BRUTUS. It must be by his death: and for my part I know no personal cause to spurn at him But for the general. He would be crowned: How that might change his nature, there’s the question. It is the bright day that brings forth the adder, And that craves wary walking. Crown him that, And then I grant we put a sting in him That at his will he may do danger with. Th’ abuse of greatness is when it disjoins Remorse from power. And to speak truth of Caesar, I have not known when his affections swayed More than his reason. But 'tis a common proof 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. Then lest he may, prevent. And since the quarrel Will bear no colour for the thing he is, Fashion it thus: that what he is, augmented, Would run to these and these extremities; And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg Which, hatched, would as his kind grow mischievous, And kill him in the shell. How does the characterization of Caesar in this passage connect to the central idea of the passage? By reflecting on Caesar’s position in society, Brutus comes to realize that Caesar has lost integrity as a ruler and that he must join the plot to assassinate Caesar. When Brutus allows himself to be convinced to join the conspiracy against Caesar, it seals his fate and leads to his ultimate defeat and death. Brutus decides to join the conspiracy against Caesar because he fears that Caesar will become ruthless once he has absolute power. Brutus decides that he must prevent Caesar from becoming ruthless as a result of having absolute power, but in the end it is Brutus who is corrupted by power.