The Unnoticed Tragedy of Brutus Character

The title of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is often criticized, argued that it need to be titled Brutus, as Marcus Brutus is the tragic hero. Even so, the title is appropriate, as Julius Caesar, although insignificant as an actor in the play given that he dies in Act three having a minimal quantity of lines, impacts the characters in the play is a extremely significant way. The entire play revolves about him, not simply because he is the tragic hero, but because he is the one particular who influences the way the story progresses and causes the characters to behave as they do. Caesar consequently plays an essential part in why Brutus is the tragic hero of the play. Brutus’s decision to kill Caesar becomes the concentrate of the play. His choice to murder Caesar was wrong, but it seemed proper to Brutus given that he was convinced that if Caesar became king, Rome would fall thus, killing Caesar was essential to save Rome. To him, his intentions were noble and purposeful, but they in the end brought his personal destruction. Aristotle defines a tragic hero as “a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his personal destruction”(1), additional stating that a tragic hero have to possess five distinct qualities. 1st, the character have to have a flaw, hamartia. Second, there must be a reversal of fortune, peripeteia, brought about simply because of the hero’s error of judgment and/or flaw. Third, the tragic hero must recognize that the reversal was brought about by his personal actions, anagnorisis. Fourth, the tragic hero should have excessive pride, hubris. Lastly, the character’s fate has to be higher than he deserved. Brutus certainly fits into these five qualities, hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, hubris, and a higher fate than deserved, hence making Marcus Brutus the tragic hero of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.(1) Marcus Brutus has several flaws, but his honor, poor judgement and idealism, genuinely bring him to his personal destruction. Throughout the play Brutus has inner conflicts concerning Caesar’s assassination. Brutus convinces himself that when Caesar “attains the upmost round, He then unto the ladder turns his back”(2.1.23-26) on the individuals, consequently, the only way to stop him is to kill him. Brutus is therefore very easily manipulated by Cassius into believing that if Caesar becomes king, Rome will fall. Considering that Brutus already has a deep really like for his country, he is easily convinced that the assassination of Caesar is justified. He misjudges the motives of Cassius and therefore falls to his manipulative techniques. Had Brutus not been so easily convinced by Cassius to be a element of Caesar’s murder, he might have followed a diverse fate. Brutus’ idealism clouds his judgment when he convinces himself that an excellent Rome is one particular without Caesar, and sooner or later brings him to murder Caesar for “the general”, as an alternative of a “personal cause”(two.1.10-12). Brutus has excellent honor and respect for Rome and believes that he wants to save Rome from Caesar and the “danger he may”(two.1.18)(two) bring. He makes it is his responsibility to prevent its downfall. His excessive idealism and poor judgement of individuals and conditions, leads him to assume that killing Caesar will save Rome. However, his actions truly trigger a war over Rome, but his very good intentions lead him to be the hero. Peripeteia is brought about by Brutus’s error of judgement he trusts those he shouldn’t, miscalculates the actions of other people and in the finish makes some extremely poor decisions. In the starting of the play, Brutus is effortlessly manipulated by Cassius and other individuals into believing that if Caesar becomes king, Rome will fall. He consequently takes portion in the murder of Caesar. Soon after Caesar is murdered, Caesar’s funeral is held by Brutus. Antony, a single of Caesar’s most loyal males, asks Brutus if he can “speak in order of his[Caesar’s] funeral”(three.1.252). Brutus responds with yes, but that Antony “shall not” blame the conspirators, “but speak all good” he “can devise of Caesar” (3.1.270-271). This leads to peripeteia, since at the funeral the Romans initial agree with Brutus and his doings, but when Antony speaks, they go against Brutus. The plebeians contact the conspirators “villains, murderers” and “traitors”, and then go on to say Caesar “will be revenged”(three.2.165, 167, 215).