What Makes a Tragic Hero? Have you ever wondered what makes a tragic hero? A tragic hero is someone that has been extremely successful, but has only a few flaws that outweigh the positive characteristics and ultimately lead to this person's downfall. A tragic hero may appear very well – almost perfect – to the audience, but when one important moment comes, they fail. These flaws could range from greedy things like being overly ambitious all the way to humble things like trying to be too honorable. When reading Shakespeare’s historical drama “The tragedy of Julius Caesar”, one will find a few different characters who can be identified as tragic heroes. The most obvious two are Julius Caesar and Brutus; however, another one can be found with closer …show more content…
Caesar was extremely ambitious and power hungry, and he really wanted to be crowned king. “Oh, how I wish we could oppose Caesars spirit - his overblown ambition - and not hack up Caesar himself, alas Caesar must bleed” - Brutus, (II,i, 176-178). It is this ambition that causes distrust among many people. When Caesar is offered the crown three times, he refuses only so that the people will trust in him more. Eventually, a few men notice how powerful Caesar has become and worry if Caesar will ever be able to stop. These men plot together and make a plan to kill Caesar. Many people warn Caesar and there are many bad signs, still Caesar remains too ignorant to believe them. “He is a dreamer, let’s leave him, pass” (I, ii, 26), he replied to a soothsayer who warned him about his coming death. Caesar's ignorance leads to his eventual murder. After he is killed, Caesar becomes a ghost that visits Brutus in act 4. In act 5, Caesar gets the last laugh when he causes the suicides of both Brutus and Cassius. Marcus Brutus is another character that comes to mind when you hear tragic hero, and he probably fits this description the
In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar could definitely be thought of as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a character in a story that is high standing in society, but has a flaw that inevitably leads to their downfall. Julius Caesar definitely fits this description. He is a leader in Rome and has everything he could ever want. However, he does have a weakness which will be devastating to his life. There are many people who would like to kill him but Caesar is not worried. Julius Caesar’s flaw is arrogance and believes he is invulnerable. He also, right before his death discovers a discernment more devastating than the knife wounds, and finally he is and unsympathetic character because of many reasons.
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).
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. I came to this conclusion due to the fact that Brutus shares many similarities with other tragic heroes in literature such as Oedipus, Hamlet, and Ralph from Lord of the Flies. All four characters share the two critical traits that are needed to be tragic heroes: a tragic flaw that eventually leads to a tragic downfall. The tragic hero was defined by Aristotle, yet the “invention” of the tragic hero goes to Sophocles.
In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, I saw two main characters as tragic heroes. First, I saw Julius Caesar as a tragic hero because his will to gain power was so strong that he ended up losing his life for it. The fact that he could have been such a strong leader was destroyed when he was killed by conspirators. I saw Marcus Brutus as a second tragic hero in this play. Brutus was such a noble character that did not deserve to die. The main reason why he did die, however, was because he had led a conspiracy against Caesar and eventually killed him. These two characters were the tragic heroes of the play in my opinion.
Throughout many of Shakespeare's plays, a tragic hero is identified; a heroic figure that possesses a character flaw that leads to his defeat. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, there has been controversies over who is actually the tragic hero. Many people agree that Marcus Brutus is the tragic hero. However, others argue and identify Julius Caesar as the tragic hero. After examining these two characters, a conclusion is easily drawn. Brutus is the tragic hero of this play because when a person who possesses such heroic qualities dies, it is a true tragedy.
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.
A tragic hero is a man of high estate, with honor, nobility and is highly respected, someone who has experienced a fall of epic proportions with great suffering. In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus is seen as the tragic hero because of his nobility in his relationship with Rome, his proof of honor when he takes his life and his tragic fall regarding his trustworthiness with everyone. Brutus is considered a noble man because of his close relationship with Caesar, however Brutus values his relationship with Rome more than his relationship with Caesar. In an act, for the good of Rome, Brutus and several conspirators form a group to kill Caesar, the reader sees Brutus in conflict with himself about killing Caesar because he and Caesar
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.
Julius Caesar may have been a noble person, but the people of Rome did not think so. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare shows the Caesar comes to an unhappy end when he is murdered by the people he loved most. Within this play Julius Caesar is portrayed as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is defined as “the main character of a tragedy [who is] usually dignified, courageous, and high ranking” (Novel Study Guide). Also vital to defining a tragic hero is that, “the hero’s downfall is caused by a tragic flaw” (Novel Study Guide). It is evident that Julius Caesar is William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is a tragic hero given that he is of noble stature, has a fatal flaw and comes to an unhappy end.
In tragedy plays, there is a character who suffers from a tragic flaw in his or her personality may it be excessive pride, poor judgement, or both which eventually leads to the hero’s downfall and makes the character the tragic hero. In Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Marcus Brutus is the tragic hero of the play due to his tragic flaw which is his naïve and over-trusting personality, which he eventually realizes too late but still aims to prevent his loss of dignity.
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.
A tragic hero is the antithesis for the common protagonist. Most protagonists show how they overcome great obstacles however, the tragic hero shows a more humane character, that stumbles and falls. The tragic hero usually exhibits three specific traits that lead to his or her downfall. In the play, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, the characters of Brutus and Caesar both exhibit the three attributes of a tragic character. The first trait of any tragic hero is a high rank and potential for greatness. Both Brutus and Caesar hold his trait, as they are beloved high ranking Romans. The second characteristic a tragic hero must possess; is a fatal flaw that dominates their personality, and Brutus’ sense of justice and Caesar’s ego, fulfill this
Tragic Hero Essay In the play Julius Caesar, Brutus falls into the category of a tragic hero through his actions and downfall throughout the play. A tragic hero is a character that possesses certain characteristics such as someone who commits an action or mistake leading to their default. Brutus is the tragic hero because likes all tragic heroes he possesses a flaw leading to his downfall, yet tries to make it right.
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.