The Fall of Brutus The play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, has two main tragic heroes. Set in Rome and between forty-four and forty-two BC, the play tells of Brutus and Caesar, both of whom fall from the highest positions to the lowest misfortune and then are enlightened about their mistakes. Brutus is the strongest example of a tragic hero in this story. Over the course of this play, Brutus makes many mistakes, falls more drastically than all the other characters, and regrets his previous actions by the end of the play. Brutus makes three costly mistakes throughout the play. The first mistake he makes is to participate in the assassination of Julius Caesar. “People and senators do not be afraid. /Do not fly; stand still; the debt of ambition is paid” (938). In this way, Brutus does exactly the opposite of what he set out to do, which was to protect Rome from the ambition of humans. This action also perpetually gives him the nickname of traitor. The second and most important mistake Brutus makes is that he allows Antony to speak at Caesar's funeral. “And you will speak in the same pulpit where I go / After my speech is done” (945). Brutus not only allows Mark Antony to speak after Cassius tells him not to grant him that right, but also gives him the best time to do so. Speaking second is more strategic than first because the man or woman who speaks second gives the speech that the audience will remember. The citizens will most likely not remember Brutus' meager speech which is quickly disregarded after Antony begins to speak. This act of hubris is actually the backbone of Brutus' downfall. The third mistake made by Brutus is the one... in the middle of the paper... everything with his last action. Unfortunately, the public doesn't know whether or not he regrets committing suicide. If he had not done so, Antony would most likely have restored some of his stature to Rome and granted him life: “This was the noblest Roman of all. / All the conspirators except him alone / Did it out of envy of the great Caesar; / He, only in an honest general thought / And common good to all, made one” (998). It is clear that Antony is saddened by the loss of Brutus, because he understands the true meaning of Brutus' actions. In conclusion, Brutus is the tragic hero in this play because of the mistakes he makes, the fall he suffers, and the regret of what he feels afterwards. Brutus will forever be labeled a traitor, but in the end he is truly sorry for the mistakes he makes. For this reason Brutus is the tragic hero.