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Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Decent Essays

William Shakespeare is one of the greatest playwrights of all time. He has written over 30 plays that include comedies, histories, and tragedies. A tragedy is about the downfall of a tragic hero, and the tragic hero is someone of greater power or high standing obtaining a flaw. One of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies is the story of Julius Caesar. In this story, the main character, Julius Caesar, is plotted against his best friend, Brutus, and the head of the conspiracy, Cassius. After Caesar gets assassinated, his right hand man, Mark Antony, tries to get revenge on the people that killed him. However, in this particular story, the main character is not the tragic hero. The tragic hero, Brutus, is the most consistent throughout the play unlike the other three characters, Caesar, Antony, and Cassius.
Considering the fact the Julius Caesar is the main character, and the name of the play, many people think that he is the tragic hero. However, the only tragic thing he experienced was is death. The tragic hero is supposed to have strength, which Caesar does not. For example, when, “…he swounded and fell down at it (I, ii, 245),” he shows that he is weak and cannot even stand up for himself. Another example is when he cries, “Help me, Cassius, or I sink (I, ii, 111),” and Cassius has to save him from drowning in the river of Tiber. Caesar thinks he is omniscient and powerful, but in reality he is just as normal as any other man. Unfortunately, Caesar does not realize this and

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