A protagonist is the main character in any type of literary work. Even though Julius Caesar is in the title and the main character Brutus is the protagonist because the play’s story revolves around his tragic flaw, his failure to hear advice, and the structure of the tragedy. Anybody can argue that Brutus is clearly the protagonist in any aspect of the story.
In this story, Brutus has tragic flaws. Brutus reveals his tragic flaw at the beginning of the story when he was talking to Cassius about joining the conspiracy, and how it is the only way to keep Rome free, by killing Caesar. Brutus is very complex because of the decisions he made that changed his character throughout his tragic flaw. Brutus said, “It must be by his death: and for my part, I know no personal to spurn at him, but for the general. He
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would be crown’d: how that might change his nature, there’s the question.” (shakespeare . Brutus was close with Caesar, but after hearing Cassius, he changed his mind about what Caesar was doing with Rome. Both Brutus and Caesar’s tragic flaws end with their deaths. Brutus fails to hear advice throughout the story.
In the beginning of the story, Brutus was not clear with his wife Portia when she demanded why his attitude was changing. That was extremely important because if Brutus had told Portia what he was doing with the conspiracy, she probably would have changed his mind on joining them. Also Caesar ignored the soothsayer when he said, “Beware the Ides of March”,(Shakespeare ), and Caesar ignored him. Later the soothsayer comes back, and this time it is the Ides of March. The Soothsayer says to Caesar “The day is not yet over.” (Shakespeare Then Caesar ignored him again. Also Caesar's wife Calpurnia tells him about a dream she had about Caesar dying. Calpurnia said, “My statue, which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts, did run pure blood: and many lusty Romans came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it.”(Shakespeare Once again, Caesar ignored valuable advice which eventually led to his death. Although both Brutus and Caesar fail to listen to advice, Brutus’ failure is more important because if he had actually listened, the tragedy would have never happened, which clearly makes Brutus the
protagonist. The final way to determine that Brutus is the protagonist is to look at the structure of the tragedies. Brutus went overboard by deciding to accept Cassius’ offer to join the conspirators in helping killing Caesar. If Caesar goes too far by over using his power, then he becomes too powerful. (Shakespeare ), “Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed, that he has grown so great?” Both Brutus and Caesar could be the protagonist, but since Caesar was killed and does not follow the pattern or structure of the tragedy and was only there for half the play, then it is clear that Brutus is the protagonist. In conclusion, anybody can say that Brutus is the protagonist just by his tragic flaw, the structure of his tragedy, and his failure to hear advice given to him throughout the story. It becomes clear that when Cassius offered Brutus to join the conspiracy, he was the protagonist. It was obvious that the tragic flaw would lead to Brutus’ death with all the bad decisions made. When Brutus failed to hear very important advice, it made the story more interesting. The structure of the tragedy would have anyone guessing what would happen next. Although Caesar or Cassius could be argued as the protagonist, Brutus has a lot more effect on the story and gave the story the conflict it needed, which clearly makes Brutus the protagonist.
His tragic flaw is that he trusts people too much and is easily manipulated. The real reason for him joining the conspiracy was because he “loved Caesar but loved Rome more. Marcus Brutus joins the conspiracy because he thought that he is preventing Caesar’s tyranny. He also thinks that by joining the conspiracy he is saving the people of Rome. He also trusts . After entering the conspiracy, he became responsible for Caesar’s death, which led to a civil war, which led to Brutus’s death. Brutus’ downfall is caused by his tragic
Throughout the play many characters are not who they turn out to be. Julius Caesar is a very good judge of character, he does not ruts Cassius, he says “ He thinks too much man, such men are dangerous”( shakespeare,1.2.195). Caesar foreshadows now dangerous Cassius is, Cassius is one person who stabs Caesar. Unlike Caesar, Brutus trusts people too much to see who they are. After Caesar 's death, Brutus trusts Marc Antony to give his speech, but Cassius says “ You know not what you do. Do not consent./ that Antony speak in his funeral. I know you how much the people may be moved/ by that which he will utter.” (shakespeare,3.2.333-335). Caesar was an amazing military leader, Brutus was not. Before Caesar becomes king, he gained land back to Rome “ Julius Caesar has just returned to Rome after a long civil war in which he defeated the forces of pompey” (applebee) Caesar led his military to victory and has the chance to take full control of Rome. brutus is a humble military leader company to Caesar. After Brutus won his battle over Octavius’ army, he left his men begin looting. Instead of helping Cassius’ army “ O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early,/ who, having some advantages on Octavius/ took it too eagerly. His soldiers fell to spoil/ whilst we by Antony are all enclosed .(Shakespeare,5.3.5-8) Brutus had a bad call when he did not send his army to help Cassius. With Caesars flaw being
William Shakespeare illustrates Marcus Brutus as a tragic hero in the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Shakespeare defines tragic hero as a flawed character who has good fortune, and then loses all he has prized, leading to his misfortune, but a tragic hero must have that moment of enlightenment, that moment where a character can see that he caused his own downfall and receives the blame for his own tragedy. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is based on an historical event- the assassination of Julius Caesar; however, the story revolves around the conspirators, not Caesar. The protagonists, Cassius and Brutus, are the main two conspirators: Cassius being the master-mind and Brutus being the face for the conspirators; Cassius tricks Brutus to join the conspirators under the false hope that the people fear Caesar and his authority, and Brutus wanting what the people want gave in to Cassius’s plan. The conspirators planned and acted on the assassination of Julius Caesar in the belief that by killing him, the republic government that held Rome high would last and the ideals of a monarchy would vanish with Caesar’s body. This was not the conclusion; by assassinating Julius Caesar, the man Rome longed for as their king, the conspirators created a king, Caesar’s adopted son. Instead of Brutus and Cassius becoming the heroes and new leaders of Rome, both are banished and hated, creating a struggle for them to receive relief of their power hunger for Rome, resulting in death. Brutus is the tragic hero of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar because he was flawed, caused his own downfall, faced a moment of enlightenment, and showed that he was an honorable man.
