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Brutus julius caesar character analysis
Why is julius caesar a tragedy
Brutus julius caesar character analysis
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The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, defined the “Tragic Hero” — his idea of a tragedy’s main character. The Tragic Hero has good intentions, but his own actions result in his downfall. The hero is usually male, of noble birth, and may have supernatural experiences. Although he may not initially fully comprehend the consequences of his choices, he eventually understand their contributions to his doom. There are characters in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar who may fit some of these characteristics. Caesar is unexpectedly killed by senators for his political approach when he assumed he was serving Rome. Antony loses his dear comrade and friend, Caesar, and tries to avenge him, but his efforts are in vain. Caesar and Antony do not meet Aristotle’s definition of the Tragic Hero in full context. However, Brutus clearly represents Aristotle’s Tragic Hero as his intentions for killing Julius Caesar were to protect the empire he loved. and brought upon him personal destruction. Brutus murdered Caesar with honorable purpose so that the Roman people would not “die all slaves”, but “live [as] freemen” (117). Caesar’s death was believed to be in the best interest of Rome and a necessary loss to the empire. Brutus did not seek glory or power, but stability for Rome (unlike most of the conspirators). The Tragic Hero makes an ethical decision, in which the repercussion of his choice was the bringing forth of his own downfall. Brutus did not seek glory and power because he was dissatisfied with his life — he sought to protect the place he loved. He already held a noble status, and was married to a “true and honorable wife” (71). He had no need to stir up the empire and his own personal life, but he felt obligated to protect the country and i... ... middle of paper ... ...not theirs to fight. It is essential that the Tragic Hero accepts his necessary doom. It completes the hero. “I know my hour is come...Farewell to thee...I shall have glory by this losing day” (205). Brutus symbolizes the Tragic Hero in Julius Caesar on various aspects and levels. He chose to kill Caesar with honor, and did not corrupt his actions with greed and hunger. He did not stray from his true purpose like the other conspirators. Brutus also fulfilled many trivial components of the Tragic Hero such as being of noble birth and having supernatural encounters. Lastly, Brutus realized his downfall at the end of the novel by asking for his death in honor of Caesar. He understood that his death was nigh and accepted it. “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” (117).
Who would have been the best suited leader of Rome in sixth century B.C.? Many believe it could have been Marcus Antonius, Marcus Brutus, or the great Julius Caesar. Marcus Brutus is known to be the most honorable man in Rome at the time and was well respected. Caesar is the ruler and has a successful military. He also seeks wealth and power. Antony is Caesar’s right hand man and good friend. He later acquires the position that Caesar had and also seeks wealth and power. All three men are after the job, but Brutus is obviously the one who was most suited for it and also the only one who never got the chance.
For thousands of years people have been talking about the great powerful Caesar. He is one of the greatest known dictators known to people today mostly because of all of the things he was able to accomplish during his rein as emperor. After reading primary sources about Caesar, it has given me a better understanding of what other people thought of him during this time period. It’s safe to say that Caesar was obsessed with power and respect from other people that would explain his thirst for war and land, which is one of his greatest strengths and helped in making Rome a great empire.
If there were to be a villain in the Tragedy of Julius Caesar Cassius would be it. Cassius is the character who first thought up of the conspiracy against Julius Caesar. His motives weren’t as noble as Brutus’ but he made Brutus believe they were. Cassius did whatever it took to get Brutus to join in the conspiracy. We can clearly see Cassius’ true nature by what he does and says in the play.
Brutus was a man of noble birth. He had multiple servants and was often referred to as “Lord”, which indicates a certain level of respect for him. He was a very highly thought of person in Rome. At no point did he ever betray anyone, although he did kill Caesar, he did it to better Rome, not to mislead him. Everything he did was for the advantage of someone else. Even after Brutus dies, Marc Antony says “This was the noblest roman of them all; all the conspirators, save only he, did that they did in the envy of Caesar; he only in a general honest thought and common good to all...” This shows that regardless of brutus killing Caesar, he is still considered noble because he had good intentions. Brutus was also the best friend of Julius Caesar, the most powerful man in Rome. Had he been a commoner, Caesar most likely would not have associated with him or trusted him as a friend.
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 defenition of a tragic hero a literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy. This defenition is perpetuated most clearly by one of the major characters. This character is the noble roman Brutus. Brutus is the tragic hero because of the fact that he fulfills the requirements of a tragic hero. He is a person of noble bith. He does have a tragic flaw, he does come to some understanding, and he does finally meet his end due to his tragic flaw. The tragic flaw of Brutus is his idealistic view, which ultimately leads him directly and indirectly into his death.
