The Downfall of Brutus - 952 Words

The Downfall of Brutus The play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, has two main tragic heroes. Set in Rome and spanning from forty- four to forty-two B.C., the play tells of Brutus and Caesar whom both fall from the highest positions to the lowest of misfortune and then are enlightened on their mistakes. Brutus is the stronger example of a tragic hero in this story. Throughout this play, Brutus commits many faults, falls more drastically than all other characters, and regrets his previous actions by the end of the play. Brutus commits three costly mistakes during the play. The first mistake that he makes is that he participates in the assassination of Julius Caesar. â€Å"People, and senators, be not affrighted.†¦show more content†¦He wishes that he had never fallen for Cassius’s insidious plan to assassinate Caesar, â€Å"Caesar, now be still; / I killed not thee with half so good a will†(997). He regrets, that through these action s, he destroys his name and his stature. Brutus, scrutinizing all of his mistakes, and wishing that he had done things differently verifies that he is the main tragic hero in this classic work. Through these final moments of Brutus’s life, the audience of the play can truly see that Brutus is not lying about his love of Caesar, but that he honestly regrets participating, and is sympathetic about the last years of his life. Brutus, even though he has made many mistakes throughout his life, he makes one final one with his last action. Unfortunately, the audience does not know whether or not he regrets committing suicide. Had he not done so, Antony most likely would have restored some of his stature in Rome, and granted him his life, â€Å"This was the noblest Roman of them all. / All the conspirators save only he / Did that they did in envy of great Caesar; / He, only in a general honest thought / And common good to all, made one of them†(998). It is clear that Ant ony is saddened by the loss of Brutus, because he realizes the true meaning of Brutus’s actions. In conclusion, Brutus is the tragic hero in this play because of the mistakes that he makes, the fall that he takes, and the regrets that he feels after. Brutus will forever be labeled as aShow MoreRelatedExamples Of Patriotism In Julius Caesar1183 Words   |  5 Pagestrait to have but it can and did lead to be a downfall. Brutus is a patriotic character because he is looking out for the good of Rome in every action he takes. First, he recognizes Julius Caesar as a bad ruler for Rome and wants to do something about it. Then he does something about it, kills Caesar. Where Brutus’ patriotism leads to a downfall is when he uses it to explain why he does not like Caesar ruling Rome and then justifies killing Caesar. Brutus did not recognize his patriotism was a flawRead MoreJulius Caesar Character Analysis1546 Words   |  7 Pageswith bad consequences. 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Brutus’Read MoreMarcus Brutus: The Tragic Hero Of Julius Ceasar972 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.†(Aristotle). It should be noted that the Heroes downfall is his own fault as a result of his own free will, At times his death is seen as a waste of human potential. His death usually is not a pure loss, because it results in greater knowledge and awareness. In Julius Ceasar, William Shakespeare develops Marcus Brutus as the Tragic Hero whose ambition and naivety in his blind confidence in the nobility of man sparked guidance