Shakespeare Tragic Heroes: Macbeth and Brutus Essay

June 11, 2018 General Studies

William Shakespeare is a universe renowned English poet and dramatist celebrated for many tragic dramas such as Macbeth and Julius Caesar. These two dramas both contain tragic heroes with Marcus Brutus from Julius Caesar. and Macbeth from Macbeth. A tragic hero is defined as a supporter of high standing with heroic or possible heroic abilities who must oppose some external or internal force. A tragic hero demands to hold a “tragic flaw” where a character has excessively much or excessively small of one of Aristotle’s 12 virtuousnesss. Macbeth and Brutus are both considered tragic heroes but have many similarities every bit good as differences.

First. Macbeth and Brutus acted for different grounds but they both got caught in state of affairss that they couldn’t flight from. Brutus genuinely and candidly believed that he had to kill Julius Caesar to give the Romans a better life and he proves this when he says. “To prick us to right? What other bond so secret Romans. that have spoke the word. And will non beat around the bush? And that other curse so honesty to honesty engaged that this shall be. or we will fall for it” . Meanwhile. Macbeth simply killed left and right for his ain addition. get downing with the slaying of the male monarch. Duncan.

Macbeth killed many people he loved including his best friend. Banquo. and the households of his oppositions ; hence. he was unmerciful with work forces. adult females. and kids all being the same to him. Macbeth was caught up in his ain immorality programs to obtain the throne that he didn’t even experience anything after his first putting to death ; he started engaging liquidators to make his dirty workss for him alternatively. Brutus merely killed his best friend. Caesar. because it was the lone decease that he thought was necessary. In the terminal. Macbeth and Brutus ended up in similar state of affairss where they lost their power and their lives.

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Second. Macbeth and Brutus are both similar and different when it comes to their personalities. Both tragic heroes have the same defect in their natures of being excessively swearing of others ; hence. it leads them to hold a lecherousness for power and it concluded in both their deceases. Macbeth was excessively swearing of the enchantresss and his married woman despite how awful or evil their thoughts were. He was besides excessively willing to swear his fate in the custodies of others and if he hadn’t been so fleeceable. possibly he wouldn’t hold turned into such an evil adult male.

Brutus was excessively swearing of the plotters when they told him of how his best friend. Caesar. was traveling to govern Rome with dictatorship when he is crowned emperor. The tragic heroes’ trusting natures lead to their lecherousness for power and aspiration. Once Brutus joined the plotters. he instantly took over and would non settle for second-in-command. Macbeth’s aspiration besides helped take to the moral diminution of his character along with his lecherousness for power.

Third. Macbeth and Brutus both had guilty scrupless about the slayings they caused ; hence. both work forces had their concerns portrayed in the signifier of shades. At the beginning of Macbeth. Macbeth had a really guilty scruples about killing Duncan and started to acquire phantoms of Banquo when he murdered him every bit good. The shade of Banquo could’ve been a mark that Macbeth unconsciously regretted killing his best friend even though Macbeth had already become a barbarous adult male at that point of the drama. However. towards the terminal of the drama. when confronting Macduff. Macbeth seemed to repent his actions and was unwilling to kill when he said. “But get back. my psyche is excessively much charg’d with blood of thine already. ” ( Macbeth. Act V. Scene eight. Lines 5-6 ) .

Brutus besides faced the shade of Julius Caesar due to his guilt witting. although this shade was likely merely a hallucination from Brutus’s subconscious. Macbeth wouldn’t accept his feelings about slaying Banquo and was about driven to madness by it while Brutus acknowledged Caesar’s shade because he knew that he had done a dishonourable act and would be haunted. There is besides the possibility that Macbeth and Brutus were faced with existent shades since many of Shakespeare’s plays revolved around the thought of the supernatural ; hence. they might hold been haunted by existent shades from their slayings.

Fourthly. Macbeth and Brutus had utmost influence and use from outside beginnings that caused the devolution of these characters from baronial work forces to tragic heroes. Before the decease of King Duncan. Macbeth was a true hero. fresh from a triumph on the battleground and non harbouring any desires to derive the throne. At first. when faced with the witches’ anticipations. he responds the manner a loyal topic would. non like adult male who aspires to take over Scotland ; “…to be King bases non within the chance of belief. no more than to be Cawdor…” ( Macbeth. Act I. Scene three. Lines 73-5 ) . Besides. Brutus was an honest adult male with promise. ability. and was loyal to Rome. Both Macbeth and Brutus were good work forces until they had influence from the exterior that caused the start of their devolution into darkness. Macbeth had influence from his married woman. Lady Macbeth. who was the 1 that urged him to kill Duncan and prehend the throne for his ain.

She thought that he was much excessively sort to kill the male monarch ; “Glamis thou art. and Cawdor. and shalt be what thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature ; it is excessively full o’ the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest manner. ” ( Lady Macbeth. Act I. Scene v. Lines 14-7 ) . Macbeth was really nervous and against the thought of killing Duncan until Lady Macbeth persuaded him into making it by oppugning his manhood and endangering to go forth him if he didn’t make it. Brutus was manipulated by a plotter named Cassius. who planted bogus letters from people fearing Caesar’s power around Brutus’s place to acquire him to ally with him. Without the influence from others. Macbeth and Brutus could hold remained loyal work forces of high position and could’ve prevented unneeded gores.

Last. Macbeth and Brutus both died tragically in the terminal. but they died in ways that make the two wholly different from each other. Macbeth was killed against his ain will in the terminal. after losing everyone and everything he had and when the prognostications that had brought him comfort turned against him. Once Macbeth was killed. peace was restored to Scotland and people rejoiced over the decease of their old male monarch. On the other manus. Brutus died an honest decease of his ain agreement and was thought of as a great adult male by everyone around him. He committed suicide after losing the conflict by transfixing himself onto his ain blade and he died peacefully. trusting that Caesar was now satisfied ; “Farewell Strato. Caesar now be still. I killed non thee with half so good a will. ”

When Brutus died. the opposing ground forces approached and one of the leaders. Antony. stood over Brutus’s organic structure and said. “This was the noblest Roman of them all. All the plotters save merely he– did that they did in enviousness of great Caesar ; He. merely in general honest thought– and common good to all. made one of them. His life was soft. and the elements so assorted in him that Nature might stand up– And state to all the universe. ‘This was a adult male! ” . Brutus died as a proud warrior of Rome while Macbeth died as a despised autocrat of Scotland. Their deceases were what truly made the difference between Macbeth and Brutus even though they’re both Shakespearean tragic heroes.

In decision. Macbeth and Brutus have many differences and similarities but they’re both tragic heroes due to the defects in their nature. They both had the same trustful natures which lead to their lecherousness for power and so their deceases. Macbeth and Brutus were two wholly different people when it came to their personalities because Macbeth was genuinely evil while Brutus was a truly good adult male. Both work forces could non get away the inevitable terminal because it is their fate to fall as tragic heroes.

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