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An exploration of brutus as a tragic hero
Marcus brutus and his love for rome
An exploration of brutus as a tragic hero
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In the story Julius Caesar, should Brutus be considered a tragic hero? Brutus is a tragic hero because He makes some mistakes that gets him killed. He did this to himself when he killed Caesar that caused Rome to go against the conspirators. Because of his mistakes he kills himself. another reason is because of the way he acts and because of all the mistakes he did that got him killed. Even though he did kill Caesar, it is was for the good of the people of Rome. Mostly everything he did it was good for someone else. He probably cared more about other people then he cared about himself. When he was planning on killing Caesar or even in the moment of killing him he could have backed out but he thought about the plebeians and knew it would help them the most in the future. That was another thing that he did to show that he does care more about other people then himself. Another time he does something like that is in act 2, scene 1. He didn’t want to tell Portia about his plans because he knew she had other stuff to worry about. …show more content…
To him everything was going good for him he thought everyone was honorable he thought no one would ever tell him any lies he thought if he didn’t do that to anyone no one would do it back that’s what got him killed. Everyone he trusted would eventually turn their back on him and betray him. He put too much trust into his friends he never would even imagine them betraying him that’s another reason he ended up dying. Everything started going bad for him when the conspirators sent him that fake letter. They did that to get Brutus to join the conspirators because cassius knew he couldn’t do it without Brutus. Brutus thought the letters were from the people of
The definition of a tragic hero is perceived as on who is neither wicked nor purely innocent, one who “is brave and noble but guilty of the tragic flaw of assuming that honorable ends justify dishonorable means”. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus takes the role of the tragic hero. Brutus’s honor, nobility, and self-righteousness makes him “a tragic figure, if not the hero” (Catherine C. Dominic).
In the play the Life and Death of Julius Caesar (just as in all of Shakespeare’s tragedies) there is much death, much tragedy, and of course, a tragic hero. However unlike most of Shakespeare’s plays this time the tragic hero is not particularly obvious. Throughout the play a few main characters present themselves as possibilities for being the tragic hero. But as being a tragic hero is not only having a tragic flaw but also entails much more, there really is only one person to fit the mold. The character Brutus is born into power and is higher/better then we are. He has a tragic flaw that causes his downfall and at the end he realizes his mistake (a trait none of the other characters can really claim).
The second reason why Brutus should not be a tragic hero is because he has a tragic flaw and this flaw leads to his ultimate downfall. The tragic Flaw for Brutus is his idealistic view of the world. He contracts this view about Caesar after Cassius persuades him by saying that Caesar will be a tyrant. Because of this, Brutus joins the conspirators and kills Caesar. This shows that Brutus, like other tragic heroes uses his tragic flaw and thus will cause his eventual defeat. Later in the play Brutus directs, as any ideological man would, to charge rather than wait for the enemy to attack. This is an excellent exemplar of the Brutus’s tragic flaw since Brutus did this so that he would not lose support in Rome.
The fact that Brutus killed Caesar for his country meant that even though he murdered somebody, a friend, he still did it for something much bigger than himself. Like Brutus said, he killed Caesar because it was “not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (Julius Caesar Act 3 Scene 2 Shakespeare). I think that is very noble of him, because if it weren’t for the act of murder, he would most definitely be a hero. If it were not for him not giving Caesar a chance first, he would most definitely be a hero. If it weren’t for his morals being manipulated by another person, he would most definitely be a hero. There is a lot of controversy about the topic and what makes Brutus a hero or villain. The question about which one he really is makes you think. I feel that even though he was a good man, the small details made the “villain” side of him surface much more than the “hero”
Brutus has several tragic flaws. One of these tragic flaws is how he trusts people a lot. Brutus says that he “know[s] that we shall have [Antony] well to a friend” (1140). He trusts Antony will be a friend of the conspirators, yet he seems to not realize that Antony is obliviously against them, because they killed his friend. Brutus trusts Antony so much, that he lets Antony speak to the public alone. Antony turns the people against Brutus and the conspirators, leading to the wars where Brutus takes his own life. Brutus also receives letters, supposedly from the people of Rome. As he reads the letter out loud, Brutus remarks “‘Speak, strike, redress!’ Am I entreated to speak and strike? O Rome, I make thee promise, if thy redress will follow, thy receivest thy full petition at the hand of Brutus” (1118).
