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Julius Caesar - Analysis of Brutus
In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William
Shakespeare, the character Marcus Brutus fits the definition of the
tragic hero. Like other tragic heroes, he had great promise, ability,
and integrity of character. He had a tragic flaw. He had a lust for
power, and he died at the end of the play.
Brutus had great promise, ability, and strength of character.
The fact that he could single-handedly take over the group of
conspirators, and completely overrule Cassius demonstrates his
strength of character, and his influence on others.
Brutus's tragic flaw was that he was too trusting. He frankly
and honestly felt that he had had to kill Caesar in order to save Rome
from tyranny. He trusted Antony not to blame the conspirators in his
speech at Caesar's funeral. Antony broke that promise and got Brutus
and the others into deep trouble. Brutus also trusted Cassius. Cassius
only asked Brutus to be a part of the conspiracy as a way of getting
closer to Caesar. He never suspected that Brutus would take over the
group and become their leader. Cassius thought that he was getting
someone to lead the men, but that he would still be the head man.
Brutus, however, took all power away from Cassius, and Cassius no
longer had any say in the happenings of the group.
Brutus had a conscience. It was obvious that Brutus felt
terrible about Caesar's death, but he felt that it was the only way to
keep peace in Rome. When Caesar's ghost came to Brutus, it could have
been a real ghost, but it also may have been Brutus's conscience
coming back to haunt him. After all, stabbing one's best friend is
dishonorable, and Brutus was an honorable man, so anything that he did
that was dishonorable was not acknowledged. Brutus did not associate
anything dishonorable with himself, and so when he did do something
dishonorable, he did not admit it to himself.
Brutus died at the end of the play of his own will. "Farewell
Strato. Caesar now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a
will." Brutus felt unbearable remorse for Caesar's death, and his
final words told that.
Brutus had a lust for power. When he joined the conspirators,
he immediately took over. When they were considering asking Cicero to
be one of the conspirators, Brutus would not have it even thought he
was the only one who objected. Having an older, more experienced
person in the group would have put Brutus out of power, and he would
have had to settle for second-in-command. Brutus could not really
predict what Caesar would have done with the crown. He did know that
if Caesar was crowned, however, then he had no chance of ever being
crowned himself.
Brutus filled the description of the tragic hero quite well.
He was a great man, and everyone knew it. Though he killed Caesar, he
had a valid excuse which he had the people believe. He thought that
killing Caesar was the right thing to do, even though it was not. Any
way one looks at it, Brutus was a great man, and a tragic hero.
"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
general honest thought-- and common good to all, made one of them. His
life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him that Nature might
stand up-- And say to all the world, 'This was a man!'" -Marcus Antony