(2) Brutus is naive and foolish to believe the other men, like Antony, would step quietly aside as yet another king takes over. Brutus becomes the ideal scapegoat. Having allowed Antony to speak begins a downhill spiral for Brutus one particular factor leads to an additional. After the plebeians are incited to revolt, Antony builds an army to fight against Brutus, and a war starts which in the end leads Brutus to his demise. Brutus’s error of judgement designed a circumstance that could have been prevented. His flaws stood in his way, therefore leading to his tragic death. After Antony incite the crowd to rise up against those who murdered Caesar, Brutus recognizes that he is to blame for the reversal of his fortunes. He should have listened to Cassius and not let Antony speak now, Rome is against him. Following Antony’s speech, the servant tells Antony that Brutus and Cassius “rid like madmen by way of the gates of Rome”(3.three.284-285). Fleeing from Rome makes Brutus recognize the immensity of his error, and that he can no longer turn back. Brutus was so specific about his justness in killing Caesar that he never anticipated that Rome would stick to Antony and go against him. War and chaos are inevitable. As the war ends and the conspirators are losing, Brutus makes the decision to take his life. Brutus believes that he will be captured and killed, so he has Strato help him commit suicide. Brutus’s final words, “Caesar, now be still. I killed not thee with half so great a will”(five.5.56-57), shows that Brutus regrets murdering Caesar.(2) Brutus assures himself that Caesar can now rest, as he is killing himself more willingly than when he stabbed Caesar. In the end, Brutus recognizes that his miscalculations and undesirable decisions cost him everything, but by then there was practically nothing he could do to change the course of events and so had to accept them. Throughout the play, Brutus was overconfident in himself, whether or not it be his actions, thoughts, or words. Soon after Caesar’s death Brutus, Cassius and Antony have a conversation where Brutus makes it possible for Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral. Cassius however, does not help Brutus’s decision, so he tries to dissuade Brutus. Cassius says, “do not consent that Antony speak in his funeral know you how considerably the men and women could be moved by that which he will utter?”(three.1.255-259), in which Brutus says he will speak first, and give Antony particular rules to abide by. Brutus believes that the Romans will realize the justification of his actions over anything Antony will say and so allows Antony speak. Brutus is so confident in himself, he does not consider that the Romans will go against him. So, Brutus takes to the stand and tells the Romans that it is “not that [he] loved Caesar less, but that [he] loved Rome more”, and then goes on to say that if Caesar was not killed then they would have “die[d] all slaves”, as an alternative of now “liv[ing] all freemen”(3.2.23-26).(two) Even so Antony speech is diverse than expected Brutus miscalculates horribly and has to escape from the crowds. His overconfidence deludes him as soon as once again, but this time it will price his life. In the finish, Brutus has both an heroic and tragic death. Brutus asks a number of of his pals to assist him commit suicide, but they all refuse except for Strato. Clitus, 1 of Brutus’s pals, says about Brutus, “now is that noble vessel full of grief, that it runs over even at his eyes”(five.5.15-16). Clitus recognizes that Brutus feels guilty of his actions, and desires to finish his life just before someone else does. Ahead of Brutus’s suicide, Brutus tells everyone “farewell”(5.five.35), accepting his fate courageously. The play ends with Antony and Octavius stating that even though Brutus murdered Caesar, he is still “the noblest Roman of them all”(five.five.74) because his actions have been for the very good of the country and its men and women, not for his own achieve.(2) Brutus genuinely believes that killing Caesar is the right factor to do, and that it would bring a wonderful future for all of Rome. Placing Rome first prior to himself by killing his very best pal, portrays him as a hero and consequently tends to make his death heroic. Nonetheless, possessing to die at his personal hands also tends to make his death tragic. Such a man as Brutus, one of noble standing and great reputation in Rome, and one particular who loves Rome so much, need to die a considerably a lot more noble death. As a result, in the end, his death is each heroic and tragic. A fate greater than he deserves. Marcus Brutus encompasses the definition of a tragic hero. His flaws of idealism and bad judgement lead him to an occasion where there is a reversal of his fortunes. Brutus eventually recognizes and accepts his faults and peripeteia. He is really confident in his actions and words, believing that the murder of Caesar, his greatest friend, is the greatest for absolutely everyone. This overconfidence makes Brutus miscalculate the outcomes of his actions, that leads to his death. Nonetheless, in spite of his death by suicide, his fate is higher than he deserves for his death is looked at as both heroic and tragic, and tends to make Antony and other individuals feel sorry for him, marking him as noble. Getting in a position to fall into all five of the characteristics of a tragic hero, makes Marcus Brutus the tragic hero of the play and not Julius Caesar as the title of the play implies. Functions CitedHenshaw, Kristin. “Tragic Hero as Defined by Aristotle.” Bainbridge Higher College. N.p., n.d. Net.Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. New York: Washington Square, 1992. Print.