Marcus Brutus : The Tragic Hero In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

Caesar or Brutus? Many people think that the tragic hero in Julius Caesar is Caesar, only because the title of the play. The real tragic hero is Marcus Brutus. There are many traits you can have to be a tragic hero, Brutus has at least three of them. In WIlliam Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, it is shown that Brutus is the tragic hero because he has noble stature, he has a tragic flaw, and free choice.

William Shakespeare illustrates Brutus to have outstanding morals but also displays Brutus’s naive and over-trusting personality which becomes his tragic flaw. For example, when Brutus suffers from an internal conflict on deciding if Caesar should be emperor or not, Cassius takes advantage of his confusion and naïve personality to act as the “glass [that] will modestly discover [Brutus] ... / [t]hat ... [shows Brutus’s appearance] which … [he] yet know not of ” (1.2. 68-70) and then says, “‘Brutus,’ and ‘Caesar’: what should be in that ‘Caesar’? / Why should that name be sounded more than yours[, Brutus]” (1.2.142-43). From this conversation, Brutus is shown to allow his naïve and over-trusting personality overcome him. As a result, Brutus follows his close allies in the path considered to be the most noble. Moreover, this characteristic of Brutus makes him weak enough to eventually trust the conspirator, Cassius, to take down Caesar, his own brother. This eventually leads to Brutus’s downfall

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare depicts a tragic hero, or one who has high standing and causes his own downfall. The tragic hero is Brutus, and he makes multiple and ultimately fatal mistakes that lead to his enlightenment and then his death. Brutus’ death is the result of many misfortunes, including being herded into the conspiracy and thus aiding in the death of Caesar, hearing of the death of his loyal wife, and waging a war against Rome.

Brutus in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar In 'Julius Caesar', Shakespeare intended us to see Brutus as 'noble'. I wish to review his actions, and the motivating factors behind those actions. I intend to prove that Brutus had a strong and well-grounded character. He had good intentions, however, he made one fatal mistake and that was his downfall. When learn that Brutus is dedicated to the public, when Brutus decides Caesar must die, because he fears his ambition, this comes as a big shock to the Shakespearian audience as well as the modern day audience.

In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar written by William Shakespeare, Marcus Brutus is proven to be the most noble tragic hero there is. A tragic hero is someone who is born of noble birth and who suffers a catastrophe, which definitely defines Brutus. “Caesar you can rest now. I didn’t kill you half as willingly” (Shakespeare 5.5.56-57) is one of the most important quotes said by Brutus to end the tragedy of the play.

A tragic hero in Shakespearean literature is understood as a noble and heroic character who makes a series of bad decisions based on his bad judgment that leads to his downfall and eventually death. In William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, the tragic hero is Marcus Brutus, a powerful Roman senator who joins a conspiracy to assassinate the Roman ruler, Julius Caesar. Marcus Brutus is a tragic hero because of his noble reputation, his moral personality, the cathartic experience that the audience feels from his life and his tragic flaw: idealism.

In Shakespeare's theatrical-dramas there is a consistent trend of there being a tragic hero of some sort. In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar the tragic hero just so happens to be Marcus Brutus, this is quite obvious because he fits some of the set standards that makes up a tragic hero in any of Shakespeare's stories. Brutus is the tragic hero in Julius Caesar, because he posses a great trait of good, then it becomes his downfall in the end. He makes many errors in judgement which leads him to committing the deed that begins his downfall. And He is often blind or has a distorted image of reality. This is why I believe he is the tragic hero of Julius Caesar.

A tragic hero tries to do the right thing but has flaws in their character that prevents them from being a true hero. Scholars argue over whether Brutus or Caesar is the tragic hero in the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Both men have tragic flaws which cause their downfall.They are both ambitious. Caesar wanted all the power to himself. On the contrary, Brutus wanted what was best for Rome and to keep a good reputation. Brutus is the tragic hero of the play since he falls the farthest due to the fact that he is too trusting of everyone, he naively allows his enemy to speak out about him, and he lacks self confidence.

