Each individual develops his own vision of the universe. A naïve person looks up to the sky to see the moon and strains to glimpse a shooting star, or perhaps, a distant planet. Euphoric about what appears in the distance, he becomes oblivious to what lies directly in front of him. Spending all of his life gazing at the galaxy, he misses the view of his own world. A cunning individual peers up to the heavens and understand his position in the alignment of the planets. He zeroes in on the stars, noticing the flaws in each seemingly perfect constellation. Yet, he remains grounded enough to view people so close up that he can almost watch thoughts flow through their minds. In William Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, and William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, both authors show that a naïve person loses his focus, while a cunning person navigates the difficult passages necessary to succeed.
[...] An innocent person lacks the capability to understand exactly what he must do to achieve his goal, while someone willing to take extreme measures gets the job done. Brutus disagrees with Cassius about killing Antony along with Caesar. He argues, course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius, to cut off and then hack the limbs, like wrath in death and envy afterwards; For Antony is but a limb of Caesar.” (II. i. 175-178). Here, Brutus' idealistic character and obsession with honor surfaces. [...]
[...] Responding to the sight of their leader, Caesar, lifeless in Antony's arms, the plebeians yell out in support of Antony, “We'll hear him, we'll follow him,/ we'll die with him.” (III. iii. 220-221). Antony has a firm grasp of the single mind of the people. He knows they lack the intellect crucial to formulate responsible opinions and stimulates them with the sight of their murdered, beloved Caesar. In contrast to Brutus' abstract oration, Antony shows the Romans a concrete symbol of his empathy. [...]
[...] He will draw to an inside straight though a full house may be staring him in the face. Waiting for the big score that never happens, he goes home broke and defeated. The cunning person reads his opponents along with the cards, his expression never changing as the game progresses. He can manipulate the game in such a way that the other players help him succeed. Capitalizing on the mistakes of others as much as his own prowess, he cashes out a winner nearly every time. The characters, Antony in Julius [...]
[...] On the other hand, Antony takes the bold step of provoking chaos to gain control of Rome and guarantee the success of his campaign. In response to Antony's speech, the plebeians cry, “Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill!/ Slay! Let not but a traitor (III. ii. 216-217). He recognizes the importance of stirring up the mob to achieve his goal—vengeance against Brutus and the conspirators—but carefully measures his words and actions. Antony addresses the Romans on a personal level as “friends, sweet friends,” to project an image of equality and comradery. [...]
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