In William Shakespeare's, play Julius Caesar a group of men comes together to assassinate the man they feel will destroy the Roman Empire if he comes to Power. In their eyes, he is not worthy of a stately position such as emperor. They also fear that they will lose their free will, and live under tyranny. Marcus Brutus, a close friend of Caesar, chooses to kill Caesar to try to prevent that future from falling upon the Roman Empire. Although he is a friend to Caesar, he knows that power would easily corrupt him. Power and corruption seemed to go hand in hand in the play, Julius Caesar.
             While Brutus was making what might have been the toughest decision he'd make in his life, whether or not he would join Cassius and kill his friend Caesar, he made a compelling statement about Caesar's nature. "That lowliness is young ambition's ladder, Whereto the climber upward turns his face; But when he once attains the upmost 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." (II, 1, 22-27) He means that if Caesar climbs the ladder to power he will forget the little people the " base degrees", and rule as if the people were small and petty, taking advantage of them like a tyrant. Brutus then compares Caesar to a poisonous snake, that must be destroyed before birth. He sees that power would indeed corrupt Caesar and decides to kill him along with Cassius and the conspirators.
             In Act III, Julius Caesar shows that the reader that he does have tyrannical traits. Caesar decides to go to the capitol and meet with the Senate after Decius convinces him that the senate is considering awarding him the crown. Which is not true, it is merely a trap that will lead him to his death. While there Metellus Cimber, whose brother has been banished, pleads with Caesar and asks him to consider revoking his brother's sentence. Caesar refuses to do this saying, " I am constant as t...