In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, many people think Caesar is the tragic hero of the story because it is named after Caesar. A tragic hero is a character who is noble and honorable but has a tragic flaw that leads to their downfall. The tragic hero in Julius Caesar is actually Marcus Brutus who has the qualities of a tragic hero as he is a noble and respected character with the flaw of idealism and heroism that leads to the fall from greatness and turn of events from Antony’s speech.
Brutus’ nobility and honor as a character proves that he is the tragic hero. The conspirators all agree to kill Antony but Brutus says, “Our course will be too bloody, Caius Cassuis, to cut the head off and then hack the limbs” (2.1.175-176) Brutus uses a metaphor to describe Caesar and Antony as heads and limbs for the purpose of saying that Antony would not strike back. Brutus also doesn’t kill Antony because of his honor as a person and his morals as a Roman as Prior says
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During Antony’s speech to the plebians to prove Brutus wronged Caesar he says, “Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honorable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And sure he is an honorable man. ” ( 3.2.102-108) Shakespeare makes Antony use repetition on the phrase “Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honorable man.” to create the effect that Antony is respecting Brutus but secretly manipulating the crowd to imagine Brutus as someone who is not as honorable as they thought. The use of repetition makes the plebians question Brutus’ honor while persuading them to follow Antony. After Antony successfully converted the views of the plebians, the plebians altogether
Antony used a different form of Ethos than Brutus does. While Brutus spoke about how honorable he is, Antony simply speaks in blank verse. Speaking in blank verse was something only honorable nobles did so by doing this Antony established an authority aura to the plebeians. With pathos Antony kicks it off with bringing Caesar’s body onto the stage. He brings the Roman’s dead leader onto the stage, stab wounds and all.
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, and sure he is an honorable man.” (Shakespeare
Antony brings awareness to the Plebians that "the noble Brutus hath told [them that] Caesar was ambitious" (Shakespeare 3.2. 77-78) to show that because Brutus is noble, then his word is accurate. Brutus claims that Caesar was ambitious, which means that Caesar was ambitious. As the speech progresses a few sentences, Antony reminds the Plebians of how honorable Brutus is and how Caesar had to die because of his ambition, but then speaks about the good things that Caesar has done. Antony starts to speak about how Caesar "hath brought many captives home to Rome whose ransoms did the general coffers fill" (Shakespeare 3.2 88-89).
One piece of evidence is in Act III, scene ii, lines 102-6 “Yet Brutus says he was ambitious / And Brutus is an honorable man / You all did see that on the Lupercal / I thrice presented him a kingly crown / Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? / Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, /
By saying this he is saying that people will only remember the bad of Caesar, but not the good that he had in him. The people will begin to fear what will live on from Caesar's death. As the people are showing anger towards Brutus, Antony continues on with his speech saying, "When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept; Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; and Brutus is an honorable man." He points out that Caesar constantly felt bad for those who were struggling in his country.
Such comparisons are followed with references to Brutus’ honor, demonstrated in the statement, “I thrice presented him (Caesar) a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And, sure, he is an honorable man” (JC 3.2.75-105). By first refuting Brutus’ claim and consequently noting his honor, Antony challenges Brutus’ honesty and portrays him as untrustworthy to the audience.
Antony states that Brutus killed Caesar after making a deceitful impeachment of ambition; making Brutus not an honorable man. Inspite
(3.2.101-4). His dramatics demonstrate to the crowd how they should feel, and they follow suit. Once the crowd feels sentimental about Caesar’s death, Antony commences his process of enraging them. While revealing Caesar’s dead body, Antony utilizes loaded language to demonize the actions of the conspirators, Brutus in particular. He claims, “Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabbed; /
Was this ambition?/ Yet Brutus says he is ambitious." (III.ii.105-107) Antony rebukes this statement in explaining that if was indeed an ambitious man, he would have instantly taken the crown. This was not the case since at the public square, Caesar had refused the crown three times. Antony with the use of logos, obtained the upper hand in this point over
Brutus continuously mentions that Caesar was ambitious. In his famous quote he says, “As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him.” Brutus uses the repetition of ambitious to emphasize the conspirator 's reason for murdering Caesar. By repeating the word “ambitious” he makes sure that the audience knew exactly why Caesar had to be killed. This helps to create the specific effect of justifying the conspirator 's actions because it gives the audience a solid reason for why Caesar was dangerous.
When Cassius wanted Antony and Caesar to fall together Brutus disagreed and said, “Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius / To cut the head off and then hack the limbs”(2.1.175-176). Brutus knows that Caesar must be taken care or in order to protect Rome but doesn’t find it necessary to kill Antony, a close
There is bound to be a tragic hero in “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” because of all the tragedies that occur in the story. In Aristotle’s characteristics of a tragic hero, he named three main tragic hero characteristics. The tragic hero must have a hamartia, a flaw or error of judgement. The hero must be extremely
Secondly, Shakespeare uses the repetition of the word ambitious in Antony’s speech to instigate the plebeians, and fill their minds with enough doubts to get them to rebel against the conspirators. Talking about how Caesar refused the crown three times at the Luperical, Antony proclaims, “Which he did thrice refuse; was this ambition. / Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;” (3.2.95-96). Bringing up the Luperical is a strong point. It is still fresh in the memories of many
Brutus claims were the opposite of Antony. Brutus claims was to convince the citizens that Caesar was a communist type of leader. Brutus says in his speech “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more”. He is claiming that Caesar was not good enough for Rome. Brutus makes another of the same claim, saying that Caesar is not enough for Rome saying, “with this I depart— that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death”.
There are two reasons why Antony gave this speech. The first was to get back at Brutus for murdering his beloved friend, and making him pay for it. The main reason Antony gave this speech is because he had a greed for power. He thought that if he could get all the plebeians on his side, that they would attack the conspirators and trust Antony, therefore making it easy to take on the spot for power. “Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius, To cut the head off and then hack the limbs, Like wrath in death and envy afterwards, For Antony is but a limb of Caesar.