Cassius Versus Commodus(Comparing A Characters) Essay, Research Paper
It has been centuries since Rome has fallen. Rome was a place where powerful commanders ruled. The great Roman Coliseum was built where chariots raced, and swords flashed for entertainment. Historical leaders commanded glorious battles during the Ancient Roman Empire. The later leaders of Ancient Rome were chosen for their traits, which quite often included an insatiable appetite for power.
The true-life character Caius Cassius Longinus had similar characteristics with the fictional character Commodus, from the motion picture: “Gladiator.” Cassius was the leader of the conspirators in the true-life story: “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.” Distrustful and sneaky as he was, jealousy convinced him to kill Julius Caesar. Commodus was the son of Marcus Aurelius. He was overwhelmed with jealousy when his father offered Maximus (the hero and main character) the throne instead of to himself. Both of their lives dealt with some form of jealousy towards Rome’s potential rulers.
In comparison, Cassius and Commodus both envied the status held by Rome’s potential leaders. The overwhelming jealousy possessed both men into planning the deaths of those potential leaders. The thoughts of killing those potential leaders soon turned into a wicked rage that killed others. The common trait that both men shared was jealousy.
In contrast, Cassius and Commodus were dissimilar in their desire to rule Rome. Cassius had no blood relation to Julius Caesar and was not an heir to the highest position. He had no expectation or desire to inherit this power. On the other hand, Commodus was the son of an emperor. He was heir to the throne and felt destined to rule the empire. The desire to rule was the difference between Cassius and Commodus.
The actions of Cassius and Commodus changed the course of history. Both men succeeded in killing potential leaders to Rome. They both went to great lengths to satisfy their jealous thoughts. Although they were differing in their desires to rule, they shared similarities in their emotions.
Bibliography
“The Tradegy of Julius Caesar”
Motion Picture “Gladiator”