“Men at some times are masters of their fates” (Shakespeare. I. 2. 139). These famous words spoken to Brutus by Cassius describes how people should not let fate define them and should take hold of the reins of life. In William Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Julius Caesar is plotted against by a group of conspirators, led by Brutus and Cassius, and is assassinated. But by taking fate into his hands, Brutus ultimately brings upon his own untimely death. Brutus’ character, conflict about killing Caesar, and loyalty to Rome make him the tragic hero in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. One of the main reasons Brutus is the tragic hero of the play is because of his character. Brutus is very popular among the people of Rome because of his nobility and honor. All of his views are guided by the sense of honor and dignity, but with this tunnel vision he becomes naive. “Which so appearing to the common eyes, / We shall be called purgers, not murderers. / And for Mark Antony, think not of him;” (Shakespeare. II. 1. 179-181). This quote shows how Brutus thinks that the people will see them as saviors …show more content…
At the beginning of the play, Cassius covertly convinces Brutus to join the conspiracy against Caesar; but even though Brutus agrees to the plot he still is wary about it. “I have not known when his affections swayed / More than his reason. But ‘tis a common proof / That lowliness is young ambition’s ladder” (Shakespeare. II. 1. 20-22). Brutus admits to never seeing evidence of Caesar’s ambitiousness but he knows that as a person grows they often forget their roots. Before his death he also mentions that he is surer in killing himself than he ever was before killing Caesar. This shows that he could never convince himself that murdering his friend would be best for Rome. Throughout the play, Brutus has conflicted feelings about killing Caesar which lead him to become the tragic