Julius Caesar: Brutus As An Honorable Hero

Michael Cross

Mrs. Korey

Advanced Honors English

1 March 2023

Some heroes, in their valiant efforts, can make decisions that may seem rash. In Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Brutus makes many choices that only lead to downfall and chaos. While some may see him as a villain, much evidence suggests that he was an honorable hero, only doing what he believed best. There is also evidence that Shakespeare himself saw Brutus as a hero in the ways that he writes about him. In the play, there are countless lines from multiple characters in which Brutus is described as honorable and heroic. In Act 3, Scene 2, Brutus states, “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” Brutus loved his friend Caesar, but his honor forbade him from placing his relationship above his country, which is a heroic standard to uphold. Were he a villain, he would have no care for the state of Rome. In Act 5, Scene 5, Brutus says, “Caesar, now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a will.” Brutus here is about to slay himself honorably. Before he does though, he proclaims that his killing of Caesar was made not in

Throughout the play, Brutus is never described as dishonorable, always portrayed as a prestigious, yet tragic hero. In Act 5, Scene 5, Mark Antony says, “This was the noblest Roman of them all.” This in itself holds a deep respect for Brutus. Shakespeare had Antony say this because he knew Brutus was a good, but misguided hero. In the same act and scene, Octavius builds off of what Antony says, stating, “According to his virtue let us use him, With all respect and rites of burial. Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie, Most like a soldier, ordered honorably.” Shakespeare would not have had this type of gracious and honorable end for Brutus if he thought him to be a villain. Shakespeare knew that Brutus deserved the best, even if his foolishness led to his