To what extent is the character of Brutus a tragic hero in Shakespeareâs Julius Caesar? What does this reveal about his character?
The concept of Brutus as a tragic hero in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in the Shakesperann and classical sense.
?In spite of the title, Brutus, not Caesar is the hero of the play? This statement by Ward is correct, while Caesar dominates the play, before and after his death, Brutus is very much the hero, the tragic hero. Even though Julius Caesar can be seen as a historical play, it is in every essence a tragedy, which contains a tragic hero. A tragic hero is usually a good man who makes a fatal mistake, his hamartia, or tragic flaw, brings this about and causes his downfall. This is essentially what Brutus is, ?he was simply and upright man who made a tragic mistake? according to Ure. However, Brutus never sees his fault, he dies remorseful for his deeds, but none the wiser on himself.
Before Brutus can be discussed as a tragic hero, his character needs to be analysed so this can correspond to his extent as a tragic hero
Brutus is in every sense a good man, Caesar knows this, Cassius knows this and at the end of the play Antony knows this too. Caesar?s famous line: ?Et tu Brute?? (III,i,76), which is French for ?And you Brutus? states this clearly. Earlier in the play Caesar confided to Antony that he sensed Cassius was plotting against him, saying he was brooding and dangerous. Caesar never suspected Brutus, and this remark before his death proves that Brutus? involvement was a complete surprise. Caesar knew Brutus was a good man, a noble Roman.
Cassius knew this as well and states it in his soliloquy ?Well, Brutus, thou art noble?(I,ii,297). His chief aim for Brutus to be part of the conspiracy was a sort of insurance policy; Brutus? noble acts would justify the conspirators? selfish motives. Consequently, Brutus ended up leading the conspirators, assuming their motives were the same as his.
When Brutus is dead at the end of the play, Antony acknowledges him ?He only, in a general honest thought in common good to all?(V,v,71-72).
And even Brutus himself admits his nobility ?I love the name of honour more than I fear death?(I,ii,88-89). Shakespeare is referring to the classical concept of nobility, as opposed to the Christian one. This basically says that a noble man takes his own life rather than suffer humiliation or capture. Brutus is a noble in the Roman sense, not the Christian one. As Ure says ?Being a Roman is not like being a nice, white, marble statue in a museum.?
However, despite his goodness of character, Brutus is too good a person. Shakespeare presents Brutus as a literary man of theory rather than action. After the famous quarrel scene, Brutus is reading when Caesar?s ghost appears. In previous scenes, Shakespeare states reading attributes to bad nature, such as when Caesar speaks to Antony about Cassius: ?He reads much?(I,ii,201)
True, Brutus does take a leading role in the conspiracy against Caesar and is presented as a better general than Cassius. However, none of this would have come about if Cassius hadn?t manipulated Brutus into putting his fears for tyranny into action: ??yet I see thy honourable metal may be wrought from that it is disposed.?(I,ii,297-9)
Brutus is in every sense a good, noble and honourable man in the true Roman sense of goodness, nobility and honour. Does this mean his motive for killing Caesar is good, noble and honourable as well?
Unlike Cassius and Casca who are pursued by revenge or jealousy, Brutus? reasons for killing Caesar are not worthy. ?I know no personal cause to spurn at him but for the general?(II,i,11-12). Brutus, coming from a family line of stout Republicans and being married to Portia, whose father Cato took his life in a civil war against Caesar rather than be defeated. This may seem that Brutus is killing Caesar for political reasons, but there is more.
?He would be crowned, how that might change his nature there?s the question.?(II, i,12-13) Brutus is not killing Caesar for becoming a king; he is killing him because this new power might turn his back against the people of Rome. This may be Shakespeare trying to justify things to his Elizabethan audience. The first reason is more possible in the historical sense; according to history, Brutus was a die-hard Republican like the rest of his family.
Brutus compares Caesar to a serpent?s egg ?Which, hatched, would as his kind grow mischievous?(II,i,33) and resolves to ?Kill him in the shell? (II,i,34). Shakespeare doesn?t exactly say this but there is every chance that in the egg Brutus refers Caesar to could not hatch a serpent, but a dove. This Brutus fails to acknowledge, it come under his tragic flaw, which will be discussed later.
Brutus justifies his killing of Caesar by his nobility, as Cassius knew he would, saying to the crowd at Caesar?s funeral: ?Not that I loved Caesar less, but I loved Rome more.?(III,ii,19-20) Then he makes his fatal mistake of leaving Antony alone with the crowd.
