Question

Read the excerpt below from act 4.3 of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and answer the question that follows.

BRUTUS:
O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.

CASSIUS:
Of your philosophy you make no use,
If you give place to accidental evils.

BRUTUS:
No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead. . . .
[S]he fell distraught,
And, her attendants absent, swallowed fire. . . .
Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine.
In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius. . . .

CASSIUS:
Portia, art thou gone?

BRUTUS:
No more, I pray you.
Messala, I have here receivèd letters, . . .

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

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

Answer 1

I would have to say B even though Portia passed he still moved forward

Answer 2

Stoicism teaches its followers self-control as a way to avoid harmful emotions. The notification of Portia's death indeed was devastating. However, 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, option B. Stoicism allows Brutus to develop a clear judgement and not to be affected with pain.