Examples Of Marcus Brutus Being A Tragic Hero

Great Essays
Tragic Hero Essay The play of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a tale of the tragic fall of one of Rome’s great leaders. Shakespeare uses the idea of a tragic hero, Marcus Brutus, to move the audience by the actions of the hero. Shakespeare also incorporates his own traditional elements into the play. Despite the title of the play the main character is Marcus Brutus. Through the duration of the play Brutus kills Caesar because that is what he decides is best for Rome and its democracy. One gets glimpses of the internal struggles of Brutus in the play as he strives for his perfect idea of Rome. The author makes the point throughout the play to present a character’s inner turmoil directly through dramatic devices. In this …show more content…
One of the three elements of being a tragic hero is your ancestors, this is where Junius Brutus comes in. Junius Brutus is an ancestor of Marcus Brutus. Junius Brutus is very important because he overthrew the tyrannical kings after things had gotten out of hand. Junius Brutus also started a democracy. Marcus Brutus’ ancestry is shown when the play states “There was a Brutus once that would have brooked Th’ eternal devil keep his state in Rome as easily as a king” (I.ii.159-161). Next Brutus suffers from a catastrophe which takes part in making him a tragic hero. The catastrophe Brutus suffers from is when he realizes that the other conspirators did not kill Caesar for the right reasons and that such an honorable person put himself with such bad people. Brutus was great friends with Caesar and he loved him but Brutus felt that he was compelled to kill him because that was what was going to be the best for Rome and its government. For example Brutus states “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (III.ii.21-22). Finally Brutus expresses his tragic flaw throughout the play as it helps contribute to the making of him becoming a tragic hero. Marcus Brutus’s tragic flaw is idealism. He wants too much for Rome. He wants …show more content…
Shakespeare incorporates the idea of a tragic hero throughout the play. In this case the tragic hero is Marcus Brutus. Marcus Brutus is a tragic hero because he has gone through a catastrophe which is when he realized the conspirators killed Caesar for the wrong reasons and that he being such a noble person has gotten involved with so many bad people. Another reason he is a tragic hero is because of his ancestor Junius Brutus. Finally Marcus Brutus is a tragic hero because of his tragic flaw which is idealism, his idea of making Rome perfect. Shakespeare adds complexity to his heros who may have opposing desires. On one side Brutus has an immense concern for Rome and what would happen to it if Caesar would be crowned king. On the other side Brutus has a great amount of love and appreciation for Caesar. Brutus makes three choices throughout the play that contribute to negative outcomes. One is his decision to allow Marc Antony to speak at Caesar 's funeral. Another bad decision he made was to get involved with such barbaric people. One more choice Brutus made was not to march forward with his army and top let the enemy seek him out so that his army would have an abundance of energy and be ready to fight as soon as they meet up with the other army. The outcome of Brutus’ actions wasn’t very good because the Roman government fell as a democracy and became a monarchy under the rule of Octavius. This makes

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Brutus As A Villain Essay

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Shakespeare explores many aspects on whether characters are heros or villians in his play Julius Caesar. There especially is much controversy over whether one of his main characters, Brutus, is a villain or a hero. Brutus does many good things for Rome, but he also has bad aspects to his character which add to the plot. However in my opinion, for the reasons and examples I found, I believe Brutus is a villain instead of a hero. Even though I believe Brutus is a villain in the story, I don’t believe he is a bad person.…

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    A hero often displays a tragic flaw, a characteristic that brings about a downfall. A tragic hero is a person usually of noble birth, who suffers catastrophe. In the play,” The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,” very much like other tragedies, this play had much suspense with the characters especially Brutus, and Cassius. Brutus contrasts very well with Cassius in this play. Cassius wanted to kill Caesar so he can gain the power which was for his own personal gain.…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the play, Julius Caesar, a man named Brutus is a military officer, respected by many. He is pulled back and forth to pick which side he will fight for in the plotting against Caesar. Brutus has a few friends who will help him along the way, but for the most part, his personality will drive him the most. Brutus cares most about others, his reputation, and his honor.…

    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, “Julius Caesar,” Brutus and Antony portrayed two antagonizing reactions after Caesar’s regicide. This scene not only lays the framework for the rest of the play, but also exemplifies the personality traits of Brutus and Antony. Their persuasion throughout their monologues helps to rally the plebeians in support of their causes. In response, this scene marks a turning point in the play and subsequently foreshadows Brutus’ murder. It shows how Brutus’ actions and words eventually lead to his decimation, especially with the help of Antony’s coaxing of the plebeians.…

