Question

What are some examples of why Brutus from Julius Caesar is a stoic. Could you explain how as well?

Answer 1

The Stoics were one of the most important sects of ancient philosophers, and Brutus a historical figure who was a proponent of Stoicism. His philosophical positions are recorded in the essay by Plutarch that served as the basis for Shakespeare's play and also Cicero's Brutus. Shakespeare's audience would have been acquainted with Brutus as a historical figure.  Many of the ideas the characters discuss are central topics in Stoic philosophy, such as whether events are governed by fate or free will, whether we should fear death, and how much we should mourn those who have died. When Calpurnia urges Caesar to stay home and not make an appearance at the Senate because she fears the symbolism of dreams and omens, Caesar responds in a typical Stoic fashion: “It seems most strange to me that men/ should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end,/ will come when it will come” (II.ii.). Calmly, Caesar emphasizes the futility of fearing something that he cannot personally influence. Death, as Caesar sees it, is simply an uncontrollable event: it must happen, though the time and place are arbitrarily determined. Stoicism therefore tells him that he must ignore the pesky emotions associated with the idea of death. The unhurried and dignified diction here perfectly characterizes the repression of feeling that his philosophy teaches. Calphurina’s fear is irrational and “strange” to Caesar, even though he concedes at first to stay home and ease her mind.