Brutus: A Tragic Hero

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Pages: 2

A tragic hero is, by definition, one who is noble and honorable, has a great character flaw, experiences a downfall and great suffering, and goes through much internal conflict. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, the tragic hero is obviously Brutus. Brutus is a well-respected and honorable praetor in the government of Rome, as well as one of Caesar’s closest friends, and this therein is his struggle. To kill Caesar would be to betray him, but Cassius convinces him that to not kill him would lead to the demise of Rome. Brutus is found to be gullible and overly trusting, a trait that ultimately leads to his involvement with the assassination, and later his and Cassius’s failure to win Rome and to their deaths. Support for the idea that Brutus is