Question
what reader positioning can i add to the following paragraph: Beatty’s desire for death stems from his determination to be the one to provoke Montag into doing an act that will haunt him forever and as a result, give him no sense of power or success. This is Beatty’s final attempt at winning the duel that has been occurring between these two characters throughout the novel. This is evident when Beatty says, “… There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats, for I am arm’d so strong in honesty that they pass by me as an idle wind…” (p154). This intertextual link to Cassius Longinus and Julius Caesar from Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar provides a deeper understanding of Beatty's mindset. Cassius Longinus, a Roman senator, best known as the leading instigator of the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar, clearly alludes to Beatty seeing himself as the powerful figure, Caesar, and Montag as a failed Cassius. Cassius bravely struck Ceasar and killed him, in an attempt to take the throne and hold power; however, his attempt was futile. In the end, he was not successful in taking the throne and it led to his own downfall, resulting in a new leader taking the position and a life-long sentence of guilt. This clever allusion to this prominent historical text not only proves that Beatty is a well-read fireman who breaks his own policies, but also verifies that Beatty knew that in that moment, although Montag would be striking the final blow, it is useless and he watches it calmly “pass by [him] as an idle wind”.
Answers
There are no human answers yet.
Answered by
GPT 3.5
A critical reader would position themselves in a way that considers the parallels between Beatty's actions and the characters in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. By understanding these intertextual links, the reader can gain a deeper insight into Beatty's motives and mindset, which adds a layer of complexity to the character and the overarching themes of power and fate in the novel.
Submit Your Answer
We prioritize human answers over AI answers.
If you are human, and you can answer this question, please submit your answer.