Brutus as the Tragic Hero
According to Aristotle, “A tragic hero is a character who is not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice and depravity, but by some error or frailty…” The classic tragic hero has some type of tragic character flaw which creates an inner struggle, leads to his making a serious error in judgment, and leads to his eventual downfall and death.
In Julius Caesar Brutus displays the traits of a tragic hero through out this play. His tragic flaw is his being too naive. He makes an error in judgment, and when this error occurred it causes his own downfall. But Brutus causes his own downfall when after killing Caesar all of Rome turns against the conspirators. And all these events cause his death. However, the factors that have made him a tragic hero are discussed below:
The main reason that Marcus Brutus deserves the title of tragic hero is his noble personality. First of all, throughout the play, he never deceives anyone. Although he did murder Julius Caesar, it was for the good of Rome, not to deceive Caesar. Everything that he did was for the benefit of someone else. Even though he killed Antony's best friend, Antony still recognized Brutus as "the noblest Roman of them all." He does this in Act 5, Scene 5, after Brutus' death because Brutus the only conspirator that actually killed Caesar because he "loved Caesar less but loved Rome more." He cared more about others than he did himself. For instance, in the process of killing Caesar, he could have easily backed out because he knew he might have been punished, but he knew in the long run, that it would help the plebeians most. Another example of his selflessness is in Act 2, Scene 1. Brutus decides not to tell Portia his plans for the murder of Caesar. He feels she already has enough stress in her life and does not need to worry or deal with his plans.
Brutus also frequently demonstrated many acts of affection toward others. In Act 1, Scene 2, he is reluctant to join Cassius's conspiracy because he did not want to betray Caesar. He had to weigh his choices and in Act 3, Scene 2, Brutus kills Caesar only because he is afraid of what will happen to Rome if Caesar remains ruler. He knew the commoners’
This displays that Brutus has no personal resentment towards Caesar, but is doing what is best for the Roman people. Therefore, Marcus Brutus’s moral integrity shows in his decisions, which makes him a tragic hero.
The Tragedy of Brutus In every single story no matter what it is, there is a character that makes or breaks the story. Whether it is good or bad, without that one character, the story would be incomplete. If there was any character in any story like that every, it would be Brutus. Brutus is not like any other ordinary person; he is much more complex and the plays tragic hero.
In order to fit this said mold of a tragic hero, there are several essential elements needed of said character. Traditionally, the character must be of noble birth. This can clearly be said of Marcus Brutus, who descended from the honorable Junius Brutus, who according to Marcus Brutus’s letter in 2.1, “...did from the streets of Rome/ The Tarquin drive, when he was called a king” (Shakespeare 2.1.52-54). Junius Brutus was the valiant Roman known for his extraordinary role in overthrowing the Tarquin King, ending the 200 year old monarchy that ruled Rome since its founding. Along with removing the monarchy, Junius Brutus began the Roman Republic, promising democracy and freedom to all of his ever so grateful citizens. It is this ancestor that seems to shape the Marcus Brutus in Shakespeare’s play. Brutus, just as his ancestor, feels that it is his duty to protect democracy within Rome. As the reader knows, this selfless notion leads kind Brutus to suffer from his own catastrophe. An internal battle, in which Brutus becomes so devastated that he is led to kill himself. Though like a flame, catastrophe needs a spark. Brutus is not perfect, his suicide was the product of his own personal errors.
Is Brutus a tragic hero? In my opinion Brutus is very much a hero in Julius Caesar, I’m not just saying this just because of his action’s towards Caesar. A lot of people would agree that what Brutus did to Caesar is wrong, I obviously agree that it is a bad thing that he did to Caesar. What he did to Caesar resulted in many deaths, including his. He is a tragic hero because of his such strong relationship and devotion to Rome and the people in it, he also has a strong relationship to Caesar, but he favored Rome more.
