Caesarism and Brutism: Ideological Extremes and the Collapse of the Roman Republic in Julius Caesar

Authors : Seçil Erkoç Iqbal

Pages : 207-226

Doi:10.69787/bitigefd.1696862

View : 83 | Download : 49

Publication Date : 2025-12-29

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Introducing the concept of Brutism, characterised by philosophical idealism, emotional suppression, Stoic rigidity and moral strictness, as a counter-ideology to Caesarism, this study argues that Brutus, in his attempt to prevent dictatorship, ends up with constructing his own version of ideological tyranny. While Caesarism emerges as an ideological and charismatic apparatus that rises above the physical presence of Julius Caesar and transforms him into an abstract entity that continues lingering throughout the play, manipulating and moving the masses according to its own advantage, Brutism represents an idealistic yet rigid republicanism that is blindly rooted in the supremacy of reason over human emotions. Through a comparative analysis of Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus, it is also attempted to reveal how both men, despite their opposing political ambitions, mirror each other in their unbending attitude, self-righteousness, and detachment from emotional intelligence as represented through their wives Calphurnia and Portia, respectively. Neglecting the insightful warnings coming from the domestic sphere, Caesar and Brutus prepare their ultimate downfall. The tragic silencing of women and the ensuing catastrophic civil war demonstrate the dire results of eliminating wisdom and feminine agency from the political domain. The murder of Cinna the poet, triggered by the irrational wrath of the Roman citizens, further indicates how the ideological extremes can gain strength from rhetorical manipulation and evolve into a chaotic schism. By comparing Caesarism and Brutism, as two different yet alike facets of these extremes, this study argues that Julius Caesar presents a deeply ambivalent projection of leadership which, when denied access to a more comprehensive outlook bringing domestic and public, emotion and reason, woman and man side by side, runs the risk of transforming into a rigid form of tyranny and oppression. Shakespeare’s play, therefore, presents a timeless critique of both Caesarism and Brutism, and it warns that unchecked power and moral fanaticism can easily lead to civil war and collective ruin in the long run.
Keywords : Shakespeare, Jül Sezar, politik ideoloji, duygusal zeka, cinsiyet rolleri

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