The Protagonist of Julius Caesar

The Protagonists of Julius Caesar
In the play, Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, the plot uncovers several different characters: the tragic hero, Brutus, the anti-hero, Cassius, and the hero, Mark Antony. These three characters continue to display fitting attributes throughout the entire play. All of them are defined as a protagonist and they endure changes and grow as the play progresses.
Brutus acts out of a desire to limit the self-serving aspects of his actions, ultimately dooming himself, defining him as the tragic hero. For example, he ignores Cassius’ consul and allows Antony to speak to the crowd at the funeral, creating tension between himself and the Roman people. By doing this, Brutus identifies himself as a bad guy in the eyes of the public and upsets Cassius. This fault could be identified as pride within himself, making it impossible for other to assist him. In addition, Brutus self-righteously condemns Cassius for his form of fund raising that Brutus believes to be detestable. This action shakes their friendship and distances them from one another. Brutus often demonstrates self-righteousness in his endless search for what is good and right. Overall, Brutus brings his downfall upon himself by seeking gain for him and the Roman citizens.
The anti-hero, Cassius, in Julius Caesar is described as lacking any heroic qualities. For instance, Cassius, who claimed to be Caesar’s friend, manipulated him into attending his own murder. By playing with Caesar’s pride, he was able to convince Caesar that he would become a failure if he did not attend. Manipulation is far from any kind of heroic attribution, showing who Cassius really is. Furthermore, the crowd is convinced by Cassius, who bared false witness, that the murder was a noble act. The lie continues to resonate with the Roman people until Antony’s speech, which conveyed the idea that Cassius was an anti-hero. Lying is never seen as being a noble action, which gives Cassius a bad reputation from the beginning of the play. Cassius continues to display several anti-hero characteristics throughout the play.
Mark Antony, who never separates his private affairs from his public actions, proves strong in the areas Brutus is weak, making him a persuasive public speaker, dedicated, and the perfect hero in Julius Caesar. For example, he continues to show his loyalty to Caesar during the well-known funeral speech. Putting his fear aside, he reminded the crowd of the great accomplishments Caesar had made. Antony also told the Romans of the love Caesar and the people shared. Additionally, Mark Antony continued on his quest to avenge Caesar’s wrongful death. He, joined by Octavious, fought Brutus and Cassius until the death on behalf of their friend. The victory, claimed by Antony and Octavious, is a great honor to the late Caesar and the Roman’s. The dedication to what is right, displayed by Mark Antony, created him to be easily liked by the reader and a prime example of a hero. Overall, the three protagonists created a different aspect to the play, making the reader become attached in a new way and create a unique bond. Brutus, Cassius, and Antony prove strong and weak in vastly different areas, linking them together throughout the writing of Shakespeare.