Julius Caesar Tragic Hero Research Paper

Shakespeare’s Tragic Hero The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a play of honor, loyalty, and betrayal. Written by William Shakespeare, the play, unlike what its name may suggest, focuses on Marcus Brutus. Brutus is the tragic hero, and he has one tragic flaw. The play tells the story of what happens when his tragic flaw becomes a catastrophe. Shakespeare incorporates traditional elements throughout the story on what a tragic hero should be. The first traditional element that is introduced is how the tragic hero is usually from noble descent. Marcus Brutus is the descendant of Lucius Junius Brutus. Lucius Brutus overthrew the tyrannical Tarquin kings and established a democracy that lasted hundreds of years. The Roman people were proud of their democracy, so Marcus Brutus decided to be a part of it and become a Senator. People knew who his ancestor was and respected him because of it. Cassius even takes note of Brutus’s blood line when he says, “O, you and I have heard our fathers say, / There was a Brutus once that would have brooked / Th’ …show more content…
Brutus’s problems stem from his involvement with the murder of Caesar. He killed Caesar, because he was afraid of him becoming a dictator who would destroy the democracy of Rome. Manipulated by Cassius and the fake letters he had written, he believed that he was going to kill him, because the people wanted him to do it. Cassius and the other conspirators killed Caesar, because they were envious of his growing power. They only used Brutus to make their cause seem just and right. Although Brutus believed it to be an honorable act, he merely followed, because it seemed like the right thing to do. He thought that their goals were aligned, and they all would kill Caesar for the good of Rome. He was a pawn whose image and life was sacrificed to match the goals of Cassius and the