Tragic Hero Caesar

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A tragic hero is a character who makes an error of judgment that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy. In addition, this character is happy at the beginning of the play. A tragic hero must be of noble birth and demonstrate a tragic flaw throughout the story. This character will realize their flaw once it is too late to overcome the conflict. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Marcus Brutus exhibits qualities that make him the tragic character. Brutus, an honored senator of Rome, is a man who does what is best for Rome and not for personal gain. He was happy with his position as a senator and friend to Caesar. Brutus was later swayed by the conspirators to kill Caesar for what he thought would be favorable to Rome. Brutus constantly tries to be noble, and Marc Antony even honors his name by saying, “This was the noblest Roman of them all." As Brutus always strives to make the good decisions for Rome, his tragic flaw eventually becomes apparent. Brutus’s tragic flaw converts him from a happy, noble character to a backstabber. His tragic flaw is his willingness to trust others and his commitment to the city of Rome. An example of his tragic flaw is the trust he puts in Cassius. This backfires as Cassius tricks him into killing Caesar for selfish reasons. Another example of his naïve attitude is allowing Mark Antony to give a eulogy speech at Caesar’s funeral. This, it once again backfires and Mark Antony ends up turning the plebeians against him. This is shown when Mark Antony uses reverse psychology by stating “But Brutus is an honorable man.” His tragic flaw shapes and foreshadows his downfall. Lastly, Brutus can be seen as the tragic hero of the play because his tragic flaw leads to his death and downfall. Brutus experiences the start of his downfall when he sees Caesar’s ghost. The ghost foreshadows his downfall by
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