“A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction,” (Aristotle). Aristotle believed that a character was a tragic hero if they made a decision or decisions that lead to their death in the end. I do believe Brutus was a tragic hero .Brutus had a need to be in power and also the decisions he made to get that caused his death in the end and also his tragic flaw made him a tragic hero.
Brutus is a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a complex character whose bad decisions lead to their downfall. Brutus makes many decisions, wise and foolish, throughout the course of the play, which ultimately leads to his destruction. Brutus is a tragic hero because he is A, B, and C.
Brutus - The Real Tragic Hero Brutus is a complex character in the play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare. The whole plot of the story is centered around Brutus. Although Caesar is the focus of the play’s title, Brutus is the character who undergoes the main tragedy. A typical tragic hero is a character who makes a judgment mistake that leads to his or her own downfall.
Brutus puts the people of Rome before himself. Brutus kills Caesar “for the general” good of Rome (2.1.12). Brutus’ decision to join the conspirators is not for personal gain, but it is for the best of both the citizens and the republic of Rome. When speaking to the public at Caesar’s funeral, Brutus elaborates that he “[loves] Rome more” than he loved Caesar (3.2.23-24). Brutus cares for the people of Rome, and he will do anything to protect them.
Patricia Perez Mrs. Mallafre English 2 Honors Alpha April 25, 2016 Tragic Hero: Caesar and Brutus As defined by Aristotle, a tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his or her own destruction. Tragic heroes have been portrayed in numerous plays. Whether these plays were performed in the Globe theatre or were written by the author late at night, tragic heroes always seem to make an appearance. Their tragic flaw comes from the character’s personality, which is contained in their psychological disposition.
For example when he was invited to join Cassius’s conspiracy, he hesitated because he didn’t want to betray his good friend Caesar (Act 1, Scene 2). Brutus knew in the long run that killing Caesar would help the future of the city that he loved. The way Caesar was ruling Rome would have eventually harmed the city. They killed Caesar not for hating him, but for the good of the plebeians and the stability of Rome (Act 3, Scene
Marcus Brutus fulfills the characteristics, which the tragic hero possesses, of being fatally flawed and prominent in society. His family is famous and has a celebrity status. The Brutus family accomplishes the impeachment of the previous king many years ago. He and his entire family are considered honorable. Brutus is considered so honorable, in fact, that he is chosen as a senator under Caesar. The townspeople and the government adore him for his incredible oration powers. He also claims that he loves “...the name
A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. There are many characteristics of a tragic hero that help decide whether a character can be considered one. In Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, one of the main character’s, Brutus, can be considered a tragic hero. In the play he has a major fatal flaw, he is easily manipulated. This fatal flaw leads to a serious error in judgement, and eventually his downfall.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle once stated that “a man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” By Shakespearean definition, a tragic hero is someone of high position such as a nobleman, who has hamartia, a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall, and even his demise. This is strongly illustrated in Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, where Marcus Brutus’ desire to remain noble and honourable leads him to naivety and self destruction. The plot of the play revolves around removing power from Caesar, causing the inability of Marcus Brutus to reconcile his guilt over his involvement in the assassination. Although Marcus Brutus was developed as the main tragic hero of the play, there would be no tragedy without
Brutus is the tragic hero in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. What is a tragic hero? According to Aristotle a tragic hero must fall out of extremely good fortune and power to gain sympathy from the audience. A leader in the government of Rome, a prospering and honorable man, are descriptions that fit Brutus at his pinnacle. As a result, Brutus starts the play in a position of good fortune. Aristotle also said that a tragic hero arouses pity and fear in the audience. Another trait of Brutus is displayed, when he falls out of this fortune which rouses condolences from the audience. The audience is concerned for him because he has been portrayed as an honorable man. But a tragic hero should also have a “tragic flaw”. In Brutus’s case he is
A hero has many attributes and characteristics that can both positively and negatively affect them. A hero can then be considered a tragic hero through the choices that eventually bring about their demise. At first glance, Caesar may appear to be the tragic hero, when the real tragedy actually lies in Brutus’s story in William Shakespeare 's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.