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Julius Caersar - 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

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