have used reason, logic, WORDS, morals…but instead, he chose…murder.
Do we as a society continue this murderous tradition? Do you, my readers, think we continue to excuse people’s behavior because they were ‘trying to do what they thought was right?’
In the opinion of this author, trying is lying. Either stick to a moral compass and do the right thing even when it’s it is hard, or get out of the way and let someone else give it a shot. Yes, it is possible to know what the right answer is if you think hard about who is going to get hurt and let a ‘do no harm’ policy guide your every decision.
And, with that, this is where I leave you for the summer and we say good-bye until next year. This year, I am so thankful to have met many of you iGlobe readers through classes, or in the comments section of this newspaper. My hope in starting this column back in August had been to foster more communication of ideas between us students regardless of where you stand, where you are in the world, or where you are in your own story’s journey. Reasonable people can disagree. My wish for all of us is that we keep uppermost in our hearts to live in peace, act with love, and use our words wisely to question authority…and might I add to you that it is okay to use your words early and often…and especially on the pages of the iGlobe.
Until next year,
Kendall Haney
Image credit: http://ancientrome.ru/art/artwork/sculp/rom/republic/statesman/iulius-caesar/iul023.jpg
http://www.rome101.com/portraiture/Brutus/thumbs/090925S_3630.jpg
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