The Hero Julius Caesar

Was Brutus a villain or a hero? Even though he led the conspiracy against Julius Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus (84-42 B.C.) enjoyed a reputation in his day among Roman republicans as a noble and fair-minded statesman. However, his opponents–notably supporters of Caesar–regarded him as a traitor. First, Brutus sided with Pompey the Great against Caesar when the Roman Civil War started in 49 B.C. After Caesar defeated Pompey at Pharsalus, Greece, in 48 B.C., he pardoned Brutus and appointed him governor of Cisalpine Gaul in 46 B.C. and a praetor of Rome in 44 B.C. But Brutus turned against Caesar a second time, helping to organize and lead the conspiracy that led to Caesar’s assassination in 44 B.C. Brutus believed the action was necessary to prevent Caesar from becoming dictator-for-life, meaning that all power would reside in Caesar and not in the delegates representing the people. Was Brutus a traitorous villain or selfless hero?

Brutus fits the definition of a tragic hero because he did a great thing for Rome. If Caesar was crowned and given the power to rule, the destruction that he may have cause is unknown. However, Brutus' tragic flaw was his gullibility and hubris. Brutus was easily convince by Cassius to kill Caeser when Cassius emphasizes how honorable it would be. Brutus' overwhelming pride clouded his judgement making unable to see and realize the harm in his actions. Only til the end of the plot does Brutus realize that what he did may not have been the best or most righteous action.



So Brutus is a hero because he has the qualities of a hero such as honor and justice but he is flawed through his overwhelming pride. From the killing of Caesar to his own suicide, Brutus committed these acts believing they were right. Though Brutus may not have done the best things at the time, his ideas and intentions were not flawed.
5 years ago