Julius Caesar Essay Brutus as the Tragic Hero - 1043 Words

Brutus as the Tragic Hero of Julius Caesar Shakespeare’s tragedy, Julius Caesar, displays Brutus as a tragic hero, blinded loyalty and devotion. Brutuss heroic belief of honor and virtue was so powerful that it drove him to perform villainous actions and lead to his destruction. The tragic hero is presented as a person neither entirely good nor entirely evil, who is led by some tragic flaw to commit an act that results in suffering and utter defeat. (Morner, Kathleen Rausch, Ralph. 1991, Pg. #227) Brutus was guided by his firm decrees of honor, yet he was unconsciously hypocritical. He praised himself for refusing bribes and not acquiring money through dishonest means, For I can raise no money by vile means (Act†¦show more content†¦Yet Brutus fails to notice the facts. Caesar had, in fact, not been crowned, refusing it thrice. Brutus did not wait to see if Caesar would be crowned and become a ruthless tyrant. He plunged ahead in his crusade. Brutus agreed to the conspiracy and elected himself as leader. He became willful and arrogant, resembling the tyrant he kills and growing more like him as the play unfolds. (Boyce, Charles. 1990, Pg. #78) In the process of endeavoring to stop oppressive rule, he hypocritically developed those same qualities th at he despised in Caesar. Shakespeares tragic heroes will be men of rank, and the calamities that befall them will be unusual and exceptional disastrous in themselves. The hero falls expectedly from a high place, a place of glory, or honor, or joy, and as a consequence, we feel that kind of awe, at the depths to which is he suddenly plunged. Thus, the catastrophe will be of monumental proportions. (http://student.cscc.edu/ENGL/ENGL264/traglex.htm. 11-29-99.) Brutus was admired throughout Rome for his honorable reputation which was the reason he was an essential member needed for the conspiracy. Yet his heroic virtues that brought him on a glorious, honorable, and joyful platform ended up pushing him into a bottomless pit. A tragic hero has many outstanding qualities, creating the illusion of a knight in shining armor. However, Julius Caesars Brutus, the knight in shining armor, was converted to the wrong side. The reader is moved for they canShow MoreRelated Brutus is the Tragic Hero of Julius Caesar Essay858 Words   |  4 PagesBrutus is the Tragic Hero of Julius Caesar      Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeares play Julius Caesar is a tragic play, where the renowned Julius Caesar is on the brink of achieving total control and power by becoming emperor of the Roman Empire. Ironically enough, when he thinks he is one step away from pulling it off, his friends (most from the senate) decide to overthrow him, with Caesars most trusted friend, Marcus Brutus, acting as leader of the conspirators. 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