The Role Of The Tragic Hero In Julius Caesar

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A tragic hero: a literary character that makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his or her own destruction. Although Julius Cesar may not seem as though he is, he is the tragic hero of the play. He was noble enough to go against orders from his superiors. He had flaws of ambition and arrogance; that ultimately lead to his cataclysmic death, making Julius Caesar the tragic hero. While reading the play Julius Caesar, many people may find themselves connecting to Brutus much more than Caesar. Caesar is only in the play a short time, but his part in the play is crucial to Brutus’ fate. Julius Caesar was unquestionably noble. He had rarely second guessed himself and took action on things that he found important. Caesar had been ordered …show more content…
Brutus mentioned the flaw of ambition in his speech at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus said, “There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune;/ honor for his valor; and death for his ambition.” (III.ii.26-27). Brutus is trying to explain to the crowd that Caesar was a noble man, but his ambitions eventually lead to his death. At the funeral, Antony also mentioned some words about Caesar ambition in his speech. He said, “The noble Brutus/ Hath told you Caesar was ambitious;/ If it were so, it was a grievous fault,/ And grievous hath Caesar answer’d it.” (III.ii.75-78). In Antony’s speech, he tries to manipulate the publics’ opinion on the situation that took place and ultimately got the public to rise. He made Caesar look like the tragic hero. Antony put doubt into the publics’ minds telling them that, “Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;/ And Brutus is an honorable man.” (III.ii.91-92). Brutus was correct when he said that Caesar’s largest flaw was his ambition, but Antony was able to argue against that and make the public think that it Brutus was wrong. Both Antony and Brutus knew that one of Caesar’s flaws was ambition, but Antony was on a mission to retrieve …show more content…
He rose to power. Then, others decided that they did not want him in power and took his life. There is a lot of irony in the fact that Caesar fought in so many battles and survived, yet he meets his end at the Senate in Rome. Caesar rose to power much to quickly and the people around him became envious. Antony, although a “loyal” follower, was power hungry and as soon as Caesar had died, Antony was planning on how to take the power for himself. In Julius Caesar, after Brutus makes the final stab, Antony states, “I doubt not of your wisdom./ Let each man render me his bloody hand.” (III.i.183-184). This makes it seem as though Antony is with the conspirators. Then when they funeral speeches take place Antony says, “O masters! if I were dispos’d to stir/ Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, I should do Brutus and Cassius wrong,/ Who (you all know) are honorable men.” (III.ii.119-122). That statement shows that Antony is the classic manipulative friend and Caesar is the classic ruler taken before his time. People may try to turn this around and say that Brutus is the tragic hero or that Caesar was the antagonist. In a way, they would also be right. Although that theory would be right, so is the theory that has been presented. Brutus killed his friend and then, in turn, killed himself out of guilt and defeat. His friend and people he trusted most killed Caesar, in the city of Rome. Caesar could have been killed in battle by

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