Principle visa vi Person

”.I was reading Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and he understands that Brutus was a reluctant conspirator- against any one being made king or absolute dictator but devoted to Julius as a person. Regarding Cassius Julius said that he was a mighty dangerous fellow indeed. WS has Brutus ruminating on the assasination of Julius Caesar and its necessity. Seems like the old story is relevant today in that if persons get in the way of principle the person must be destroyed. Here’s Brutus’ pondering; “It must be by his death: and for my part, I know no cause to spurn at him, But for the general. He would be crown’d: How that might change his nature, there’s the question:It is the bright day that brings forth the adder; And that craves wary walking. Crown him?
—that--. And then, I grant, we put a sting in him that at his will he may do danger with. The abuse of greatness is, when it disjoins remorse from power: and to speak truth of Caesar, I have not known when his affections swayed more than his reason. But ‘tis a common proof that lowliness is young ambition’s ladder, whereto the climber upward turns his face; But when he once attains the utmost round, he then unto the ladder turns his back, looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees, by which he did ascend. So Caesar may; Then, lest he may, prevent. And since the quarrel will bear no colour for the thing he is, fashion it thus; that when what he is, augmented, would run to these and these extremities: and therfore think him as the serpent’s egg, which, hatch’d, would as his kind grow mischievous; and kill him in the shell. “

The above is an addendum to my note in the class notes on Philippians when I noted that Brutus took his life at Philippi after being defeated by Mark Antony and Octavius (to become Caesar Augustus). Incidentally, Brutus was opposed to assasinating Mark Antony since it would be like cutting off a limb of a dead man (Julius Caesar) according to Shakespeare. He should have worried about Caesar Augustus and to many following emperors to whom incense was to be offered as to a god. Prayers should be offered for all in authority not TO all in authority.