    • 890 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Brutus Flaws

    • 1229 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In all Shakespearian tragedies, a tragic hero is a literary character who has great promise, ability, and integrity of character. However, a tragic hero is identified by his tragic flaw. In Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar, Brutus’ naïve idealism and poor judgement make up his one tragic flaw – his trusting nature. In many instances, Shakespeare shows that Brutus’ tragic flaw lead to his downfall at the end of the play; he fell for Cassius’ sweet words and flattery, he truly believed that Caesar had to be killed in order to prevent a tyranny in Rome, and he wholeheartedly trusted that Antony had no motive to harm him and spared his life.…

    • 1229 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Corruption In Brutus

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Brutus not only creates an issue in his head that is not there, based on historical occurrences and personal assumptions about power, but he carries out the perverse solution he has been influenced to believe is necessary in confronting the imagined issue. His statements that claim recognition of the corruption of which he is victim and toward which he is headed are brief and quickly abandoned. He recognizes that “since Cassius first did whet [him] against Caesar, [he] ha[s] not slept” (II.i.64), a recognition of unconscious unsettlement, and then immediately exonerates himself with the following: “The genius and the mortal instruments are then in council, and the state of man, like to a little kingdom, suffers then the nature of an insurrection” (II.i.69). Brutus illustrates the trial of his decision to kill…

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Julius Caesar Flaws

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In Julius Caesar, our tragic hero is coincidentally our most complex character. Marcus Junius Brutus, a senator who ultimately spearheads the conspiracy to murder Caesar, reveals himself throughout the play as a hero who brings about his own destruction through a terminal flaw. Marcus Brutus is a tragic hero because he is someone of high standing in the Roman community, he…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Julius Caesar Flaws

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Julius Caesar is a tragedy about a ruler that is murdered by a group of conspirators, they go into a civil war with Caesar’s right hand man. William Shakespeare, in his tragedy Julius Caesar, proved that anyone with nobility, good intentions and the ability to recognize flaws will be a true hero. Brutus was trying to do everything he could for the people of Rome. Brutus explained why he killed Caesar, “That at his will he may do danger with. / The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins / Remorse from power” (II.i.17-19).…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout many of William Shakespeare’s plays, a noble hero is identified. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar the role of the main character can be considered a matter for debate. After defeating Pompey, Julius Caesar is the ruler of Rome. He is marked as one of the most valiant men throughout the region; however, Caesar does not compare to Marcus Brutus. Brutus is considered the hero through his noble personality, affection, and his will to fight for a greater cause.…

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This sets him up as a main protagonist for the rest of the play. This passage provides more insight into the internal workings of Brutus - since nobody is around to hear him speak this, we get a glimpse at the truth behind Brutus’s ambitions. It is revealed that Brutus is a practical man who cares for the general public more than he cares about himself or his friends; yet, we also see that he is worrisome and cuts to conclusions.…

    • 1001 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Noble Brutus Marcus Brutus is the tragic hero in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by Julius Caesar. A tragic hero is defined as someone of noble birth with heroic characteristics. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus faces a very difficult decision. He must choose between the good of the people in Rome, and the life of his best friend.…

    • 1235 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the plot revolves around the protagonist, Marcus Brutus, and his actions. Brutus was not only a protagonist; he was also a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. Brutus was characterized as a noble, honorable Roman throughout the entire play. But what did it really mean when his friends, allies, and even enemies described him as this virtuous character when an error in judgment would ultimately lead to his death?…

    • 1130 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a tragic story of the downfall of the almighty, powerful ruler of Rome, Julius Caesar. A tragic hero is a character that makes a judgement error that leads to their own destruction. There are many other factors that determine whether a character is a tragic hero or not. Factors including: being of higher class, dying by the end of the literary work, and/or possessing a fatal flaw. The character Brutus is considered the tragic hero because he possesses a fatal flaw, he makes a judgement error that leads to his own destruction, and he experiences peripeteia.…

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The acclaimed play written by William Shakespeare,The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, should go by another name, The Tragedy of Brutus. Brutus is the main character and hidden protagonist, he is a senate member scarred by Ceaser rising so quickly to kingdom. After being mislead by many friends he decides to assist in the murder of Julius Caesar. The noble Brutus is truly the only protagonist in the play, he should be the center of the play in the stead of the short lived and arrogant Julius Caesar.…

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A tragic hero is a character who develops an action that leads to a tragic flaw and can cause their fault. Brutus, in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, is a tragic character because he posses the flaw of being naive and has poor judgement. A tragedy is dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, takes place in ancient Rome where there is a celebration being held in honor of Julius Caesar for defeating Pompey.…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays