Brutus: Tragic Hero

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The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a play of honor, loyalty, and betrayal. Written by William Shakespeare, the play, unlike what its name may suggest, focuses on Marcus Brutus. Brutus is the tragic hero, and he has one tragic flaw. The play tells the story of what happens when his tragic flaw becomes a catastrophe. Shakespeare incorporates traditional elements throughout the story on what a tragic hero should be. The first traditional element that is introduced is how the tragic hero is usually from noble descent. Marcus Brutus is the descendant of Lucius Junius Brutus. Lucius Brutus overthrew the tyrannical Tarquin kings and established a democracy that lasted hundreds of years. The Roman people were proud of their democracy, so Marcus Brutus …show more content…

He does not make those heros single sided, but he reveals instead the internal conflict that the character must endure. Brutus is torn on whether or not he should kill someone he loves, or let Rome and its democracy succumb to monarchy. Brutus’s love for Caesar is most apparent during his funeral. “If then that friend demand why / Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: / Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (III.ii. 20-22). On the other hand, he does not want Rome to lose its democracy. He wants to be like his ancestor Lucius Brutus and get rid of the threat to democracy. His loyalty to Caesar is still causing doubt. He hides that doubt by hiding the reality of the deed he is about to commit. Brutus’s, “impossible separation of ideal and reality, a separation revealed in Brutus’s attempt to make the act a sacrificial rite transcending and thereby obscuring the reality” (Simmons 62). Even when he plans on killing his close personal friend, his loyalty to him is creating hesitation. His inner turmoil and hesitation is directly seen in Brutus’s soliloquy. The night before he plans on killing Caesar, he is wide awake, strolling through his gardens, because he is trying to reason with his inner turmoil. He comes to the conclusion that Caesar is “A serpent’s egg / which hatched, would, as his kind grow mischievous" (II.i.32-33). He then forgoes his loyalty to Caesar to protect Rome’s …show more content…

However, in Greek theater the characters are predestined by fate. Although Brutus made small choices, they ultimately led to his downfall. His first choice was allowing Antony to live, while they were planning the murder of Caesar. Cassius wanted to be sure Antony would not rise in revenge against them, but Brutus told them “For Antony is but a limb of Caesar. / Let’s be sacrificers, but not butchers” (II.i.165-166). Antony would fight back, because he was still alive. In one fell stroke they could have gotten rid of all of their problems, if it were not for Brutus. When Antony wanted to speak at the funeral, Cassius told Brutus, “Know you how much the people may be moved by that which he will utter” (III.i. 233-234). Brutus dismissed his question and instead did what he thought was best. If he would not have let Antony speak, their cause would have remained just, and the people would have sided with them. The decision to let Antony speak led to the exile of the conspirators, while they were hunted like dogs by Antony and his forces. His next decision would lead him and others to their death. He tells Cassius that “from which advantage we shall cut him off, if at Philippi we do face him there” (IV.iii. 208-209). Cassius agrees, but his forces become weaker because of that. They ultimately succumb to Antony and his forces because of Brutus’s decision. If Brutus would have listened all three times to

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