Group+02


 * Minimum Project Requirements: **
 * 5 **//__IN__//** __DEPTH __ discussions with opposing counsel via class network. These discussions must present not only relevant and specific facts from the play, but also from your historical research.
 * Preliminary Draft of Closing Statement entered in your class network. Draft must contain **//__at least 5 detailed paragraphs__//**: 1) Introductory paragraph outlining the overall theme of your case - thesis statement; 2) //at least// 3 paragraphs which include **//__detailed__//** supporting evidence for your case - 1 piece of evidence with explanation per paragraph; and 3) a closing paragraph which ties all the evidence together and solidifies your case.
 * Peer editing of opposing counsel's statement following guidelines to be provided; plus an additional peer revision of your choice.
 * Works Cited page containing **//__at__//** **//__least three __//****//__(3) sources __//**: 2 book sources for each electronic source.
 * Final Draft of Closing Statement, typed, double-spaced at a 12-point font with 1-inch margins. Please no decorative fonts – use something easy to read.
 * Oral recitation of your Closing Statement before the court. Be sure to use your voice as a persuasive tool to effectively deliver your statement. Suggestions for oral interpretation to be provided.


 * Remember that the above represent the minimum requirements for this project, the completion of which will earn you a minimum average grade of 70%. You can improve this grade by going above and beyond these minimum expectations. **

One way to increase your points will be to complete more than five discussion posts with your opposing counsel. To post a discussion, click the DISCUSSION tab above; click NEW POST, label the subject with a specific name, and then type and post your comment. To reply to a comment, simply click on the post heading, scroll to the bottom of the page, and then type and post your reply. Ideally, discussion topics will reflect either specific research sources or ideas learned from your research. You must cite all sources within your discussions so that your opposing counsel can verify your information.


