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Julius Caesar Tragic Hero Essay

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Power doesn’t someone evil, it makes someone more of themselves. William Shakespeare wrote the play, Julius Caesar expressing how he believed after Queen Elizabeth’s death that their country would fall into a civil war due to a power struggle left behind after she died. Julius Caesar is the story of how Marcus Brutus in the midst of a power struggle fights for what he believes in and, what is now known as a tragic hero. In the play Julius Caesar, Shakespeare used Marcus Brutus as a tragic hero as a means to help develop the play as Brutus’s honor causes his tragic downfall at the end of the play. In the play Julius Caesar Brutus states “What means this shouting? I do fear, the people Choose Caesar for their king. (Shakesphere I.ii.81-82)”. …show more content…

Brutus’s earlier promise of defending the general public persuades him to join the conspiracy as he believes he does the right thing, but the audience knows the letter was forged by Cassius to trick Brutus. This bad decision is based on good intent and later reveals itself as Brutus’s hamartia in the play initiating his downfall as a tragic hero in the play due to his high belief in honor he sides with the conspiracy to kill his beloved …show more content…

Brutus’s speech to the plebians shows his understanding and motives for killing Caesar as he believed he was doing something generally good for Rome as he believed the letter forged by Cassius. Brutus’s speech furthermore helps persuade the public to agree and come to terms with Caesar’s death which helps further his fall from grace as a tragic hero as he puts his honor on the line. In the end, Brutus dies as all tragic heroes do but, Anthony and Octavius commend and honor Brutus as he died fighting for what he believed in, what he believed was right (Shakespeare V.v.68-75). Brutus’ ideals differ from the rest of the conspirators as he didn’t kill Caesar to gain a type of power, but for the general good of Rome and its people. Antony helps the audience relate to Brutus in his final moments as they remind the audience that he was still human and made mistakes, but still, put his people first, and for that, he should be honored by the

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