Marcus Brutus: Praetor, Senator and Tragic Hero The famous play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, written by the esteemed playwright William Shakespeare, details the plight of Marcus Brutus and of the other Roman conspirators against the dictator Julius Caesar. There are several tragic heroes in this play who suffer extreme falls. A tragic hero is a character who once held high regard or position, but encounters a series of terrible events that contribute to a gigantic fall from that position. The character of Brutus fits this description perfectly. He, along with the other conspirators, plans to kill Caesar and ultimately does so. Brutus later sees the errors of his ways in a moment of enlightenment on his last day on earth. Brutus' flaws are not numerous, but the flaws he has are important. He is easily manipulated, as Cassius' deceptive letters from Roman citizens demonstrate. Cassius says, “This night / in different hands, I will cast at her windows, / as if from different citizens, / writings, all tending to the great opinion / which Rome has of her name” (899). Brutus holds the opinions of his fellow Roman citizens in high regard and will defend them with all his might. Cassius sends him these letters to effectively manipulate him. Brutus also doesn't make good decisions regarding the conspiracy. It allows Mark Antony to speak after doing so in the short time following Caesar's death. Antony has harsh and merciless words towards Brutus and the other conspirators during his speech which cause Brutus' final decline. His speech is a praise of Caesar and a belligerent attack on his enemies. "You all saw that on the Lupercal / I presented him three times with a royal crown, / Which he refused three times...... middle of paper ....... "My heart still rejoices that , in all my life, / I have not found anyone who was not faithful to me. / I will have glory in this lost day, / More than Octavius ​​and Mark Antony / With this vile conquest I will achieve” (996). The character of Brutus in Shakespeare's epic play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar suffers a great fall from his position as a much-loved senator. Brutus was a man of the common people. After Caesar's assassination, he is considered a traitor to the Romans. A man unaware of his follies until the end, Brutus is manipulated and used by the conspirators to achieve their goals. However, throughout this work, he remains loyal to the Roman people and what he believes are their opinions. Brutus, a loyal man of the Roman Republic, is certainly a tragic hero. Works Cited Elements of Literature: Orlando, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2007.