Who Was Responsible For Brutus's Downfall

Nobody is perfect, yet nobody expects their imperfections to be the cause of their death; most people expect to die of old age or disease. Although, in Shakespeare’s plays those imperfections could be the difference between life or death. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus is a tragic hero due to his fatal flaw of patriotism, which evidently causes his downfall from greatness.

For example, Brutus’ actions depict his intense love for Rome and what he believes is best for the country. Brutus’ motives for his actions are not based on his personal wants and needs, but on the needs of Rome. When questioned why he killed Caesar, a very good friend of his, Brutus replied, “If then that friend demand/ why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer:/ —Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved/ Rome more” (III. ii. 1551-1556). He had only the best intentions for Rome and greatly considered
the impact killing Caesar would have on the country. This was no easy task for him, but it was what he believed was best for Rome.

In addition, Brutus’ legacy creates honor in defending Rome from tyranny, which Brutus believes he would accomplish by killing Caesar before he becomes a tyrant. Brutus’ ancestors once saved Rome from tyranny, and now that duty falls on the shoulders of Brutus. He would do anything to achieve honor for his country, which he proved by declaring, “For let the gods so speed me as I love/ The name of honour more than I fear death” (I. ii. 178-179). Brutus believes that to achieve this honor, he must kill Caesar before he creates havoc in Rome as king. Caesar could be a just and fair king, but from previous acts Brutus has reason to believe that Caesar would become a tyrant. Therefore, Brutus thinks of “...him as a serpent's egg/ Which, hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mischievous,” and Brutus must “...kill him in the shell” before he destroys Rome (II. i. 632-635).

Furthermore, Brutus is honored by Antony and Octavius for killing Caesar not out of envy, but because he truly thought it was the best for Rome.
Out of all the conspirators, Brutus was the only one who murdered Caesar with intentions of saving Rome. The other conspirators were jealous of Caesar's success and envious of his glory; they did not have the intentions of saving Rome like Brutus. These intentions eventually cause the death of Brutus, but he is honored by Antony as “..the noblest Roman of them all:/ All the conspirators save only he/ Did that they did in envy of great Caesar;/ He only, in a general honest thought/ And common good to all, made one of them” (V. v. 2754-2758). Brutus’ patriotism led him to murder Caesar, which in turn led to his own death.
Brutus is a tragic hero that did the wrong thing for the right reasons. His love for Rome and good intentions caused him to murder Caesar for the good of his country, which evidently caused his own death. His fatal flaw of patriotism was the difference between life or death, and caused his downfall from
greatness.