 * Post Prosecution Closing Statement Here:**

Prosecuting By: Brittany Spangler

 Marcus Brutus is guilty of the murder of Gaius Julius Caesar along with having conspired with Senators of Rome in the decision and planning to kill Caesar. On March 15th 44 BC, Gauis Julius Caesar was slain with daggers by Marcus Brutus along with several other conspirators. Brutus isn't such an honorable man as he says he is considering he committed murder and that cannot be denied. Brutus wasn't even confident that he should to kill Caesar because Brutus wasn’t even certain Caesar would be an unjust ruler and abuse the Roman people. Caesar accomplished countless victories and deeds that were beneficial and kind. All of the things Caesar did helped Rome and Brutus took all that away. Brutus' intentions were thought to be honorable, yet the way he carried out and corrected his speculations was the murder of an innocent man, Julius Caesar, which ultimately oppressed the Romans. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Brutus' honor and intentions are questionable to his own claims of having no personal motives in killing Caesar and only doing it for the good of Rome. And whatever his intentions were don't matter if the result is criminal and immoral. There is saying, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” that simply means individuals can do bad things when they intend to do good. For example, the Holocaust where Jew's were murdered and put into concentration camps. Adolf Hitler's intentions were to make the world a better place and wanted to rid the the world of what he thought was not good for it. His intentions were right but his actions were wrong just like Brutus to kill an innocent person. Only because Brutus loved Rome doesn't make killing Caesar, who had only helped Rome, a rightful act. Nevertheless, if Brutus motives were perhaps personal then Brutus wouldn't have murdered Caesar for the protection of Rome. It's suggested in history and in Ramon L. Jimenez book //Caesar against Rome//:The Great Roman Civil War, “that the straight laced Brutus resented even more the man who used his mother as his mistress,” and possibly that Brutus could have been the son of Julius Caesar. This results in creating personal motives by having hatred toward Caesar. Brutus possibly killed Caesar because he was angry when Caesar used his mother as a mistress and as a result killed Caesar for revenge and personal reasons other than the protection of Rome. Brutus' argument is he is innocent because he assassinated Caesar for Rome's protections, however, this states he could have murdered Caesar out of anger ergo he has proven to be guilty. Brutus' honor is questioned due to his actions which also cast doubt upon if his intentions were kindhearted. Brutus exposed unchivalrous actions when, “Brutus accompanied Cato and Cyprus, where he earned the confidence of the prominent Cypriots and on his return home to Rome he abused that confidence by lending money to the Cypriot senate at the extortionate rate of 48%. Brutus had used force to exact its payments.” The Cypriots trusted Brutus and he had lent them money but they had to pay it back at a high intrust rate, and Brutus had used force to get the payments. Brutus was scamming people that trusted him and physically harming the Cypriots for money. Honor is fairness and Brutus showed that he is not always honorable and fair. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Brutus unintentionally brought harm upon the Romans by murdering Caesar, along with harming the Romans to a greater extent then Caesar ever might have. Brutus says, “I have done no more to Caesar than you shall do to Brutus.”(III.iii.35-36) Brutus wishes, if he were like Caesar, to be killed for the protection of Rome, however, Brutus committed suicide. In his dying words he says, “Caesar now be still; I killed not thee with half so good a will.” (V.v.50-51)Saying that, he had more of a reason to kill himself and wanted to kill himself more than he ever wanted to kill Caesar. So, if Brutus thinks the people should kill him if he is harming Rome and then he commits suicide, then Brutus would be showing that he is more harmful to Rome than Caesar. Caesar was already trying to protect Rome by grooming Octavius to become the leader after he died because he knew Octavius would be like him. In Joseph Gavorse's book //The Lives of the Twelve Caesars// he states that in his will he gave Octavius three-fourths of his estate and, “at the end of the will, too, he adopted Gaius Octavius into his family and gave him his name.” This prepared him to become ruler after Caesars death by adding him into the family so he could be his successor. After Caesar was assassinated and Octavius held the supreme power, he became the Ruler Caesar wanted him to be. In Tom Hollands book //Rvbicon://The Last Yeats of the Roman Republic, he states that Octavius, “would rule not against the grain of the Republic but with it. He would instruct his countrymen in an ancient lesson: that ambition, if not pursued for the general good, might be a crime. And he himself, the 'best guardian of Romulus' people,' would revitalize the ideals of citizenship so that never again would they overreach themselves and degenerate into savagery and civil war.” Octavius believed that personal ambition including only wanting power and riches was delinquent but ambition in the sense of wanting power to help others was admirable And if not pursed for the good of others it was considered criminal. Octavius thought himself as a guardian and would protect the Roman republic from fighting and war. Caesar was ambitious in the way that he wanted power for the good of Rome and wanted to continue protecting Rome even after he was dead by arranging for Octavius to become supreme ruler and protect Rome. Brutus killed the man that was trying to help Rome. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Caesar was head of the Roman State and loved his Roman citizens. Caesar has shown abounding acts of compassion and achievements that overall provided some prosperity to the Republic of Rome. Brutus believes that Caesar was ambitious and only wanted power. Joseph Gavorse reveals in his book //The Lives of the Twelve Caesars// that//,“//He replied to the commons, when they hailed him as a king, 'I am Caesar and not a King.' At the Lupercalia, when Antony several times attempted to place a crown upon his head as he spoke from the rostra, he put it aside and at last sent it to the Capital to be offered to Jupiter Optimus Maximus.” Caesar did not want to be a king or was desirous of having power and wealth. He denied the crown that has proven he is not ambitious and shows goodness by offering it to Jupiter so that he could become king. Caesar rather spent his time crying for the poor (III. ii. 91) and cared for them. Caesar cared for the Roman people because in Joseph Gavorse book //The Lives of the Twelve Great Caesar// he states in Caesars will, “to the people he left his gardens near tiber for their common use and three hundred sesterces to each man.” Caesar gave all of his land to the Romans out of kindness and love for them. Caesar also, “hath brought many captives home to Rome, whose ransoms did the general coffers fill.”(III.ii.) Caesar has captured enemies and brought them to Rome then the ransom money used to bring them back to their home he filled it into the Bank to help all the Romans. Remember Brutus was the one who used force to get back his money and not give it away. Caesar could have used the money for himself but he gave it back to the people which shows he is not driven by money or power but for the love and good of Rome. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Brutus was inclined to think that Caesar was going to be power hungry and be indulged in the riches instead of the people protection and needs. Brutus says, “and grant we put a sting in him that at his will he may do danger with,” (II. i. 16-17) which simply means if we give Caesar power, he might become dangerous. Caesar wanted to use his power for good. Brutus has no proof that Caesar wanted to use his power for evil and could that Caesar could become threatening. Caesar has not shown any of this because Brutus only assumes when he gets power he will turn dangerous but he has not shown it yet. Once again Brutus has killed an innocent man. Brutus supports this by saying, “Th'abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse form power; and, to speak the truth of Caesar, I have not known when his affections swayed more than his reason.”(II. i. 18-21) Brutus' basically means rulers abuse their power when they do not think about their actions hurting others or regretting it. And to be honest, Caesar is equally affectionate as he is powerful. Caesars desire for power does not exceed his desire for helping Rome. This proves Caesar only wanted power to do good with it because Brutus directly stated that this is true, although, he still assumes he might change. Brutus committed murder of an innocent man and his intentions were not for the protection of Rome but for personal motives. Brutus is guilty for killing a man who has not shown to be power hungry. Brutus has shown his intentions might have been for the wrong reason and out of anger.

