Who is the real hero of ‘Julius Caesar’?

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Who is the real hero of ‘Julius Caesar’?

King Richard The Lionheart, Alexander The Great, Saladin, Joan Of Arc, Gengis Khan.…….and the list goes on and on. All these people had one thing in common – they were all considered great heroes because of their honour, nobility, justice and patriotism. A hero is a person whose actions are based on the good will for all people rather than himself or herself. There are many candidates who could be considered a hero – it could be Caesar himself, or it could be his best friend Mark Antony, it could also be Cassius - the founder of the conspiracy, or it might be Brutus - the leader of the conspiracy.  However some of these characters had more than just mere good will in their actions.

 

    Julius Caesar being the centre of the big ordeal is the first person to look at. When he is first seen, he is hailed upon as a great man who refuses the crown three times. He is clearly the hero for the people at that time. His heroism is questioned when we look at his previous actions. He has just returned from killing Pompey and his sons to gain complete control of Rome instead of sticking to his triumvirate. He was ambitious or it is also said he only wanted power . This itself shows that his actions were not as pure as fist thought.

Next we have to look at Mark Antony, apparently the closest friend to Caesar. He is seen as a hero because he avenges Caesar immediately after Caesar’s death. He single-handedly, through the use of eloquent speech, turns the roman mob against the conspirators. However when we next see him in Act iv Sc. 1, he ‘has put to death a hundred senators’, has plans of changing the will to keep more money for himself and also does not approve of Lepidus sharing one third the roman world with him and Octavius:

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And though we lay these honours on this man,

To ease ourselves of divers sland’rous loads,

He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,

To groan and sweat under the business,

Either led or driven, as we point the way;

And having brought our treasure where we will,

Then take we down his load, and turn him off,

Like to empty ass , to shake his ears,

And graze in the commons.

   Thus it is clear that he like Caesar was also mainly interested in power than the general good of Rome.

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