When the name Julius Caesar is heard, it can only trigger the image of a great leader that led Rome into prosperity. Caesar's military excellence brought more power and more land; that lead to the increase of size and strength in Rome. His dictatorship helped the stability and prosperity in Rome. Caesar's assassination lead to a monarchy that was ruled by Octavin. His death lead to a domino effect ending in the ultimate collapse of the Roman Empire. Many people of the 21st century follow the path of Julius Caesar and try to be as great as he was. The assassination of Julius Caesar was a tragedy due to the contributions he made to Rome's prosperity during his life, and the chaos that occurred in Rome after his death. The contributions that Caesar made towards the strength of Rome's success, and the chaos and collapse of Rome after his death made the assassination of Julius Caesar a tragedy.
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.
A tragic hero is defined as a person of high social rank, who has a tragic flaw or flaws that lead to their downfall. These heroes’ downfalls are usually either complete ruin or death. Tragic heroes face their downfall with courage and dignity. While many characters in Julius Caesar could fit these conditions, the person who fits the role of a tragic hero the best is Marcus Brutus. Brutus develops into a tragic hero throughout the play, and this is shown though his qualifications of a tragic hero, his high status, his tragic flaws, and his courage in the face of his death.
The tragic hero is one of literatures most used (and sometimes abused) characters. The classical definition of a tragic hero is, “a person with heroic or potentially heroic qualities”. The person is doomed by the Gods or some other supernatural force to destruction or suffering. The hero struggles against the fate, but due to a personal flaw, ultimately fails in the battle against fate. It is my personal opinion that Brutus, as he is portrayed in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, is a tragic hero by this definition.
Aristotle, a famous Greek Philosopher, defines that “A tragic hero is a man who rises to a high position and then falls dramatically”. This character created by holding tragic flaws, which are attributes meant to drag them into their ruination. Shakespeare had designated this title for the powerful Julius Caesar in “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” since the people of the Elizabethan Era believed monarchy was the best form of government. Caesar was reflected as a rising monarch, and his murder was seen to be unfortunate. However, Julius Caesar only appeared at the beginning in the book and was a plot device to propel the story. There was one individual who participated in Caesar’s murder, being a friend named Brutus who believed that Caesar may
Tragic Hero in Julius Caesar A tragic hero is the character whose actions deeply affect the other characters and who creates a series of events that eventually lead to the character’s downfall and the downfall of his loved ones. Such a hero possesses a flaw in character that influences his actions and thinking and especially his judgments. In logically determining who the hero in Julius Caesar is, one simply must find the one character who fits the above guidelines. Marcus Brutus is the only one, and, thus, he is the tragic hero.
Both Brutus and Caesar are thought to be tragic heroes; however, Brutus is the driving force of the plot whose death marks the end of the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, and is therefore the real tragic hero. A hero, by definition, is someone who is respected for outstanding morals and honor. But a tragic hero also has a tragic flaw, a fault that causes his or her downfall. Brutus’ tragic flaw is his tendency to trust the wrong people, and this is what causes a lot of the conflicts in the play. Brutus is also in all five acts with a peak in the third, another mark of a tragic hero. Lastly, Brutus fits the description of being of noble birth and of having a strong moral compass.
In William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar the element of tragic hero is presented. A tragic hero is defined as a character of high standing who has a flaw that leads to his or her downfall, this individual is enlightened of his or her mistakes and is often viewed with pity or sympathy by the audience. Shakespeare has created two tragic heroes in his classic, Brutus and Caesar. The character primarily focused on as a tragic hero in this story is the protagonist, Brutus. Brutus is a tragic hero because he is of high political standing, a poor judge of character and is enlightened of his mistakes. Throughout the tale of Julius Caesar's assassination we are able to view into a window of Brutus's life and watch as the Republic unravels.
In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, a play by William Shakespeare, there is a man most noble above all others. His name is Marcus Brutus. Brutus was the man responsible for the death of Caesar who was his close friend. Though Caesar had been betrayed, no one was more melancholy than Brutus himself. Brutus would not kill his best friend without cause or without reason, however. After analyzing Brutus’ participation in the conspiracy, friendship to Caesar, and his significance to the plot, the truth can finally be understood.