ENG2D1
Appearance
vs Reality
Ambition &
Lack of
Self-Control
Julius Caesar
 Brutus is strong and refuses to
show weakness when in public,
whether it be speaking to the
plebeians or leading an army into
battle.
 However, we see through his
intimate conversations with his wife
Portia and with Cassius, that Brutus
is often unsure and greatly pained.
 Specifically, after fleeing Rome,
Brutus learns that his wife has
committed suicide, and is
heartbroken when discussing it with
Cassius.
 However, as soon as soldiers enter
his tent, he pretends to not know of
her death, and when told of it, does
not react with great emotion.
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The boys appear to have formed a
workable form of government that
will help them remain civilized, but in
reality it is the strict rules of the
newly formed government that has
caused the treason.
Caesar is a great man, and an
ambitious man.
His ambition is what worries
Brutus, and ultimately leads to
Brutus joining the conspiracy to
murder Caesar.
Cassius is also a very
ambitious man, and because
he is so jealous of Caesar's
power, wishes to kill him to gain
more power for himself.
Ultimately, the ambition of
these two men leads to their
downfalls and to virtual anarchy
in the streets of Rome.
Great ambition leads to great
conflict
 Jack wanted to be chief but was not
elected in the vote of his peers.
 Ralph ensured that Jack was given
a position of power: Head of the
hunters (choir boys)
 This little bit of power was not
enough and Jack ambushed the
conch group in order to take full
power.
 Even with full power, Jack felt the
need to demonstrate his power,
resulting in the deaths of 2 boys.
 This concept is what Brutus feared of
Caesar, and s the reason he agreed
to kill Caesar in the first place.
 The boys had no adults to tell them
what to do, so they had complete
power over what they wanted to do.
 Ralph enforced too many rules
which corrupted the potential of
maintaining civilization
 Jack used his power to hurt others
and take whatever he wanted. Ex.
Stole Piggy’s glasses & killed Simon
in a fit of passion during the fire
dance ritual.
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Complete
Power
Leads to
Corruption
Lord of the Flies
Lying and
Deception
 Friendship was used as a cover to
blind Julius Caesar from the truth,
from the plots against him.
 Brutus, Decius, and all the other
conspirators would use this to their
power, and to Julius Caesar's
weakness.
 Brutus’s rigid though honorable
ideals leave him open for
manipulation by Cassius
 Brutus betrays Julius Caesar
because they were very close
friends and Brutus joined the
conspiracy to kill Caesar.
 Antony proves to be loyal to Caesar
as he betrays Brutus and the
conspirators by turning the people
of Rome against them for having
killed Caesar.
 The boys all agreed to follow the
rules of the chief and to
acknowledge the authority of the
conch. However, Jack had no
intention of respecting that authority.
We see that right from the start,
when Jack lets the fire burn out in
place of hunting, that he did not
mean it when he agreed to follow
the established rules.
Innate Human
Evil
 The Romans go crazy in anger,
getting caught up in the emotions of
the crowd, after Caesar has been
murdered.
 When the boys realized that nobody
could punish them, they were drawn
to savagery rather than a civilized
way of life.
 Even Ralph and Piggy, who were
advocates of rules to maintain their
civilized lifestyle, when given the
opportunity to participate in the
warrior dance around the fire, did.
 The strong bully the weak…Piggy is
always picked on.
 Simon, as a Christ-figure, is
removed from the groups as a sign
of removing good from evil…in an
attempt to preserve goodness,
Simon has been detached from the
group…and as a result, he ends up
dying.
 The boys must revert to a primitive
life
 Witnesses to DEATH: Piggy, Simon,
the pig
 Witnesses to DESTRUCTION: the
attack by Jack’s tribe on the huts
and stealing Piggy’s glasses
/breaking Piggy’s glasses
Alienation as
a Form of
SelfProtection
Loss of
Innocence /
Naivety of Life

Brutus alienates himself from his wife,
not discussing his plans regarding the
murder of Caesar.
 Though Caesar is far from innocent,
he is certainly naïve to believe that he
had nothing to fear
 Brutus too is naïve, believing the
conspirators’ words
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