When Was Julius Caesar Tragic Hero

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A common trope in traditional literature is the story of a tragic hero. Thousands of stories have been written with the foundation of “tragic heroes” building the main character. Tragic heroes are often defined as heroes that start considerably wealthy or famous but are soon defeated by their fatal flaws, often leading to their untimely deaths. A decades-long argument is whether Julius Caesar is a tragic hero, with reasonable evidence defending both sides. Julius Caesar could be considered a tragic hero due to his credible means of nobility, his various fatal flaws, and his catastrophic fate. Julius Caesar can be considered a tragic hero due to his various legitimate means of nobility. As established on the first page, Julius Caesar was the …show more content…

Caesar was also acclaimed for his camaraderie with his men, something that Brutus was not known for. These positive traits validated Caesar’s nobility, as detailed by Casca, when he states “I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown. and, as I told you, he put it on once. And then he offered it the third time. He put it the third time. And still, as he refused, the rabblement hooted.” (Shakespeare 1.2.235-243). Additionally, Caesar was constantly gaining more power, making him a feared figure in the Roman Republic. The general republic was terrified of Caesar, if he became emperor it was expected that he would strip the senators of their power, which feared conspirators such as Brutus and Cassius. Caesar’s power validated his nobility, as compared to the strength of a …show more content…

For example, Caesar was too ambitious. Caesar wanted to be king of Rome, and he was widely supported by the general public. However, Caesar kept refusing the crown to show humility, therefore his conquests would be justified under his rule. His ambition led him to ignore the soothsayer’s warnings, which could have saved him from his fate. However, ambition is only one of Caesar’s fatal flaws. Additionally, Caesar had too big of an ego. The successes of his power and his future as emperor went straight to Caesar’s head, which led to hubris, which was the main cause of Caesar’s downfall. Caesar even confirms his ego, as he says: “Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause will be satisfied” (Shakespeare 3.1.47-48), which shows that Caesar believes he is perfect. Finally, Caesar was physically unhealthy. While this is not a fatal flaw caused by Caesar, he was diagnosed with epilepsy, which resulted in multiple seizures. This is a major flaw that enacts empathy, which validates the fact that Caesar is a tragic hero. While some may argue that Caesar's fatal flaws weren’t extreme enough to be considered “fatal flaws”, this is incorrect, as ambition leads to corruption, which leads to fatalities, even in the modern world. While Caesar was a tragic hero due to his various fatal flaws, he was also a tragic hero because of his tragic

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