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The Symbolism Of Marcus Brutus In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

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Marcus Brutus’s fatal flaw in Julius Caesar shows in his naïve idealism. It clearly shows that Brutus thinks too highly of his fellow man, believing them more good at heart than what they are proven to actually be. Firstly, he believes that, as long as they keep the number of deaths to a minimum, everyone will go along with their assassination of Caesar. He is so convicted of this that he declares after denying the suggestion to kill Mark Antony as well as Caesar: “We shall be called purgers, not murderers. / And for Mark Antony, think not of him; / For he can do no more than Caesar’s arm / When Caesar’s head is off” (II.i.193-196). This evidently proves not the case, when Mark Antony leads a mutiny against the conspiracy directly after Caesar’s death. …show more content…

Brutus only wants to employ moral means to fuel his cause, but in reality they really need the support. In arguing with Cassius over something they definitely require, Brutus also risks his friendship with Cassius, an ally he truly needs. The final instance of Brutus’s flawed idealism occurs when he lets Mark Antony speak at Julius Caesar’s funeral. By doing so, Brutus allows Antony the chance to rile up the plebeians to revolt against the conspirators, a chance he successfully takes. Because of his commitment to his ideas on honorable death, Brutus allows the mob to drive the entire conspiracy out of Rome. Although his naïve idealism serves as his fatal flaw, it also represents Brutus’s greatest strength as a tragic

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