BRUTUS:
We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar,
And in the spirit of men there is no blood.
Oh, that we then could come by Caesar’s spirit
And not dismember Caesar.

Which reason explains the irony in Brutus’ speech best?

Question

BRUTUS:
We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar,
And in the spirit of men there is no blood.
Oh, that we then could come by Caesar’s spirit
And not dismember Caesar.

 

Which reason explains the irony in Brutus’ speech best?

inyourdreams03 · Answer

I think that it is either the first or fourth line because Brutus not only led the attack on Caesar, but also killed himself, therefore there was not a situation without blood either time.

rosierosette · Answer

I agree too. It is ironic that Brutus is saying that "We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar" when he didn't want to kill Caesar originally. It was Cassius that convinced him to murder Caesar.  In addition, there is some irony in the idea that by killing Caesar, Brutus isn't predicting any additional repercussions. But we see this later on when Antony convinces the crowd of people to go after Brutus, Cassius and all the other conspirators.