The tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is an illustration of the demise of many respectable men. Typical of a tragedy, a character of high social standing experiences numerous downfalls caused by a character flaw. This character is ultimately brought to his knees by the misery and pain caused by these mistakes. It is at this point that the character realizes his own flaws and changes perspective. In Shakespeare's tragedy, the tragic hero is Julius Caesar. In the play, Shakespeare shapes the character of Caesar into an ambiguous personality. Although Caesar is depicted as an ignorant and deserving tragedy, he is also an often overlooked hero. The omnipotent ruler seems to be quite socially respectable in the exposition of the work. However, as the story unfolds, many of its imperfections are introduced. The blemishes of Caesar's personality soon lead to his untimely death. Upon his fall, Caesar realizes his faults and misdeeds. So Caesar is overall an effective and sympathetic tragic hero. Julius Caesar is shown to have many reprehensible character flaws throughout the play. That is to say, he is illustrated as having a bellicose sense of arrogance. Initially the great majority of the Roman public adored and esteemed Caesar. However, this adoration inflates his sense of personal pride and arrogance. For example, in the introduction to the play Caesar is warned of a plot to remove him from the throne. A fortune teller warns him to “beware the Ides of March” (890). Rather than obviate the attempt, Caesar rejects the soothsayer, stating “he is a dreamer, let us leave him” (890). Later in Act II, Caesar is informed of dead men walking, of a lioness giving birth in the street... in the middle of a sheet of paper... ble. Unfortunately, it took the destruction of their great leader for Rome to discern what an admirable man Caesar was. In conclusion, William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is the quintessential tragic hero. He is highly respected in society and holds a position of authority, but is corrupted by his pride and arrogance. He ignores warnings of assassination, but once attacked by his confidant Brutus he realizes his flaws. Unfortunately, he can never regret his prideful ways, as his life is extinguished. Because he was murdered by one of his greatest friends and has done so much to help the destitute, he is a sympathetic character. Julius Caesar is a complex and multi-faceted man, but the tragedy of his life strikes a chord of sympathy that resonates not only with his subjects, but with readers of his downfall in centuries past, present, and future..