How well did Cicero negotiate the dynamics of power during the Fall of the Roman Republic?

This is a typical Classical Civilisation exam/ essay question. It focuses on evaluating a certain subject and invites the student to tie their knowledge of the period back to their own opinion. My answer would focus on how Cicero interacted with the key players of the period, deploying relevant source knowledge when appropriate to bolster my answer. When possible, I also wouldn't be afraid to show off my precise knowledge of certain content - such as direct quotations, historical dates or Latin terms - to make sure I achieve the highest marks for demonstrating an intellectual hold of the period. A model paragraph would be: Though Cicero refused to make compromises to his political position during the constitutional crisis of the late Republic, he did work to preserve one of the most important aspects of a Roman's statesmans life: his integrity. Ancient Rome was a society that was obsessed with the idea of legacy, and by refusing to sell out to the likes of Pompey and Caesar until the last possible moment Cicero cemented himself into the line of Rome's great republicans which was led by the likes of Cincinnatus, Cato the Elder and Cato the Younger. In Cicero's letter to Caesar in 54BC... he resisted handing himself over to his cause despite it being in his and his families immediate interests. By doing so, although this move may have stifled his immediate political career, he preserved his political memory in a way that raised him above the over political actors of the period.