What a Tragedy

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What a Tragedy

In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare there are more than one tragic hero. A tragic hero is a character that falls from good fortune and is enlightened of their mistakes by the end of the story. In this play several conspirators are going against Caesar in fear of him becoming the next king of Rome. They decide to kill him on the ides of March in the senate house and then to play it off as a favor to the people of Rome. Mark Antony then speaks to the people to seek revenge on the conspirators, when this happens, Brutus and Cassius lead an army against Antony and both Brutus and Cassius die. The best example of a tragic hero in this play is Brutus. He was a highly honored man in Rome, but he made some bad choices like conspiring against Caesar. This causes him to lose his honor, family, and Roman respect. Brutus is the tragic hero because he has a fatal flaw, a series of bad choices that he makes, and can be felt sympathetic towards in the end.

It is not hard to discern that Brutus’ main flaw is his honor. “ I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus, As well as I do know your outward favor. Well, honor is the subject of my story”(892). Cassius is essentially telling Brutus that his honor should be enough of a reason for Brutus to join Cassius. When Cassius saw that it was not enough to get Brutus to comply he said ” There was a Brutus once that would have brooked Th’ eternal devil to keep his state in Rome As easily as a king” (894). Here, Cassius is referring to one of Brutus’ ancestors who helped to expel the last king of Rome. This is challenging Brutus’ family honor in a sense that since your ancestors did it you should, too. Brutus later responds,” What you would work me to, I have some aim; How...

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.... Brutus is saying that he is going to kill Casar for the benefit of the Roman people. This, is my eyes, makes him sympathetic and honorable.

In conclusion, Brutus is the best example of a tragic hero in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. He starts out with many good fortunes like a great wife, highly honored, and a friend to Caesar and ends up a widowed, and not liked Roman who throws himself onto a blade, only to receive enlightenment with his final breath. He can also be felt sympathetic towards at the end of the story because he has lost everything and did it all for what he thought was for the general good. This helps the reader not to think that it was a good thing he died. This all comes together to say that Brutus is and honorable man and a tragic hero.

Works Cited

Elements of Literature. Orlando: Holt, Winston, Rinehart, 2007.

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