William Shakespeare's tragedy of Julius Caesar has two characters who make a good case for a tragic hero: one is Brutus and the other Caesar. Brutus has the better argument because it falls the farthest. In Shakespeare's play Brutus and Cassius are best friends. Brutus is afraid that ambition will make him king of Rome, which Rome had not had. Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero is a highly esteemed character who has a flaw in logic, leading to his downfall. During the trial the character is enlightened about his mistakes and after the show he is often viewed with pity. The protagonist, Brutus, is the tragic hero because he is easily persuaded, has flawed logic, and falls from a high position. In Act I, Cassius convinces Brutus to assassinate his friend Julius Caesar. “I am glad that my few words struck no other than this display of fire on the part of Brutus” (894). The few words Cassius speaks make Brutus' mind spin. Thus showing how Brutus is easily influenced into making decisions. Another flaw of Brutus is flawed logic. “And then to think him in the serpent's egg that hatched, how his kind would become mischievous, and kill him in the shell” (911). Brutus is basically saying: let's kill him before he climbs higher up the ladder of power. This is faulty logic because we cannot clearly discern whether Caesar will take the stand or not. Brutus also calls Mark Antony a member of Caesar. “And by Mark Antony, think not of him; for Luke 2 can do nothing but Caesar's arm when Caesar's head is severed” (916). The logic here is that if Caesar is dead, Mark Antony is powerless. The downfall of a tragic hero is an important part of the character's enlightenment. At the beginning of the first act, Brutus was at Caesar's side in the Senate, in the center of the sheet, the attempt to keep the Republic alive goes to waste. With the fall of Brutus, Caesar is finally avenged. “Caesar now stand still, I did not kill you with half the good will” (997). Brutus' last words are addressed to Caesar. The death of Brutus marks the end of the conspiracy and marks the end of the Roman Republic. The tragedy of Julius Caesar is a story of betrayal and death. In a tragedy there must be a tragic hero. Brutus fits the mold well; to belong to high society and fall low and die prematurely. Death by the same sword used on Caesar. Brutus is the tragic hero of this play because he is flexible, his logic is flawed, and he falls as far from Caesar's friend as possible to his death by suicide. The work is best summarized by Titinius. “The sun of Rome has set” (991). Works cited Elements of literature. Orlando: Holt, Winston, Rinehart, 2007.