Summary:
Julius Caesar, Brutus and Brutus' wife Portia are all tragic heroes in William Shakespeare's play. A tragic hero is someone of noble birth and strong morality, but with a major character flaw that results in tragedy.
Explores a major theme of this world-famous play.
What characteristics make a tragic hero? Aristotle once defined the tragic hero as a person of noble or influential birth, who has a moral personality. The tragic hero also must have a hamartia, which is a fatal flaw. This fatal flaw is the cause of the person's downfall. In Julius Caesar, the famous play by William Shakespeare, there are numerous examples of tragic heroes. The character the play was named after, Julius Caesar, is a perfect example of a tragic hero. He possesses all of the characteristics that Aristotle named to be a tragic hero. Brutus, perhaps the main character, is also a terrific example of a tragic hero. Brutus' wife, Portia, who committed suicide, is another tragic hero. All of these characters follow Aristotle's "rules" to be a tragic hero wonderfully.
Julius Caesar, the great general whom the peasants worshipped in the beginning of the play, is a tragic hero. Needless to say, he was a noble and influential person. He was aspiring to become the king of Rome, and had the proper support and popularity to do so. Caesar was a noble person, since he was a great general. Some modern day generals even study the military tactics used by Caesar over 2,000 years ago. He was, according to Antony, a ."..friend, faithful and just..." (III.ii.94). Caesar needed to be a positive person for him to gain such tremendous support from the Roman people. However, he has a literally fatal flaw; his pride essentially killed him. Caesar was warned numerous times throughout the first acts of the play about the danger on the Ides of March, or March 15th. The Soothsayer warned Caesar on the Lupercal, but Caesar, full of his pride, merely brushed him off. In Caesar's mind, he was basically an immortal, and no mortal can cause him danger. In addition, on the Ides of March, his wife, Calpurnia, faithfully warned her husband not to go to the Capitol that day. However, after a talk with Decius, Caesar was once again convinced of his immortality. It was this terrible mentality that caused Caesar's ignorance to the warnings. If he hadn't been so proud and arrogant, Caesar might have avoided his own death. Tragically, Caesar did not, and was assassinated by the conspirators on the Ides of March.
The main character of the play, Brutus, is also a tragic hero. He was an extremely influential person in Rome because of his wealth and respect. Many Romans respected Brutus because of his moral personality and willingness to sacrifice for the good of others around him. The conspirators realize this; that is why Brutus' support of their machinations is so vital to success. As long as Brutus supports something, the Roman crowds are likely to support it as well. Brutus is very strictly moral. He has stated that ."..I love / The name of honor more than I fear death." (I.ii.93-94). He believes, sometimes idealistically, that everyone should follow the "codes of honor" that he sets for himself. This is his hamartia. The audience witnesses several times Brutus' hamartia hurt him deeply. An obvious example is his decision letting Antony live. He was so moral that he wanted to appear as "sacrificers" to the Roman people, not "butchers"; therefore, Brutus rejected Cassius' proposal to assassinate Antony as well. This flaw was indeed fatal to Brutus. By letting Antony live, he willingly provided a source of danger to himself and the other conspirators. Antony took advantage of his position and attacked Brutus' cause and person. Brutus died as a result of the horrible decision he made due to his hamartia. His wife, Portia, will also die as a result of her hamartia.
Portia was the faithful and loyal wife to Brutus. She was the daughter of the honorable Cato and wife of Brutus, thus extremely influential and noble in the Roman society. However, she was a woman, and by ancient Roman hierarchy, women were under men. She possessed many qualities that are ideal of a good wife, such as a caring, trusting, and loyal soul. Portia was willing to voluntarily stab herself in the thigh in order to get Brutus to tell her what was bothering him recently. Ironically, it was an excess of this care and loyalty that is Portia's hamartia. Once she learns about Brutus' plot against Caesar, she is extremely worried. Portia realizes the danger upon Brutus after he assassinates Caesar. It is this anxiety and worry that cause her much distress. She is seen in Act 2 Scene 4 virtually panicking over Brutus' well being. In addition, Portia complains about her struggle to keep the plot secret. Portia says, "O constancy, be strong upon my side; / Set a huge mountain 'tween my heart and tongue. / I have a man's mind but a woman's might. / How hard it is for women to keep counsel." She knows what a man knows, but has a woman's might to keep it secret. Apparently, according to ancient Roman beliefs, women were not able to keep secrets well. Eventually, Portia cannot handle all of this stress suddenly put upon her once aristocratically spoiled life. She tragically commits suicide by swallowing burning coals.
The tragic heroes discussed here are extreme tragic heroes. They were once very highly influential and noble. However, because of their hamartia, these people all die, either by assassination or suicide. As a result of his pride, which led to ignorance, Julius Caesar was assassinated. Brutus committed suicide because his naïve and idealistic decisions prove to be fatal errors. Due to her extreme stress and "womanly weaknesses", Portia commits suicide just like her husband. We realize through these instances that pride, idealistic ideas, and an excess amount of care can be hamartia, which can lead to a fatal downfall.
This is the complete article, containing 960 words
(approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page).
