Honor A Tragic Hero - 1399 Words

Evan Oblak Kochanski Honors English 10 19 January 2016 Honor Does Not Lead to Good Things The definition of a tragic hero is perceived as one who is neither wicked nor purely innocent, one who â€Å"is brave and noble but guilty of the tragic flaw of assuming that honorable ends justify dishonorable means†. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus takes the role of the tragic hero. Brutus’s honor, nobility, and self-righteousness makes him â€Å"a tragic figure, if not the hero† (Catherine C. Dominic). As the play opens, Brutus is known as a Roman nobleman and a member of one of the most illustrious families in Rome. He is first seen in Act I, scene ii, as one of Caesar’s â€Å"close friends† who is part of his entourage. But while alone with Cassius he is persuaded into taking a part in the assassination of Caesar. He is weary at first, and it seems as though it took Cassius some time to talk him into agreeing, yet Brutus looked at Caesar as some type of threat as well. As a â€Å"speculative man of high motives and refined sensibility†(Catherine C. Dominic) Brutus does have his confusion of motives. Act I, scene ii, is the first we see his weakness, â€Å"his concern with reputation and appearance, his subtle vanity and pride†(Gayle Green). Yet the main bases of Brutus’s bewilderment of motives takes place in Act II, scene I, with his famous soliloquy beginning with â€Å"It must be by his death†. This speech may be the turning point in which Brutus feels better about the assassination of his onceShow MoreRelated Essay on Hotspur as Tragic Hero of Henry IV1322 Words   |  6 PagesHotspur as Tragic Hero of Henry IV       In Shakespeares Henry IV Part One, the characters many different conceptions of honor govern how they respond to situations.   Each characters conception of honor has a great impact on the characters standing after the play.   For instance, Falstaff survived because he dishonorably faked his own death, and his untrue claim that he was the one who killed Hotspur may get him a title and land.   On the other hand, Hotspur lies dead after losing a duel forRead MoreWas Brutus A Tragic Hero772 Words   |  4 Pagesbackstabbing friend, or really a tragic hero? Marcus Brutus from William Shakespeare’s, Julius Caesar, was a tragic hero in my opinion. I am going to try and convince you that he was and why he was a tragic hero in this essay. 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