Similarities Between Julius Caesar And Brutus

How is a hero defined? Nowadays, thousands of people are considered heroic. Whether it be a character like Spiderman or a policeman/ woman whose said to be a hero, in order to fit into Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero, there are some requirements. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is a character of great reputation and prosperity whose misfortune isn’t 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, which could be an excess of virtue. In the Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, both Marcus Brutus and Julius Caesar meet the criteria of being a tragic hero, but Julius Caesar impeccably meets Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero when compared to Brutus.

A tragic hero has great prosperity and both Marcus Brutus and Julius Caesar share this trait.

Brutus was very honest and noble and had sturdy relationships, especially with Cassius. For example, when Cassius spoke to Brutus, he persuades Brutus into thinking that every man honors him and how he is spoken highly of by the people of Rome (II. 1. 90-93). As you can see Cassius speaks to Brutus and tells him what the people think of him. Although this is somewhat true, this makes Brutus believe that he needs to “help” Rome and this would end up being his downfall. As for Caesar, he was filthy rich, he killed Pompey and his sons, he won land and was in the triumvirate. The commoners took a day off just to rejoice in Caesar’s triumph when he returned to Rome and said they made that day a holiday (I. 1. 30-31). As demonstrated, Caesar was popular with the people and this contributed to his prosperity. Caesar distinctly fits this aspect of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Correspondingly, Marcus Brutus also meets this part of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic

hero.
Aristotle also defined a tragic hero as a character with a great reputation and both Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus meet this expectation. Marcus Brutus defines this trait due to his well-known ancestors, nobility, and his honesty. Cassius tells Brutus that his ancestors would’ve let the devil himself rule in his Roman Republic before he let a king rule or before it became a dictatorship (I. 2. 159-161). Brutus’ ancestors contribute to his prosperity because it shows that he comes from a very strong-minded bloodline. For instance, his ancestors would never allow anyone to change what they had accomplished, furthermore, making Rome a republic. Likewise, Caesar was also known for his great reputation. This consisted of Caesar’s affection for the people as well as being a war hero. Correspondingly, Caesar defeated Pompey and all of his sons (I. 1. 11-13). Caesar was a great war hero and this very well contributes to his reputation. In like manner, Caesar was glorified by the people, which is clearly pointed out in his reputation.
A tragic hero is a virtuous man or woman, in this case, men. Marcus Brutus is virtuous in the fact that he loved Rome and was compassionate towards all people, even Caesar. Brutus spoke firmly to all the conspirators when saying that they must not kill Caesar wrathfully, rather with the mindset that his death is a necessity for the best of Rome (II. 1. 173-174). Brutus’ virtue was shown when he said that Caesar shouldn’t be murdered savagely and that he was only taking part in the conspiracy due to the fact that he was convinced that it would benefit Rome and the citizens. As for Caesar, his main virtue was that of his love for the people. Caesar said that he cries with the poor (III. 2. 73-75). This showed Caesar’s virtue because he cried when the poor cried meaning when the people of Rome were mourning so was he. Caesar felt for the poor and wanted the best for Rome, as proved in his will when he shared his wealth with the citizens of the Roman Republic, proving himself a virtuous man along with Brutus.
A tragic hero must have a tragic flaw and both Caesar and Brutus can perfectly define a tragic hero due to their flaws. Marcus Brutus is overly honorable and puts his trust in others early on in their relationship. When Cassius was trying to win over Brutus, he kept in mind that Brutus loved the people and would do anything for them and that this would make him naive and make it easier for him to give in to the conspiracy. Cassius wrote letters (in various handwritings to make it look as if others were writing them) to give Brutus a reason to join the conspiracy and take part in Caesar’s murder (I. 2. 92-94). Brutus trusted Cassius and obliviously/ blindly followed Cassius because he didn’t think that Cassius would commit such an act. This error in judgment led to a path of destruction and Brutus’ suicide after he felt such guilt and remorse after Caesar’s death as well as what he thought was Cassius’ capture. As for Caesar, his tragic flaw was his arrogance which resulted in his death. Caesar’s arrogance made it seem as if he was ambitious to the conspirators and this is the reason he was killed. When the soothsayer told him to beware the Ides of March, Caesar ignored him and said he was insane and left (I. 2. 23-24). He makes an error in judgment due to his cockiness and ignores the soothsayer who foreshadows his death. Caesar’s big head made the conspirators want to kill him more now that they had a reason.
While both Brutus and Caesar meet Aristotle’s criteria of a tragic hero, Caesar is the best fit for the title of a tragic hero. First off, the play itself is named after him, not Marcus Brutus. If anything, the title of the play would’ve been “The Tragedy of Marcus Brutus” if he was the tragic hero, but he isn’t because without Caesar there is no play at all. Correspondingly, Caesar was more known and popular with the citizens of Rome, whereas Brutus was only known for his honesty which turned out to be his downfall. In like manner, despite the fact that Caesar’s death was early in the plot, his influence was strong in the fact that everything that followed was to avenge Caesar.
Julius Caesar perfectly defines a tragic hero and more. Despite this, some may argue that Brutus is the tragic hero and can also make reasonable arguments in favor of him. For instance, Brutus has many soliloquies while Caesar has none. Although this may be true, the soliloquies Brutus does have, are mainly about Caesar. In addition, Brutus lives through the duration of the whole play until his death in the last scene. Nevertheless, Caesar still impacts everyone even though he is deceased. Moreover, after the murder of Caesar, everything following was to avenge Caesar. Similarly, Brutus is just another character in the play, whereas Julius Caesar is the most prominent tragic hero of this play.
Even though Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus fulfill the definition of a tragic hero as set forth by Aristotle, Caesar fulfills it impeccably. After all, the play wouldn’t exist if Caesar didn’t play the main role and the title itself states that it’s the tragedy of Julius Caesar, not Marcus Brutus. Despite his tragic flaw and the fact that he was destined for downfall, Julius Caesar is not only a man of great reputation, prosperity, and virtue, he is also the rightful tragic hero.