Many similarities existed between the situations of Roman conspirators in Julius Caesar’s play and those of the Declaration of Independence signers. One thing that is very similar between Julius Caesar’s personality and King George III’s is their personalities. There were many Rome men who recognized Julius Caesar’s ambition and lack of morals. Julius Caesar was a coward. He would do anything to get ahead of others and push them down. King George III was also very impulsive and had poor morals. The Declaration of Independence details how King George III made colonists pay taxes without their consent. He called in legislative bodies at places “uncomfortable, uncomfortable, and distant” to force them to comply with his laws. This was a way of unfairly obtaining money from the people and making it difficult for colonists who wanted to be involved in politics. This shows that George III wanted everything to be easy for him. He also desired more success than others. Both Julius Caesars and King George III were too self-centered.
The only difference between Roman conspirators and King George III when the Declaration of Independence was written is that Julius Caesar was not yet king at the time he was assassinated. The Declaration of Independence was written in reaction to wrongs committed. Julius Caesar’s murder was done by the conspirators as a preemptive measure for possible wrongs. A similarity is the fact that the revolutionaries had a meeting before the Declaration was published and before Julius Caesar died. Brutus, Cassius, and a group of conspirators met to discuss the potential consequences of Caesar becoming king. Before the Declaration of Independence was written each colony’s representatives met to discuss the possibility of severing all ties with England and America. Both conspirators as well as writers thought through and planned large groups of decisions.
Both the American revolutionaries’ and the Roman conspirators’ goals were similar, but different. The primary goal of the Roman conspirators were to keep Caesar’s reign from happening and to maintain the republic. The Declaration of Independence aimed to break up the thirteen colonies and make a new nation. It is clear that there are two distinct goals. The Romans wanted to keep a republic; the Americans wanted to create a new one. The Romans wanted their country to stay the same as it was. The Americans wanted a different country.
Both the Roman conspirators as well as the authors of the Declaration of Independence wanted their country (or colonies), to be freed from an unfit ruler. They realized that such a ruler would make it impossible for the people to prosper. The Roman conspirators killed the potential king and the Declaration writers sent a declaration to King George declaring their independence. Both revolutionaries were motivated to save their country and had noble intentions.
There was another major difference between the two groups’ goals. The Roman conspirators wanted their would-be king to be killed, and the Declaration of Independence writers only desired to get away from the then-current ruler. But the Roman conspirators didn’t want war to begin. They believed the people would accept Caesar’s passing and recognize and agree that it was a positive thing. The Declaration of Independence writers knew war was inevitable. It is evident that the Declaration of Independence’s last paragraph states “…as independent and free States, they have the full power to levy War, endow Peace …”. This indicates that the writers knew that war would be inevitable. While the actions of the Roman conspirators were severe and unlikely to cause any difficulties, the writers’ actions were more intense and expected to cause great contention between England, the colonies, and England.
The methods and means of conspirators and writers of Declaration of Independence to cause change are completely different. However, conspirators killed a king to bring about changes. However, writers of Declaration sent a letter to the King. The conspirators were guilty of murder and the writers committed acts of treason. Each of them brought about war and it’s difficult to say which was more brutal.
The public heard both the arguments of the conspirators and those who wrote them. This was necessary to encourage change, as the people needed support to confirm the decisions and fight the opposition. Brutus, one conspirator, made a speech informing the people about Caesar’s death and the need for change. The Declaration of Independence was published, and the colonists heard it aloud. As a way to garner support and promote change, each group gave their opinion to the public.
Another difference in the methods used to bring about change between the two groups was that the Roman conspirators killed Caesar; they didn’t attempt to talk to him first. The Declaration of Independence writers say, “In each stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned For Redress in the Most humble Terms . The actions of the conspirators were immediate and dramatic, while those of the writers were civilized and spread over a long time.
The success of the American change effort is due to several factors. Marc Antony, Caesar’s right-hand man, gave Brutus his speech. Marc Antony turned public opinion against conspirators, leading to people protesting against them. This proved to be a defeat for the conspirators who had gained support from the public after Brutus spoke. It also turned the conspirators’ efforts towards survival into efforts for change. The Declaration of Independence was widely read by its authors. The Declaration listed every wrong done by King England against colonies. This helped to remind colonists or convince them of how mad they were at England. This provided immediate support for the Declaration’s writers, making it easier to fight against England. The Declaration of Independence had no counter-argument, as Brutus did. Therefore, it had a lasting impact on people.
Another reason that the Roman conspirators failed to succeed was that they killed a man whom the people loved. Caesar was supported by the Romans. The conspirators killed a popular figure, causing chaos and outrage. American writers, however, were able to focus their anger on someone the people already hated for wrongs they had done. The people were furious at the king’s decision to raise taxes, force them to house soldiers, and so on. The Declaration of Independence’s writers reminded them of their wrongdoings. This helped the public rally behind the writers. The Romans did not agree with them in their efforts to bring about change. However, the Declaration of Independence writers were able to focus on an issue that had been brewing for years within the American people.
There were many similarities in the situations of the Declaration of Independence writers and those of the Roman conspirators. They had similar goals and used the same methods to try to bring about change. There were many differences in the situations, goals and methods of the Roman conspirators and American writers, which led to their failure and success in trying to change the world.
