Brutus: the Tragic Hero

Brutus: The Tragic Hero “A tragic hero is a character who is not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice and depravity, but by some error or frailty.” Brutus fits the definition of a tragic hero because of his lust for power, his tragic flaw, and his downfall. So, because of heroic qualities and poor judgment, Brutus is the tragic hero of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. To begin with, Brutus' lust for power is one of the many ways that make him to be the tragic hero. It all started when the conspirators and himself discussed/planned the assassination of Caesar. During the agreement and arrangement of the assassination, is when Brutus gains his power and gets what he wants. He then gets more involved with the killing of Caesar, making him feel more powerful. "Ay, every man away. Brutus shall lead, and we will grace his heels with the most boldest and best hearts of Rome." (iii, I, 119-121). Although Brutus can single handily take over the conspirator group and over rule Cassius, as a tragic hero he is to begin to lose power. This takes place throughout the falling action in act4 when Antony makes the angry mob turn against him. It will eventually lead up to his untimely death/downfall. Secondly, the fact that Brutus has a tragic flaw is another way that makes him the tragic hero. His tragic flaw would be being to noble; which leads to naivety and allows him to be deceived by the characters (mainly Antony) and to his downfall. He shows his flaw by over trusting Antony to speak at Caesar's funeral even when Cassius advised him otherwise, but still Brutus did not listen. "Brutus, a word with you. You know not what you do; do not consent that Antony speaks in his funeral; know you how much the people may be moved by that which he will utter?" (iii, I, 232-234). Brutus then fails to listen to his conspirators as they try to persuade him. This demonstrates his tragic flaw clearly as he trusts Antony not to deceive him, and is too naive of his true motives because of his judgment overruling his want of giving Caesar a proper memorial (in order to show his honor). Lastly, Brutus' downfall of him dying at the end of the play also shows of him being the tragic hero. Him committing his suicidal death/downfall ends up making him the noblest Roman of them all. When Brutus finally realizes his role in the destruction of Rome; that was worse than he believed Caesar would have done, he then proceeds with his downfall. "Farewell, good Strato - Caesar, now be still; I killed not thee with half so good a will" (iiiii, IIIII, 50-51). His final words told his unbearable remorse feeling for Caesar's death. Brutus killing himself is his realization that it is nobler to commit suicide than become captured and dragged through Rome, and a noble man Brutus was. The fact that Brutus has heroic qualities and poor judgment, both make him the tragic hero of Julius Caesar. The way of Brutus showing his qualities is through his lust for power, his tragic flaw of being too noble and naive and finally his downfall (suicide). "The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name, and the inheritance of a great example."