Marcus Brutus, a Tragic Figure

Brutus was the noblest roman who wanted what was in the best interest for the roman population. Brutus's tragic flaw was that he was too trusting. He honestly felt that he had to kill Caesar in order to save Rome from tyranny. He trusted Mark Antony not to blame the conspirators in his speech at Caesar's funeral. Mark Antony broke his promise and got Brutus and the others into deep trouble. Brutus indeed ended up in a position, from his own actions, that is tragic to the reader. 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, but he had a tragic flaw. He was too trusting and naive, and these qualities led to his death. Brutus was good in heart and mind, but easily manipulated which ends up being the flaw that gets him into a tragic situation. Brutus’ reversal of fortune occurs when he allows the conspirators to manipulate him into believing that he needed to assassinate Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar, a good friend of Brutus, had not shown many signs of being a tyrant, yet the conspirators persuaded and manipulated Brutus into believing that he was. “This was the noblest Roman of them all: All the conspirators save only he in that they did in envy of great Caesar; He only, in a general honest thought and common good to all, made one of them,”(V,iiiii, 73-77). This quote indicates that Brutus was a noble and honest man, who wanted only what was in the interest of the general good. Throughout Brutus’ actions as a conspirator he thought that he was doing what was best for the Roman people, even when killing the soon to be ruler and good friend Julius Caesar. It was Brutus’ tragic flaw of being too trusting that leads to his inevitable, tragic death.

When Brutus’ wife, Portia, takes her own life it is a tragic moment in Brutus’ life. This is one example when Brutus has a reversal in fortune. Brutus explains to Cassius what happened to Portia after their quarrel. “No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead,”(IV,iii,151). This evidence shows just how tragic Portia’s death is for Brutus. With the Roman population turned against Brutus and the conspirators, along with this tragic loss for Brutus, this marks the beginning of the reversal of fortune for Brutus. Brutus shows his true remorse for killing Caesar in many occasions. When Caesar’s ghost visits Brutus, Brutus wants to question him and apologize for what had happened. Another example is when Brutus takes his own life at the end of act five. "Farewell Strato. Caesar now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a will,”(V,iiiii,56-57).Brutus felt unbearable remorse for Caesar's death, and his final words told that. Brutus had to take his own life because nobody wanted to have to such a noble and honest man as Brutus. When Brutus asks Clitus to kill him, Clitus replies, “What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world…I’ll rather kill myself,”(V, iiiii, 6-8).The reasoning for Clitus not killing Brutus is because he could not live with himself if he killed the noblest roman that had ever lived. This shows how noble and honest Brutus was, that he could not get someone to kill him, he had to do it himself.

In conclusion, Brutus, the noblest roman wanted what was best for the roman people. His tragic flaw was he was too trusting. He felt he needed to kill Caesar for he thought he was a tyrant. His trust in Mark Antony led to his downfall. Brutus indeed ended up in a position, from his flaw in being idealistic and naïve.