YOU TOO BRUTUS : ME TOO BRUTUS
CONFLICT BETWEEN DUTY FOR A CAUSE AND SELFISH LOVE.
" You too Brutus" is famous quote from Shakespearean play " Julius Caesar " which has acquired status of an idiom in English language used when one is to be accused of betrayal . The quote comes from the mouth of Julius Caesar as the last word before death when being killed by his own Protege Brutus. Brutus finished the job started by co-conspirator in full view of Senate members. Julius Caesar is astonished and pained to see the face of Brutus ( whom he regarded as son ) and surrenders to death without any further resistance.
Some refer to this killing as Murder and some as Assassination. While both words refer to killing, the murder is supposed to be for selfish reasons while Assassination is supposed to be for a public cause. Ironically Brutus fought in civil war against Caesar for the people of Roman republic, pardoned and adopted by same Caesar as his protege. He was caught between the love for a father and duty he felt to oppose his usurping power to become dictator of the Roman Catholics. He ran away with other conspirators to Greece. He was supposedly haunted by the Ghost of Caesar and committed suicide. His life is story of CONFLICT BETWEEN DUTY FOR A CAUSE AND SELFISH LOVE. Duty for upholding democratic values of Roman Catholic republic and the Love showered ion him by the same enemy JULIUS CAESAR. If killing of the Emperor was duty, the love from the same person bound him by the guilt to guide him to suicide.
We find similar conflicts too many times. Two dramatized by the Shakespeare himself. One is Lady Macbeth who goaded her old husband to commit suicide so she can rule instead of becoming mother . The guilt was so much that she started sleep walking. The other is famous Hamlet , the prince of Denmark whose own uncle killed his father and married his mother. The famous quote of "TO BE OR NOT TO BE" comes as soliloquy in the play . He was also caught in the conflict of taking revenge of his father or not. No clues are given for his hesitation to delay that in the play. Many theories try to tell the reason for the hesitation. The one given by none other than Sigmund Fraud is interesting and sort of compelling purpose of this Article. He suggests that Hamlet had hidden desire (sex) for his mother which his uncle was performing. So he was caught in the conflict of the duty to avenge the murder of his father ( Constantly goaded by the Ghost of his father through out the play ) and his own hidden desire. Eventually he dies of poisoned wound while avenging his uncle.
We have many contrary cases in India of killing and violence . We know how almost all Mughal Emperors seized the throne by killing or imprisoning their own kin thought to be obstruction . We have untold references of court room plotting and killing Nawab and Badhshah. Only Muslims are not at it but also Hindu raja, Maharaja. We have how Anadibat killed Narayan rao Peshwa. All these prompted by spure selfish motives. So much hardened that they display no remorse for the act. In modern democratic times we find same violence to eliminate potential political rival . No conflict between ideology and selfish interest. But still it is betrayal towards humanity at large.
In modern times we have seen assassination of Abraham Lincon , John Keneddy etc on foreign land . On out own Indian soil we have seen assassinations of Gandhis ( Mahatma to Rajiv ) . Mahatma did not say YOU TOO NATHURAM. Just plain "HAY RAM". The killers themselves did not ask for any mercy. Like Lokmaya Tilak they believed in final Judgement of GOD . Perhaps they prove Sigmund Faud wrong.
What about we ordinary people ?
We also have our own small selfish plots to grab or deny a relation, a property, wealth and so on. How many times we repent for the wrong action ( or lack of it ) ? How many times we carry guilt to the extent of ruining our mental and physical health ?
The real judgement comes when we realize that we are part time BRUTUS and part time Julius Caesar. It is to say YOU TOO BRUTUS (accuse) but difficult to say ME TOO BRUTUS ( accept ).
ARVIND KHARE
We have many contrary cases in India of killing and violence . We know how almost all Mughal Emperors seized the throne by killing or imprisoning their own kin thought to be obstruction . We have untold references of court room plotting and killing Nawab and Badhshah. Only Muslims are not at it but also Hindu raja, Maharaja. We have how Anadibat killed Narayan rao Peshwa. All these prompted by spure selfish motives. So much hardened that they display no remorse for the act. In modern democratic times we find same violence to eliminate potential political rival . No conflict between ideology and selfish interest. But still it is betrayal towards humanity at large.
In modern times we have seen assassination of Abraham Lincon , John Keneddy etc on foreign land . On out own Indian soil we have seen assassinations of Gandhis ( Mahatma to Rajiv ) . Mahatma did not say YOU TOO NATHURAM. Just plain "HAY RAM". The killers themselves did not ask for any mercy. Like Lokmaya Tilak they believed in final Judgement of GOD . Perhaps they prove Sigmund Faud wrong.
What about we ordinary people ?
We also have our own small selfish plots to grab or deny a relation, a property, wealth and so on. How many times we repent for the wrong action ( or lack of it ) ? How many times we carry guilt to the extent of ruining our mental and physical health ?
The real judgement comes when we realize that we are part time BRUTUS and part time Julius Caesar. It is to say YOU TOO BRUTUS (accuse) but difficult to say ME TOO BRUTUS ( accept ).
ARVIND KHARE