In a tragedy, the tragic hero always has a downfall and sense of enlightenment by the end. Brutus’s downfall is horrid enough that it has made it this far in history. It is a fall that people will always study and remember. Brutus starts out as a popular man, a friend of Caesar. People think very highly of him, he has a strong relationship with his wife, and he lives in Rome, which he loves deeply. After murdering Caesar, Brutus has the nerve to speak at his funeral and tell the people of Rome that he had a right to kill him; however, Antony talks sense into citizens in his famous speech. All of Rome soon considers him and his counterparts to be traitors, enough so that they become a murderous mob. “We’ll burn the house of

    Shakespeare’s tragedy, Julius Caesar, displays Brutus as a tragic hero, blinded loyalty and devotion. Brutus's heroic belief of honor and virtue was so powerful that it drove him to perform villainous actions and lead to his destruction.

In order to fit this said mold of a tragic hero, there are several essential elements needed of said character. Traditionally, the character must be of noble birth. This can clearly be said of Marcus Brutus, who descended from the honorable Junius Brutus, who according to Marcus Brutus’s letter in 2.1, “...did from the streets of Rome/ The Tarquin drive, when he was called a king” (Shakespeare 2.1.52-54). Junius Brutus was the valiant Roman known for his extraordinary role in overthrowing the Tarquin King, ending the 200 year old monarchy that ruled Rome since its founding. Along with removing the monarchy, Junius Brutus began the Roman Republic, promising democracy and freedom to all of his ever so grateful citizens. It is this ancestor that seems to shape the Marcus Brutus in Shakespeare’s play. Brutus, just as his ancestor, feels that it is his duty to protect democracy within Rome. As the reader knows, this selfless notion leads kind Brutus to suffer from his own catastrophe. An internal battle, in which Brutus becomes so devastated that he is led to kill himself. Though like a flame, catastrophe needs a spark. Brutus is not perfect, his suicide was the product of his own personal errors.

All of these elements are characteristics of a tragic hero, which qualifies Marcus Brutus as the tragic hero in Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. A tragic hero is a good or even great man and thus wins our sympathy causing catharsis. A tragic hero displays hamartia— the hero makes a mistake causing the downfall in his fortune. A tragic hero usually brings suffering and death to other characters, even a whole country. Finally, a tragic hero goes into a situation in which there is no getting out of because of the decision he has made. Marcus Brutus has all these qualities and more thus concluding that he is the tragic here in Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Julius

In conclusion, Brutus is the tragic hero in this play because of the mistakes that he makes, the fall that he takes, and the regrets that he feels after. Brutus will forever be labeled as a

In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, two potential protagonists are presented to the audience. Both Brutus and Caesar have been mentioned as possible protagonists, but there can only be one protagonist. But who is the real protagonist? Although there is proof to back up Caesar, Brutus has more proof and solid proof. Therefore, Brutus should be named protagonist of the story.

Brutus possesses many ideals and mannerisms that make him the tragic hero in William Shakespeare’s tragedy. To begin with, Brutus has a deep sense of love for his city, and concerns himself with its well-being. His concern for Rome is actually what causes him to backstab Caesar. He worries that he is too arrogant to be an adequate leader, “I do fear the people/ Choose Caesar for their king.” (Shakespeare I.ii. 85-86). Secondly, Brutus has an undying moral compass that navigates him on his integrity driven choices. Brutus thinks long and hard before he joins the conspirators, and wonders whether or not it is the right choice and questions his choices, “Into what dangers would you lead me…/ That you would have me seek into myself/ For which is not in me?” (Shakespeare I.ii. 69-71). His strong beliefs are what ultimately convince him to join the conspirators, for the good of Rome. Also, Brutus believes in equality and respect. He gives a speech to the public because he feels they deserve to know the reason why Caesar dies, ‘And, waving our red weapons o’er our heads,/ Let’s all cry “Peace, freedom, and liberty!”’. (Shakespeare III.i. 121-122). This heroic quality is one of the things that drives him to be a good leader, and a good person as well. As much as these traits lead us to believe