... present in all eras of literature. The tragic hero has been present almost as long. Hamlet, Oedipus, and Ralph all are tragic heroes. If this is true, then I feel it is safe to say that Brutus is a tragic hero as well. He shares many character qualities with the other tragic heroes. So, if we say that Brutus is a tragic hero, then we are once again at that same question: “What is his tragic flaw?” I would say that Brutus’s tragic flaw is his pride. He is too proud as a Roman to let Caesar take control of the empire, too proud to let Antony be killed, and too proud to be taken prisoner. It is because of this pride that he takes his own life, finishing the tragedy. Brutus leads the action in the play. Brutus causes the play. Brutus dies to end the play. Brutus is absolutely a tragic hero.
Brutus’ tragic flaws are part of what makes him a tragic hero. In Julius Caesar, Brutus is a great example of a tragic hero. His tragic flaws are honor, poor judgement, and idealism (Bedell). In Shakespeare’s plays, the tragic hero and his flaws cause the downfall of the play (Tragic Flaws).
Moreover, Brutus is considered a tragic hero first because of his numerous character flaws or hubrises. An example is Brutus’s flawed logic. By even deciding to kill Caesar for what he is ‘going’ to do, yet not by what he has done, Brutus sets himself up for failure. “‘And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg which hatched, would as his kind grow mischievous, and kill him in shell’”(911). Brutus’s reasoning for murdering Caesar in such cold blood is because he is afraid of what he could do or what he could become. However, this is clearly faulty logic, fo...
There is no such thing as the perfect person. We may dream of such a person, but sadly, everyone has flaws. These flaws are what make us human. Something else that makes us human is our need for heroes. We attribute 'perfect' qualities to our heroes. In reality even our heroes are flawed. The closest thing to the idealized person, or hero, is the Shakespearean tragic hero. The tragic hero is someone of high standing, good character, and a flaw. While it may be only one flaw, it is often fatal. An example of a tragic hero can be best seen in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar. Marcus Brutus is a prominent leader and noble citizen of Rome who leads in the assassination of Julius Caesar. We see that Brutus plays the role of the tragic hero through his noble standing, fatal flaw, and legacy.
Brutus’ tragic flaw was his perception that all men were identical to him in their motives. This factored allowed his decisions to be easily influenced by others whose motives were devious. Cassius was able to convince Brutus to join the conspiracy because Brutus thought the only reason behind the conspiracy was to prevent one man from becoming “Rex.” He allowed Antony’s speech to occur because he was sure that Antony was motivated by the same “honor” which motivated himself.
Throughout history, people have loved heroes. From the earliest Greek heroes to modern superhero movies, people have always shown interest in these stories. However, there exists a different type of hero, the tragic one. In William Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus is the true tragic hero. Brutus’ tragic flaw is his idealism.
Brutus is Bestowed the Title of Tragic Hero Heroes are seen as strong individuals that fight for a cause. A different type of hero is a tragic hero. A tragic hero, according to Aristotle’s definition is a character of great reputation and prosperity whose misfortune is not due to depravity or vice for the hero is a virtuous man or woman, but to an error in judgement resulting from a tragic flaw. In the play, Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, both Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus can be considered the tragic hero, but Marcus Brutus embodies the role more.
It is clear that Brutus, in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, is a heart wrenching tragic hero. But what really makes a tragic hero, and how does Brutus fit? There are many characteristics to a tragic hero, but three traits that Brutus fit the best are that he has major flaws, makes unchangeable mistakes, and both of these lead to his death. Brutus fits Shakespeare’s common characteristics of a tragic hero perfectly.
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.
As you can see people are in a huge fuss over who is the tragic hero Julius Caesar of Marcus Brutus. They both meet the criteria of a tragic hero which is: a tragic hero as a character of great reputation and prosperity whose misfortune is not due to depravity or vice, for the hero is a virtuous man or woman but to an error in judgment resulting from a tragic flaw, but Brutus continues to be the superior of the two. Many people argue over which the better hero is Caesar or Brutus. My opinion is Marcus Brutus wins hands down, a descendant of a wealthy family a strong well developed character, with the ability to persuade others these qualities make him my favorite tragic hero.