Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

The Globe Theatre-The venue of many first performances of William Shakespeare's plays

Portia - Brutus' wife

• Does assassinating a leader for the good of the people constitute bravery worthy of a tragic hero or can the end never justify the mean?

Fellysia:
Brutus who helps in the assassination of Julius Caesar is worthy to be called as a tragic hero for he signifies the main elements needed to be called as one. First of all a tragic hero in a tragedy is the main character who makes a rash decision in his actions which lead to his pitfall. As a senator, he is a man of prominence, well-liked by his peers, wealthy, and has good family relationship. However, his major flaw is in his staunch principles that he decides to kill Julius Caesar due to his overwhelming patriotism. He cares about his nation that he is willing to betray Caesar’s friendship by committing such barbarous murder. Unlike the other conspirators of the killing, Brutus is the only one with the noble intentions on trying to make Rome a better place to live in that readers or audience sympathise with his impending doom. Besides that, Brutus’ naivety makes him become easily manipulated by the other men in his surroundings, such as Cassius’ motives for killing Caesar. Therefore, it can be said that Brutus is responsible for his downfall as most tragic heroes are because he befriends the wrong people and unable to see hidden intentions behind others’ ambitions that at the end of the play he has to take the brunt of his self-inflicted mistakes in participating in the murder of Caesar.


Veronica:
Brutus is the one who is worthy to be called as the tragic hero in this play. By assassinating Julius Caesar, the readers can have clear image of who do it for their own benefits and who do it for the good of Rome. Many other conspirator have blind ambitions to have their power over Rome. Unlike the other conspirator, Brutus is doing it for the goods of Roman. After what he has done to Julius, which also give impact to Rome, he decided to kill himself for paying all the chaos. Once again, he pay it for Roman.

Aswin:
Brutus is worthy called a tragic hero because his main reason doing it just only for the good of the Roman, he doesn't has any personal intention doing it. Brutus also decided to kill himself in the end after knowing the impact of what he had done.

Juanta:
Brutus may be called a tragic hero. A hero because his action of murdering Caesar has a purpose to stop Caesar's tyrant regime. Tragic cause actually his idealist thought has been manipulated by others for their own need. Later after knowing the fact, Brutus decides to commit suicide. There is no positive result of what Brutus has done, in the end a tyrant that he tries to stop only continued by another tyrant regime.


Kharis:
It is very subjective to either answer that the assasination constitutes bravery or the end can never justify the means. My opinion is, let's imagine if Julius Cesar made himself king. If he is the king, would the romans and the senators will live in vain, cultural changes, political and economical disorder or not? Judging from who is Caesar and what he had done for his country, probably, Rome will be greater with him as the ruler of Rome. So, i think, the assasination is not something good at all, if we see it for the good of the people. In other hand, the assasination is good for the senators because with Caesar out of the game, they will dominate the government for their own benefits. So, the conclusion is, the death of Caesar will never justify the means.

Lusiana:
I think Julius should be called a tragic hero because of what he had done. It is arguable that Brutus fits Aristotle’s guidelines for a tragic hero. He has a high position in society, which is evident through that fact that he is a senator. he was attempting to be a fair enough ruler to hear what his enemies had to say. that was why he was at the senate that day he was murdered.