Brutus’s tragic flaw is that he is very easily manipulated and persuaded. He is very naïve and allows others to swindle him because he feels that no one would ever lie or deceive him since he didn’t do that to anyone. His first mistake is believing the forged letters from the conspirators. This was all ...
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.
In conclusion, Brutus’ mistakes and flaws are overshadowed by his honorable intentions and genuine motives. In a society littered with dishonorable, deceitful people like Antony, Brutus, with his sense of honor and integrity, contrast them all. Brutus’ greatest weakness is his tendency to believe people who script words to purposely lie or misguide him. Due to his actions, he ends up dying an honorable death of a self-suicide. Having genuine compassion and sympathy towards others is not a bad thing. However, decisions should not be so heavily influenced by the opinions of others. The significance of planning things out before doing them is clearly illustrated, as it is a way to foresee possible complications or problems that may arise. Ironically, the conspirators’ cause is for naught as Antony becomes the tyrant that they fear Caesar would have become.
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, ending the tragedy.
The William Shakespeare play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar tells the story of the assassination of Julius Caesar and the eight conspirators behind it. The play takes place in 44 B.C. in Rome. Marcus Brutus is the protagonist and face-man of the insidious conspiracy. He is also the tragic hero in this classic work of literature. Aristotle’s definition of the tragic hero is a character that has a character flaw, also known as hubris, and experiences a downfall from a high position in society due to this flaw. After this downfall, a tragic hero experiences an enlightenment. Brutus fits Aristotle’s description perfectly. Brutus has a severe character flaw and experiences a downfall from a high position in society. However, he is an honorable character that truly provokes sympathy from the audience.
Brutus’ final flaw is his idealism. His idealism leads him to believe everything that everybody tells him. His idealism causes him to believe in Antony and Cassius. Cassius uses Brutus’ idealism by getting him to believe that they are killing Caesar for the betterment of Rome. Antony uses the idealism to get to talk to the com 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).
In conclusion, Brutus is a tragic hero in this awe-inspiring play because he is burdened with countless character flaws that engender his inevitable awakening, enlightenment, and death. They also lead to his dramatic change from a despicable fiend, to a loved companion of Rome. Through massive loses, and profound change in character, Brutus is transformed into a kingly tragic hero.
Brutus's fatal flaw is his trustworthy nature. He joins the conspiracy not because he "loved Caesar less but loved Rome more." ( ) Brutus joins the conspiracy under the impression that he is preventing Caesar's tyranny and saving the people of Rome. He also trusts the motives of the other conspirators. In entering the conspiracy he is also responsible for the death of Caesar and the movement of the plot. The civil war is a direct result of Caesar's assassination and eventually Brutus's own death. Brutus's fall is definitely caused by his trustworthy nature.
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.
Unlike Beowulf and Sir Gawain, who are originally in control of their actions and judgments, Brutus is truly a tragic hero, as he is controlled by his friends’ grievous decisions. This action shows that parts of Brutus’ character is weak, as he is easily manipulated. Brutus has unwavering dedication to Rome and his friends are aware of it. They fear the direction Julius Caesar ruling is going and want to end his rule before it becomes any more drastic. Therefore, they convince Brutus to join their conspiracy in murdering Caesar. He feels that he is personally responsible for Rome’s fate. Throughout the play, he faces internal and emotional conflict about his actions. Therefore, Brutus shows indecisiveness when making decisions. Norman Sanders
A protagonist is the leading character or actor in a play, novel, or story. The leading character of a play is not easily interpreted. A protagonist does not necessarily have to be good or bad. Determining the protagonist is one of the many engaging issues presented in the play. Many characters exhibit the characteristics of a true protagonist in Julius Caesar, few stand out over all others. Caesar was a powerful, courageous, yet arrogant leader who is depicted in many different ways. Brutus friend of Caesar, loves Caesar greatly but does not think he possess leadership skills. Antony is loyal, trustworthy, and a devoted follower of Caesar, and proves to be a required character in Julius Caesar. All three of the protagonist must go through many highs and lows throughout the play. Brutus, Caesar, and Antony all qualify as protagonists in Julius Caesar because they all exhibit the required attributes.