How is Brutus death less honorable than that of Cassius?I need to write an essay on how Brutus death is less honorable than than that of cassius. I...

Brutus's death can be viewed as less honorable than
Cassius's death because Brutus is essentially going against everything he previously
stated.  Also, Brutus cannot actually commit the act of killing
himself.

Brutus was 'against' suicide.  In the statement
below, he talks of how cowardly and 'vile' Cato was for taking his own
life.

BRUTUS

Even by
the rule of that philosophy
By which I did blame Cato for the
death
Which he did give himself (I know not how,
But I do find it
cowardly and vile,
For fear of what might fall, so to prevent
The
time of life), arming myself with patience
To stay the providence of some high
powers
That govern us below.

However, Brutus himself ends
up committing suicide.  He does not actually have the courage to do it himself, so he
gets Strato to hold his sword while he runs into it:

I
prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord:

5.5.45             
Thou art a fellow of a good respect;

Thy life hath had some
smatch of honour in it:

Hold then my sword, and turn away
thy face,

While I do run upon it. Wilt thou,
Strato?

STRATO

Give
me your hand first. Fare you well, my
lord.

BRUTUS

5.5.50    
         Farewell, good Strato.

[Runs on his
sword.]

Caesar, now be
still:

I kill'd not thee with half so good a
will.

Dies.

(Act 5, Scene
5)

http://www.shakespeare-navigators.com/JC_Navigator/JC_5_5.html

It
must be pointed out that Brutus's own wife, Portia, commits suicide as well in the play
(this occurred in Act 4).  Brutus himself explains the reason for her
death:

"Impatient of my
absence,
And grief that young Octavius with Mark
Antony
Have made themselves so strong:--for with her
death
That tidings came;--with this she fell
distract,
And, her attendants absent, swallow'd
fire."

Notice that Brutus does not describe his
wife as 'cowardly' for taking her own life.