How is Brutus Presented as a Tragic Hero
| Throughout the tragedies written by William Shakespeare, each contains a tragic hero, a person who possesses heroic qualities but then has a tragic reversal of fortune. This tragic event is often the central element that allows the play to become a tragedy. Tragic heroes also posses something known as a tragic flaw, and it is this flaw which is the main reason the tragic event is brought about. For example in the tragedy of king Lear, the king trusts the wrong people (this is his tragic flaw) and is then tricked and later becomes mad (this is his tragic reversal of fortune) and eventually he dies. It is important however that tragic heroes posses heroic qualities. For example some people say that Julius Caesar is the tragic hero of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, however he lacks any real heroic qualities, and so cannot be considered a hero, let alone a tragic one.
One of the important qualities that make Brutus a tragic hero is the fact that he has a tragic flaw. I believe this flaw to be the fact that he is too noble; this leads to naivety and allows him to be deceived by the other characters in the play to his downfall. He is naïve of some of Cassius’ true character even though he is his friend. He is also over trusting of Mark Antony which is clearly shown in act 3 scene 1 where he makes the mistake of allowing Antony to make a speech at Caesar’s funeral, even though his fellow conspirators advise him otherwise: ‘Brutus, a word with you. You know not what you do; do not consent that Anotony speak in his funeral: know you how much the people may be moved by that which he will utter?’ here Cassius attempts to persuade Brutus not to let Antony speak at the funeral, yet Brutus does not listen. This clearly demonstrates Brutus’ tragic flaw; he trusts Antony not to deceive him and is naïve of his true motives because his better judgement is overruled by his want to show his honour by giving Caesar a proper memorial. This notion of honour is a key theme throughout the play, which was true of some of the culture of the Roman period and I Shakespeare’s audience longed for such a concept in their own cultures, which is why it would have been a success in his day. It is also interesting to note how this contrasts with some of his other plays, such as Mac Beth where there is so much dishonour in the main character.
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