However, Brutus does fall short of one quality in a tragic hero, recognition of his fault. When he dies he does not see where he went wrong. He does have remorse for killing Caesar as in here: ?Caesar, now be still, I killed not thee with half so good a will.?(V,v,50-51), but he never sees the error of his ways. This is contrary to Shakespeare?s other tragedies such as King Lear and Macbeth as both the tragic heroes here see where they went wrong. This also happens in Greek Tragedy, the question remains why Shakespeare resolved to break tradition
Aristotle the Greek philosopher discussed in his Poetics the concept of tragedy. In reality, Aristotle was referring to Sophocles? play Oedipus the King. Yet as Edward Friedlander says, ?Shakespeare, (unlike Sophocles) is writing about real-life, flesh-and-blood people?In Shakespeare, our sympathies are always divided among the characters. For this reason Aristotle?s notes on tragedy (i.e. people are imperfect) really seem more useful in discussing Shakespeare rather than Sophocles.?
Aristotle mentions in book XXV a comment which is very relevant to a Shakespearean tragic hero, particularly Brutus ?A man who is eminently good and just, and whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty. He must be one who is highly renowned and prosperous ?? Brutus was ?eminently good and just?, as well as, ?highly renowned and prosperous? and his death was brought about by ?some error or frailty?. In Aristotle?s eyes Brutus was a true tragic hero, and since tragedy is based upon the standards set by the ancient Greeks, we might as well say he was.
Brutus is in the Roman sense a good man worth of honour and nobility, he is also in the sense of tragedy both in the Greek and Shakespearean sense. He is as Ure says ?an upright man who made a fatal mistake?. But what was this ?fatal mistake?, his tragic flaw will now be discussed.
As said before, Brutus? motive for killing Caesar was that become king, or rex as it was called, might ?change his nature?. Even though this may not turn out to be true. He follows a similar pattern in the first line of his soliloquy: ?It must be by his death?(II,i,10). How does Brutus arrive at this absolute?must?? It is apparent that Brutus thought over what Cassius said until that point, this is also revealed in his insomnia, a concept used by Shakespeare to demonstrate inner conflict.
Brutus tragic flaw is brought into more light after Caesar?s death, when Brutus permits Antony to speak at Caesar?s funeral. Cassius says this bodes no well, but Brutus says he rely on his own oratory powers and speak before Antony: ?I myself to the pulpit first and show the reason pf our Caesar?s death.?(III,i,236-7) If Brutus didn?t leave Antony with the crowd, the entire end of the play would not have happened. But Brutus did, hence why Antony?s speech: ?Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!?(III,ii,65) is so famous, Antony is able to sway the crowd into an angry mob with the power of his words.
Brutus also trusts the people to accept his motive at first, he thinks that once the deed is done in the senate, the senators will rush to congratulate him and the conspirators for disposing of tyranny. Instead they race from the senate in panic, thinking the conspirators might turn on them. Instead of the warm congratulations they expected, they plunged Rome into fear and anarchy. This may have been overwrought by speaking at Caesar?s funeral of their motives and justifying them to the crowd, but again, Brutus makes a mistake. As aforesaid, Brutus trusted Antony not to turn the crowd against the conspirators, he also trusted his motive was correct; he also made the mistake of trusting the conspirators, especially Cassius.
In short, Brutus? tragic flaw is his trust; he is too trusting in the human nature of other people, he is also too trusting in his own motives and beliefs. For example when Cassius advises Brutus in Sardis that it would be wise to let Antony?s army at Phillippi come to them. Brutus trusts his own motives and proposes that they go to Phillippi, a mistake which cost Brutus his life.
This is why Brutus is too good a character, his tragic flaw, which is that he is too trusting, is generally a good trait to a person, provided it is toned down from the extent it has on Brutus. His tragic flaw adds to his character, in the way he is a selfless, noble Roman who is willing to put his country, or rather state, before his life. He said so himself: ?I love the name of honour more than I fear death?(I,ii,88-89). Antony eulogises Brutus accurately when he is found having taken his own life: ?Nature might stand up and say to the world, ?This was a man!??(V,v,74-5).
According to history, Brutus was the last of the die-hard Roman Republicans, this is symbolised in the play by the deaths of Portia and her brother Cato. When Julius Caesar was assasinated in 44BC, this only was the start of a new era, the Roman Empire which Octavius finished when he declared himself emperor in 31 BC. Brutus? cause, however selfless, noble and honourable, was lost.
