In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Julius Caesar, for a character to be considered a tragic hero, they must consist of various qualities such as a noble position, tragic flaw that causes a downfall of their noble position, and a realization of their tragic flaw. One respected man who fits all of these qualities is Marcus Brutus. Brutus also relates to another tragic hero from the Sophocles’ tragedy, named Oedipus. Both the Shakespeare tragedy and the Sophocles tragedy have a similarity in tragic hero and in tragic terms.
The main reason why Brutus is the tragic hero of Julius Caesar is his noble personality. Brutus is highly respected by members in the senate and public because he is from a long line of noble Romans who fought bravely for the…show more content… Both tragedies have a peripeteia or a reversal that occurs. In Oedipus Rex, when Oedipus first hears the prophecy of the death of his father, Laius, and the marriage of his mother, Jocasta, he ignores it at first, but the news turns out to be disastrous because this leads to the death of Jocasta and Oedipus. In Julius Caesar, Brutus’ success in the assassination also results in his biggest mistake, letting Antony to live, and to give an emotion speech during Julius Caesar’s funeral. This creates a crowd of people going on Antony’s side to find Brutus and the conspirators to be captured. Both tragedies are also similar in hamartia or their tragic flaw. Oedipus’ tragic flaw is being blind to the truth and having an abundance of hubris, while Brutus flaw is easily being manipulated to join the conspirators and wanting to do good for his country. Not only did they show hamartia, but also anagnorisis or “knowing again.” When Brutus recognizes that assassinating Caesar may not be the best thing to do. “Hath given me some worthy cause to wish things done, undone (Act IV Scene 2 Shakespeare).” Brutus he did not follow the conspirators leading to Caesar’s death. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus’ anagnorisis is when he killed his father and he learns of his true relationship in
