Julius Caesar Tragic Hero

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The Tragic Hero Have your friends ever conspired against you and stabbed you multiple times? Well, Julius Caesar’s have. For multiple reasons, Julius Caesar is the tragic hero in the play, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Throughout the play, Caesar fulfills Aristotle’s steps of a tragic hero. Caesar completes all six steps of Aristotle’s tragic hero, which start from birth and go till after his death. Julius Caesar fulfills the first step in the tragic hero. The first step in the tragic hero is the character must be of high social class, or noble, and virtuous. This is first seen in the play when two cobblers are talking on the streets about Caesar. One says to the other, “[Caesar] comes in triumph over Pompey’s blood” (1.1.52). This quote signifies that Caesar is a great military leader and shows that he just had a victory over another great leader, Pompey. When asked why one of the cobblers wasn’t working, he replied. “But indeed, sir, we make holiday to see Caesar and to rejoice in his triumph” (1.1.31-32). This shows that Caesar is of great power because people are taking the day of work just to rejoice in his triumph. Later in the scene, Caesar commands Antony to do something for him. Antony says, “I shall remember. When Caesar says “do this,” it is performed” (1.2.11-12). This also shows that Caesar is of a high noble class because when someone is told to do something by Caesar, it is automatically done. Caesar fits step one of the tragic hero by being noble and powerful. Caesar also fits the mold of step two for the tragic hero. Step two of the tragic hero is that the hero is not all powerful, perfect human being; he is one of “us”. This is seen when Cassius speaks to himself about Caesar and say, “And after this let Caesar seat him sure, for we will shake him, or worse days endure” (1.2.17-18). This quote shows that Caesar has enemies and not

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