In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, many people think Caesar is the tragic hero of the story because it is named after Caesar. A tragic hero is a character who is noble and honorable but has a tragic flaw that leads to their downfall. The tragic hero in Julius Caesar is actually Marcus Brutus who has the qualities of a tragic hero as he is a noble and respected character with the flaw of idealism and heroism that leads to the fall from greatness and turn of events from Antony’s speech.
Brutus’ nobility and honor as a character proves that he is the tragic hero. The conspirators all agree to kill Antony but Brutus says, “Our course will be too bloody, Caius Cassuis, to cut the head off and then hack the limbs” (2.1.175-176) Brutus uses a metaphor to describe Caesar and Antony as heads and limbs for the purpose of saying that Antony would not strike back. Brutus also doesn’t kill Antony because of his honor as a person and his morals as a Roman as Prior says
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During Antony’s speech to the plebians to prove Brutus wronged Caesar he says, “Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honorable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And sure he is an honorable man. ” ( 3.2.102-108) Shakespeare makes Antony use repetition on the phrase “Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honorable man.” to create the effect that Antony is respecting Brutus but secretly manipulating the crowd to imagine Brutus as someone who is not as honorable as they thought. The use of repetition makes the plebians question Brutus’ honor while persuading them to follow Antony. After Antony successfully converted the views of the plebians, the plebians altogether