Honorable Betrayal William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar tells the story of the assassination of Julius Caesar and the eight conspirators behind it. The play takes place in 44 BC in Rome. Marcus Brutus is the protagonist and face of this insidious conspiracy. He is also the tragic hero of this classic literary work. Aristotle's definition of the tragic hero is a character who has a character flaw, also known as pride, and who experiences a fall from a high position in society due to this flaw. After this fall, a tragic hero experiences an enlightenment. Brutus fits Aristotle's description perfectly. Brutus has a serious character flaw and experiences a fall from a high position in society. However, he is an honorable character who truly arouses the audience's sympathy. First of all, Marcus Brutus has the character flaw of a poor judge of character. He cannot discern a person's character or true motivation. However, he acts according to his judgments, whether they are true or not. Brutus believes that Caesar is too ambitious for power, and that he, along with the eight other men who plot Caesar's demise, must prevent it, "And therefore regard him as a serpent's egg - / Which, hatched, would grow to as his species grew. mischievous — / And kill him in the shell” (911). Brutus decides that Caesar must die because he is ambitious. Ambition is not necessarily a bad and virulent thing. Ambition drives men and women to strive to achieve a goal. Brutus assumes that Caesar will turn his back on his supporters because of this ambition. One of Julius Caesar's most famous lines are Caesar's last words: "Et tu, Bruté?" “Then fall, Caesar” (938). If Caesar had really turned into middle of paper ......e only he/Did this, they did it out of envy of the great Caesar; / him, only in an honest general thought / And the common good of all, made of them” (998). Brutus did what he did because he sincerely believed that it would benefit the common good. He wanted to perpetuate a Republic in Rome. He did not do it out of selfishness or envy; he did it simply for Rome. In conclusion, Brutus is a true example of a tragic hero. He has excessive pride which causes the fall of a high point in society; however, he also experiences an awareness of his mistakes after his fall. Brutus is truly an honorable and sympathetic character who must be studied on many levels to truly understand. He chose his country over a friend. He committed the only honorable betrayal possible. He killed his friend for love; not out of love for himself or money, but out of love for his country and his people.