Introduction
According to Dante, treachery is the more severe sin, and the ninth circle of hell is the final place for betrayers, who are destined to roam the frozen wastelands for eternity. Brutus and Cassius – people disloyal to Julius Caesar – were among these unfortunate souls. However, the present essay argues that only Cassius was rightfully banished, while Brutus only desired the best for his city and did not deserve to be confined in hell.
Discussion
The last circle of hell, called treachery, is a place that holds traitors, including Brutus and Cassius. The main point of this essay is that Brutus is rightfully confined because he is greedy for power and betrays Caesar because of personal interests (Strauss para). On the contrary, Cassius was a military officer who only wished the best for his city and tried to stop the tyrant (Strauss).
Despite these differences, Dante assumed they belonged in the ninth circle of hell (“What is Dante’s Inferno?”). It was unjustified because Cassius never betrayed something he loved – Rome. The counterargument for the thesis is that Brutus and Cassius worked together to kill Caesar. In its broad sense, it was a betrayal because Caesar believed his subordinates. Traitors belong to the ninth circle of hell, meaning they were rightfully imprisoned (Staggs). However, as mentioned before, this logic is flawed because Cassius chose the least of two wrongs and killed Caesar to save his city.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the current essay has argued that while Brutus was rightfully confined to hell, Cassius did not truly deserve such treatment. He was a proud and loyal citizen of Rome who tried to protect his homeland from Caesar’s tyrannical reign, even if it meant resorting to the extreme act of murdering the emperor. Therefore, Dante was ultimately wrong to portray Cassius as a sinful traitor and sentence him to eternal imprisonment in hell.
Works Cited
Staggs, Matt. “A Visitor’s Guide to Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell.” Penguin Random House. Web.
Strauss, Barry. “The Death of Caesar: Do We Know the Whole Story?” History Extra, 2023. Web.
“What is Dante’s Inferno? | Overview & Summary!” YouTube, uploaded by I Am Your Target Demographic. 2017. Web.