The Downfall Of Brutus In The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar By William Shakespeare

Throughout history, there have been several tragic heroes who’ve each had certain factors contributing to their downfall. In the play “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” by Shakespeare, Brutus, the main protagonist, shows certain qualities that exemplify his title as the tragic hero. It is apparent that Brutus’s lack of insight and pure honor were catalysts pertaining to the chaos in his society and eventually his downfall.
Brutus is an egocentric man who believes that everyone, as in the conspirators, has the same motives as him. The conspirators use this to their advantage because they knew that Brutus would join their cause if it was perceived as fundamental for Rome. Brutus is oblivious to the fact that the conspirators are killing Caesar

In Brutus’s point of view, he killed Caesar for the good of Rome. The fear of Caesar acciquring a surplus amount of power and becoming corrupt from it is what fueled Brutus' decision. While Brutus was in his garden, he contemplated heavily on whether he should kill Caesar or not because on one hand Caesar is his friend but on the other hand Brutus has to do what's best for Rome. Eventually, Brutus reached a consensus with himself by comparing Caesar to a snake .“And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg, Which, hatched, would, as his kind, grow mischievous, And kill him in the shell.” It is apparent that Brutus believes that if he didn't kill Caesar immediately, he would have become an unscrupulous leader, hence the serpent reference, and would have brought down Rome. Brutus’s main problem was choosing between his best friend and Rome and in the end, he chose Rome because he is an honorable man who was willing to lose his best friend just so Rome could prosper. “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more”. Because he loved Rome more, Brutus’s pure honor could not allow Ceasar to live and corrupt what he dearly cherished. In contrast to this, Brutus contradicts himself when he doesn't kill Mark Antony because he didn't believe he withheld any power and allowed him to speak at Caesar's funeral which caused disorder in Rome. Seeing that