ipl-logo

Julius Caesar Tragic Hero Essay

576 Words3 Pages

The Tragedy of Markus Brutus
In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar many believe that obviously the tragic hero of the play is Julius Caesar but the real tragic hero of the play is Markus Brutus. A tragic hero is one who experiences a traumatic downfall that comes in three stages. Brutus possesses all three stages such as the fatal flaw, a decision that leads to their own destruction, and experience peripeteia (sudden change in fortune). These reasons make Brutus the tragic hero and not Caesar.

Every tragic hero has a fatal flaw and Brutus is no exception. Brutus’s fatal flaw is that he believes everyone is trustworthy and honorable just like him. He is taken advantage of by multiple people in the story because of his gullible nature. More notably by Cassius who manipulates Brutus into becoming the leader of the conspirators using a couple very effective tactics. Cassius forges letters, tells him what he wants to hear, and convinces Brutus that Caesar must die. Brutus blindly listens to Cassius and leads him to make the decision that leads to his destruction. …show more content…

When the conspirators come to Brutus’s house to discuss the assassination Cassius proposes that they kill Mark Antony as well as Caesar but Brutus vetoes the idea saying that once they kill Caesar Antony will cower away. Brutus was right about this assumption for the most part for when Caesar was assassinated Antony ran off and sent his servant out to see if it was safe for him to come out. Antony talks with Brutus and shakes his hand, seemingly joining Brutus and accepting him. Antony lies straight to Brutus’s face and Brutus had no idea another example of his gullible nature. Antony is an opportunist and wants revenge for the killing of Caesar so he turns the people against Brutus and begins building an army to challenge

Show More
Related
548 Words | 3 Pages

Brutus also has a position in the government of Rome. He also had many tragic flaws like one which is trusting others. He trusted the conspirators and even Mark Antony. Another one is that Brutus is very idealistic meaning if would have known the consequences of murdering Caesar would be, then Antony would not have had to talk to at the funeral. For example,“ Now let it work.

Read More
661 Words | 3 Pages

Cassius and Brutus find themselves out of rome after fleeing rome of the fear of being killed. Brutus and Cassius army was attacked and defeated. Both saw the future as hopeless so they decided to kill themselves. Brutus patriotism causes him to make bad decisions Brutus is a character of patriotism and but this traits cause him to make bad decisions.

Read More
732 Words | 3 Pages

Brutus also contains several other characteristics of a tragic hero. For example, Brutus possesses a hamartia. “Th’ abuse of greatness is when it disjoins/ Remorse from power; and, to speak truth of Caesar” (Shakespeare II.1.18-19). In this quote from the story, Brutus is saying that he believes Caesar would abuse the power of being crowned king.

Read More
1419 Words | 6 Pages

Brutus’s tragic flaw was that he was naive. He trusted people to easily, especially the conspirators. They used him to make their actions seem honorable and just. When reality they just wanted Caesar dead for their own personal gain. Caesar was Brutus’s friend so it took him some convincing for him to be able to justify his actions.

Read More
594 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More
794 Words | 4 Pages

Brutus was a flawed man in many ways in that he was to arrogant he let Marc Antony have a speech even though Antony was conspiring against him the whole time gaining the crowds approval. Brutus says “ Tending to Caesar’s glories which Marc Antony by our permission, is allowed to make” (1250). This is a blatant point to Brutus’ arrogance, he thought that Antony is no threat and trusted him to much. After Antony made this speech the entire crowd turned against Brutus and the conspirators. If Brutus was not so arrogant he would be most likely be alive.

Read More
488 Words | 2 Pages

This could be true, but Brutus would fit more into the tragic hero persona. Some of Brutus’s tragic flaws included trusting people too much, not listening to others that have more experience, and thinking about the people more than himself. All of these flaws ultimately led to Brutus becoming a coward and committing suicide. In act 3 scene 1 Brutus kills Caesar because he thinks he is doing it for the good of Rome. In reality, when he killed Caesar he just signed his death note, and he hurt Rome more than helped.

Read More
584 Words | 3 Pages

“Let’s kill him boldly, but not wrathfully”. Let’s carve him as a dish fit for the gods, Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds” (Act 2, Scene 1, Line 185-187). Brutus is potentially the most honorable character in the story. Cassius sees this and realizes that he needs Brutus to pull this off successfully. He also manages to manipulate Brutus by leaving fake notes to persuade him.

Read More
484 Words | 2 Pages

He is overly trusting and fails to see the true motives of those around him, particularly Cassius. Brutus's belief in the inherent goodness of humanity blinds him to the reality of political manipulation and deceit. His fatal flaw prevents him from recognizing the true consequences of his actions and leads him to make decisions that ultimately contribute to his downfall. His inability to perceive the manipulative nature of his enemies and his misplaced trust in their intentions highlight his tragic flaw. Throughout the play, Brutus grapples with internal conflict as he struggles to reconcile his sense of honor with the demands of political intrigue.

Read More
776 Words | 4 Pages

Blinded by his belief in his moral superiority, he betrays his friend Caesar in the misguided belief that it is for the greater good of Rome. Despite warnings and manipulation from Cassius, Brutus remains steadfast in his conviction, unable to see the true consequences of his actions until it is too late. His tragic end serves as a testament to the destructive power of hubris, revealing how pride can cloud judgment and lead to ruin. Brutus's internal conflict, as portrayed in his soliloquies, showcases his struggle between his love for Caesar and his perceived duty to Rome. His inability to reconcile these conflicting loyalties ultimately leads to his downfall.

Read More
443 Words | 2 Pages

When he possesses this fatal flaw, he makes poor judgment that leads to his own destruction. Brutus is extremely naive. After he and the Conspirators killed Caesar, his downfall started. Brutus deserves the title of a Tragic Hero over Caesar because of his noble personality.

Read More
670 Words | 3 Pages

In most of Shakespeare's plays, there is a tragic hero who plays the main role. The tragic hero in the story of Julius Caesar is Brutus. He portrays all the following characteristics that Shakespeare mentioned. The characteristics include a heroic figure who, due to poor judgment, takes several poor actions that result in his death. Brutus can be described as a tragic hero due to the following of his noble reputation, hamartia, and anagnorisis.

Read More
1201 Words | 5 Pages

Brutus, does not have the arrogant stubbornness of Caesar, rather he makes authoritative decisions without regard to other opinions. His unwillingness to compromise can be seen in the why he assumes command and makes decisions once becoming a member of the conspirators. Immediately after enlisting in the conspiracy Brutus, who was not elected leader, aggressively takes command of the conspiracy and makes a series of decisions despite differing opinions from every other member of the group. In Act II Scene 1, the conspiracy gathers together to plot their attack on Caesar, and Brutus immediately takes command. The group asks if they should swear an oath, have Cicero join the conspiracy, or kill Mark Antony.

Read More
1099 Words | 5 Pages

Proving a Tragic Hero A character who makes a judgement or error that inevitably leads to his or her own destruction, defines a tragic hero, according to Aristotle. In William Shakespeare’s writings, one character generally identifies as a tragic hero. Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, comes from the true events that took place in Rome during the time that Caesar rose and gained power as dictator. After Pompey’s death in Egypt; caused by each of their power-hungry desires, Caesar declared himself dictator of Rome.

Read More
927 Words | 4 Pages

He has realised his faults so clearly that he tells Caesar, the person he killed, to rest in peace. Brutus is definitely the tragic hero in this play because of the pity we feel for his realisation of his faults and ultimately his honourable

Read More

More about Julius Caesar Tragic Hero Essay

Related Topics

Open Document