Work Cited: Holland, Tom. //Rvbicon//: The Last Years of the Roman Republic. New York: Doubleday, 2003. print. November 16, 2011. Gavorse, Joseph. //The Lives of the Twelve Caesars//. New York: Modern Library, 1931. print. November 10, 2011. Jimenez, Ramon L. //Caesar Against Rome//: The Great Roman Civil War. CT: Greenwood Publishing group, 2000. print. November 7, 2011 N.S. Gill. "Was Caesar the Father of Brutus?" Ancient/Classical History. 2011. Web. November 7, 2011

**Defending Brutus** **By Shelby Bernhardt**
 * Post Defense Closing Statement Here:**
 * Romewas in trouble. It was in trouble from an ambitious Julius Caesar, whose intentions forRomewere those of a dictator or a wolf in sheep clothing if you prefer, Marcus Brutus was merely trying to protectRomefrom falling under the control of an ambitious dictator. Times were hard in Rome, Brutus wanted better for Rome he did what he thought would be what was best for his country. Honorable Marcus Brutus was protecting Rome from the ambitious Julius Caesar, under the influence of Cassius. Who was a snake himself.**


 * Marcus Brutus is an honorable man. To define Honor is to define Brutus, a soldier protecting his country, a man whose love for his country was greater than that of his friends and family. Brutus loved Caesar; there was no doubt in that. “Not that I loved Caesar less but that I have loved Rome more…”(act3 scene2,820 lines 21-24) this quote states that Brutus loved Caesar, he may have loved Rome more but he still love Caesar as well. There were rumors that Caesar was Brutus father! As** <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">**Adrian** **<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Goldsworthy reveals in his book //Caesar: Life of a Colossus,// “ Caesar was very fond of Brutus, an affection which remained even after the latter had fought against him in 49-48 B.C, This encouraged persistent rumors that Julius Caesar was Marcus Brutus father”(85) why would such an honorable man kill his own father? He would not, could not, but Rome was in trouble from Caesar, so he had too.**


 * Julius Caesar was ambitious enough to be voted dictator for life. If someone wants to be dictator for any reason they must be a bad person. To want to rule everyone and never let the people have freedom. As Brutus said in the play “Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, then that Caesar were dead and live free men?” (Act 3 scene 2,820 lines 21-24) this clearly states that Caesar was treating the romans as lowly and common slaves. When they are not, they are royal roman people. They deserve someone better than a wolf in sheep clothing. Caesar was getting cocky proven by what he states in the play “No, Caesar shall not. Danger knows full well that Caesar is more dangerous than he” (act2 scene 2 lines 44-45) this alone shows that he was getting full of himself. What country wants there ruler to be cocky and full of himself? Not Rome. Caesars ambition led to his demise in the end.**


 * Brutus would have never of had the idea to kill Caesar if it was not for Gaius Cassius. Cassius would try to manipulate Brutus into thinking that Caesar was harming Rome and was no good for Rome. He made it seem like all he wanted was what was best for Rome when really, the only thing he wanted was what was best for Gaius Cassius. " Brutus an Caesar what should be in that 'Caesar'? Why should that name be sounded more than yours?"(act1 scene2, 765, lines 42-43) he uses manipulation right there, trying to get Brutus jealous of Caesar.he had Cinna give letters to Brutus saying they were from roman citizens when actually they were from Cassius! as he tells Cinna in the play, "good Cinna, take this paper, and look you lay it in the praetor's chair, where Brutus may but find it"(act1 scene3,777, line42-44)**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Marcus Brutus, the honorable man that he is was just trying to protect Rome from the ambitious Julius Caesar. He only wanted what was best for Rome. Caesar was his best friend, his love. He was heartbroken after killing Caesar. Rome was worth it to him, worth being prosecuted. He loved Rome.