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William Shakespeare 's The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar

Decent Essays

Megan Wickingson
HELA10, Hour 7
Mrs. Beren
8 December 2014

A hero has many attributes and characteristics that can both positively and negatively affect them. A hero can then be considered a tragic hero through the choices that eventually bring about their demise. At first glance, Caesar may appear to be the tragic hero, when the real tragedy actually lies in Brutus’s story in William Shakespeare 's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.
One tray a tragic hero must posses is that they are relatable. The play may be named for Caesar, but the reader simply knows more of Brutus and his motives, which help to make his story a tragedy more so than Caesar 's. Brutus’ thoughts, actions, and history are made more apparent to the audience in great detail, thus making him relatable; Caesar, however, only appears occasionally, and then becomes assassinated. Consequently, his background and motives appear too few and far between to make him a tragic hero. "O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs. How 'scaped i killing when I crossed you so? / ... Upon what sickness." (IV, iii, 149-153 ). Here, the reader finds that Brutus ' wife has died, yet he remains unemotional. As a result, this shows that despite what personal problems he may have, Brutus still looks out for Rome. He won’t let Portia’s death get in the way of his fight for the justice of Rome. Brutus uses this reaction as one of the many ways he reveals himself to the audience.
A tragic hero believes that they alone are responsible

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