can you add the reader positioning into 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”.
Based on your description, it seems like the reader is positioned as an observer who is analyzing Beatty's mindset and actions throughout the paragraph. The reader is able to understand the intertextual link to Julius Caesar and see how Beatty is trying to assert power over Montag through this final duel. The reader is also able to gain insight into Beatty's character and motivations as well as his knowledge of literature.
