Question

How is Brutus’ reaction to Portia’s suicide an example of the philosophy of stoicism?

Brutus is overwhelmed by emotion and cries because stoics value emotion over reason.

Rather than being overwhelmed with emotion by her death, Brutus controls his emotions in typical stoic fashion and continues planning his military strategy against Octavius.

Brutus refuses to continue planning the military strategy because stoics believe that another person’s death is not fate but a cruel consequence of life.

Brutus feels nothing regarding Portia’s death, which is a stoic value.

Answer 1

The answer is:

Rather than being overwhelmed with emotion by her death, Brutus controls his emotions in typical stoic fashion and continues planning his military strategy against Octavius.

In Act 4, Scene 3 from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," Messala informs Brutus about his wife's death. However, instead of exhibiting extreme oppression, he expresses that he can deal with it because he has already considered she would die one day. Finally, he moves on to organize an armed strategy against Octavius.