Julius Caesar Essay -- essays research papers

Julius Caesar In William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, the literary element of the tragic hero is evident. In general, a tragic hero must meet several important qualifications. He must come from a good background and have high social status, he must have a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall, and this flaw must be punished either by death or banishment. In this portrayal of the history of the Roman Empire, Shakespeare explores the lives of Julius Caesar and his acquaintances. Though all of the characters are very important to the plot of the play, none of them obtain the characteristics of a tragic hero as Caesar does.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A major characteristic of a tragic hero is that he must come from a good background and obtain high social status. Julius Caesar fits both of these qualities. Not only is he the supreme ruler of Rome, but he is also a very wealthy and well-respected man as well. The people of Rome respect Caesar for several reasons. They admire him because he cares for Rome, he governs Rome, and he has made it a great empire. Caesar is sometimes referred to as a dictator for life by the Roman people. His army is also an awesome military force and is very capable of defending Rome as it displayed Pompey early in the play. The people’s love and respect for Caesar is evident when Caesar asks Mark Antony to touch Calphurnia to rid her of her barren curse. Antony responds to Caesar’s request by saying, â€Å"I shall remember. / When Caesar says ‘do ...