In William Shakespeare 's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus possesses all of the traits of a tragic hero in the eyes of Aristotle. Brutus is the perfect candidate for a tragic hero, containing all of the tragic hero traits. This includes nobility, peripeteia, anagnorisis, and catharsis. Between everything Brutus does for the people of Rome, he shows anyone that he is the most noble of them all. He definitely proves himself to be an honorable man. Out of all the things that describe Brutus, noble is a good choice overall. Brutus is a highly complex character considering that he was one of the conspirators involved in the assassination of Julius Caesar. He is honorable but evil, a villain and a hero, loved and hated all at the same time.
…show more content…
In catharsis the audience feels pity for Brutus. The element of catharsis starts as Brutus dies. Strato obeys Brutus and assists in his suicide out of love, honor, and respect. Brutus also acknowledges Caesar in his last words, “Caesar now be still; / I killed not thee with half so a good a will.” (V.v.50-51) The debt at this point has been paid, a life for a life. When Antony first discovers that Brutus is dead, he and Octavius acknowledge just how great Brutus was all of the other conspirators were jealous of Caesar, except Brutus. He acts out of honesty and what is best for all the people of Rome. Whenever Antony talks of Brutus to Octavius, Antony tells him, “This was the most noblest Roman of them all. / All the conspirators save only he / Did that they did in great envy of Caesar; / … His life was gentle in the elements / So mixed in him that Nature might stand up / And say to all the world, ‘This was a man!’” (V.v.68-70,73-75). It is proven here that Antony has a great deal of respect for Brutus and shows that Brutus truly is an honorable man. In this time, suicide is not a noble thing. Someone who takes their own life is considered a coward. However, in this case of Brutus, he was treated as an honorable soldier. Octavius, who was an enemy of Brutus, he too, had a very great deal of respect for Brutus. Keeping his body in his tent, and giving him the funeral rites of an honorable soldier. Octavius closes the play in saying, “According to his virtue, let us use him / With all respect and rites of proper burial. / Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie, / Most like a soldier ordered honorably. / So called the fear to rest, and let’s away / To part the glories of this happy day.” (V.v.76-81). This deal of respect and empathy for Brutus definitely portrays as an honorable
In catharsis the audience feels pity for Brutus. The element of catharsis starts as Brutus dies. Strato obeys Brutus and assists in his suicide out of love, honor, and respect. Brutus also acknowledges Caesar in his last words, “Caesar now be still; / I killed not thee with half so a good a will.” (V.v.50-51) The debt at this point has been paid, a life for a life. When Antony first discovers that Brutus is dead, he and Octavius acknowledge just how great Brutus was all of the other conspirators were jealous of Caesar, except Brutus. He acts out of honesty and what is best for all the people of Rome. Whenever Antony talks of Brutus to Octavius, Antony tells him, “This was the most noblest Roman of them all. / All the conspirators save only he / Did that they did in great envy of Caesar; / … His life was gentle in the elements / So mixed in him that Nature might stand up / And say to all the world, ‘This was a man!’” (V.v.68-70,73-75). It is proven here that Antony has a great deal of respect for Brutus and shows that Brutus truly is an honorable man. In this time, suicide is not a noble thing. Someone who takes their own life is considered a coward. However, in this case of Brutus, he was treated as an honorable soldier. Octavius, who was an enemy of Brutus, he too, had a very great deal of respect for Brutus. Keeping his body in his tent, and giving him the funeral rites of an honorable soldier. Octavius closes the play in saying, “According to his virtue, let us use him / With all respect and rites of proper burial. / Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie, / Most like a soldier ordered honorably. / So called the fear to rest, and let’s away / To part the glories of this happy day.” (V.v.76-81). This deal of respect and empathy for Brutus definitely portrays as an honorable