Why Is Brutus A Tragic Hero

Tragic Hero Essay One can say that the actions of a hero do not go well with the actions of the misguided, but when the actions of the hero and the misguided come together, they form a tragic hero. In most of William Shakespeare's plays, there is a tragic hero; a person who possess a tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall. In the play, Julius Caesar, the tragic hero can easily be identified as Marcus Brutus. When analysing the play, one will find that Brutus is the only one who fits the characteristics of a tragic hero. These characteristics are his Noble Personality, his Tragic Flaw, and the pity we feel for his honourable death. First off, a tragic hero is the perfect example of Noble. Brutus fits this characteristic

This characteristic is one that directly applies to Brutus. Throughout the whole play he was manipulated into killing Caesar and this makes us pity him as we know his death was due to outside influence and not his judgement. His tragic flaw led him to believe that Antony would not rebel in his speech; however, Antony did rebel and started a war. We feel pity once again because we know that he was letting Antony talk because he trusted him, but even then he was wrong. The cause of his downfall was first trusting Cassius and then Antony. Nonetheless, he did die an honourable death. He realized he had done wrong so he killed himself “Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face, While I do run upon it. (5.5.47-48) and as he is dying he says “Caesar, / Now be still: / I killed he with half so good a will.”(5.5.49-51). This means that he did not kill Caesar half as willingly as he kills himself. 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