The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, a play by William Shakespeare, in many ways follows the traditional form of a tragedy, including a tragic hero. Marcus Brutus, friend of Caesar turned lead conspirator and the true main character of the play, follows Shakespeare’s specific model for a tragic hero. The tragic hero is a traditional element in tragedies. A tragic hero can be defined as a person of noble birth who suffers a catastrophe. A tragic hero also has a tragic flaw, which is a personal flaw that influences a hero’s choices leading to the catastrophe. Shakespeare followed the traditional model for a tragic hero but he also consistently added his own elements. Shakespeare’s tragic heroes had complexity and internal conflict and they present
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Brutus did not show indecision over the little things that got him into trouble, but he did show indecision over the big thing, participating in the conspiracy to murder Julius Caesar. On one hand, Brutus does not want Rome to be subject to tyranny at the hands of Caesar and is a very patriotic citizen. Brutus expresses his opinion that Caesar has great potential to be dangerous in Act II of Julius Caesar, “And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg, which, hatch’d, would as his kind, grow mischievous and kill him in the shell” (II.i.32-34). In this quote, Brutus also expresses the opinion that, since Caesar has such great potential to cause harm, he should be disposed of right away for the safety of Rome. On the other hand, Brutus and Caesar are good friends and Brutus does not want to kill his friend. “I know no personal cause to spurn at him” (II.i.11). According to J.L Simmons in his article “Shakespeare’s Brutus: A Man Torn By Conflicting Values” Brutus tries to separate the ugliness of murder from ideals such as patriotism. “This isolation of Brutus from the central fact of violent murder is almost totally complete in Plutarch” (Simmons 62). Simmons goes on to say that Shakespeare thought that this separation could not have been possible, which is where the internal conflict comes in. In order to present the internal conflict of his characters, Shakespeare uses a literary device called a soliloquy. A soliloquy is a long speech during which a character expresses his thoughts and feelings only to the audience. Brutus has a soliloquy at the beginning of Act II in scene i. The soliloquy takes place on the night of March fourteenth. The soliloquy is shortly before the conspirators come to talk to Brutus and make final plans for Caesar’s death and serves to show that Brutus is still conflicted about the
Brutus did not show indecision over the little things that got him into trouble, but he did show indecision over the big thing, participating in the conspiracy to murder Julius Caesar. On one hand, Brutus does not want Rome to be subject to tyranny at the hands of Caesar and is a very patriotic citizen. Brutus expresses his opinion that Caesar has great potential to be dangerous in Act II of Julius Caesar, “And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg, which, hatch’d, would as his kind, grow mischievous and kill him in the shell” (II.i.32-34). In this quote, Brutus also expresses the opinion that, since Caesar has such great potential to cause harm, he should be disposed of right away for the safety of Rome. On the other hand, Brutus and Caesar are good friends and Brutus does not want to kill his friend. “I know no personal cause to spurn at him” (II.i.11). According to J.L Simmons in his article “Shakespeare’s Brutus: A Man Torn By Conflicting Values” Brutus tries to separate the ugliness of murder from ideals such as patriotism. “This isolation of Brutus from the central fact of violent murder is almost totally complete in Plutarch” (Simmons 62). Simmons goes on to say that Shakespeare thought that this separation could not have been possible, which is where the internal conflict comes in. In order to present the internal conflict of his characters, Shakespeare uses a literary device called a soliloquy. A soliloquy is a long speech during which a character expresses his thoughts and feelings only to the audience. Brutus has a soliloquy at the beginning of Act II in scene i. The soliloquy takes place on the night of March fourteenth. The soliloquy is shortly before the conspirators come to talk to Brutus and make final plans for Caesar’s death and serves to show that Brutus is still conflicted about the