Is Brutus A Tragic Hero

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“Et tu Brute?” are some of Caesar’s solemn final words as he realizes his most loyal, trustworthy friend has malignantly plotted his demise and deceived him. To betray a friend’s trust is one of the most dishonorable and despicable things a man can do and many view Brutus’ plot against Caesar in such a way. It seems irrational for one to illustrate this sequence of events in any other way gay than Caesars’ tragedy and a happy resolution with the conspirators’ demise at the hands of the Second Triumvirate. However, even though the play bears his name, Julius Caesar is not the tragic hero. In the play Julius Caesar, Shakespeare portrays Brutus a heroic figure due to his noble motives and his honorable patriotism. Similarly, the playwright depicts …show more content…
After brutally striking down his closest friend, Brutus delivers a logical, honorable speech to the mob to show them why he committed the heinous crime and to convince them to support his cause. Brutus honestly tells the people that it is “not that [he] loved Caesar less, but that [he] loved Rome more” that ultimately drove him to assassinate Caesar (3.2.24). In saying this, Brutus selflessly declares that his love for Rome trumps all other personal friendships. The fact that he would sacrifice someone he loved and undergo overwhelming guilt and sorrow for a noble and patriotic cause is one of the most heroic things one could do for his country. Furthermore, when Brutus realizes that Cassius’ motives were out of envy of Caesar’s power and greed, he is disgusted and the audience witnesses his greatness as he confronts his counterpart’s betrayal of values. After questioning if “great Julius bled for justice’ sake”, Brutus honorably declares that he would rather “be a dog and bay at the moon that such a Roman” who supports robbers and accepts bribes to kill Caesar (4.3.20-25). Although this dispute is shortly resolved, Shakespeare illustrates Brutus’ patriotic and honorable values that make him great. Most importantly, even Brutus’ enemies …show more content…
While contemplating whether to kill Caesar, Brutus receives a letter supposedly from the people of Rome that encourage “speak, strike, and redress” against his best friend. He responds to these fake letters in a monolog saying that if “a redress [from tyranny] will follow” violence, Rome will receive his “full petition” and devotion to the cause (2.1.49-62). Cassius knows that Brutus will always do the honorable and just thing for his country and he takes advantage of this flaw for his own motives. In this case, Brutus’ honor blinds him as he doesn’t recognize Cassius’ trickery and the repercussions of his naïve decision to join the conspirators. Similarly, after sparing Antony’s life because their “course will seem too bloody”, Brutus is again tricked into letting deliver a funeral oration (2.1.175). He adamantly declares that “Caesar shall have all true rites and ceremonies”, including a speech from Antony that he believes will “advantage more than do [the conspirators] wrong” (3.1.266). As Cassius did, shrewd Antony knows honorable Brutus will let him speak at Caesar’s funeral and is so trusting and naïve that he could never expect such a cunning, manipulative oration. Even though his honor makes him a great man, the fact that it prevents him from making the necessary ignoble choices needed to
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