What were the tragic flaws in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar?

Answer 1

Caesar was certainly ambitious, arrogant, conceited, selfish, cynical and ruthless. It was for these characteristics that Brutus joined the conspiracy against him, particularly his ambition, as he says in his speech. They are characteristics which Caesar shared with Cassius and Antony and Octavian, so by rights they should also be Cassius's and Antony's and Octavian's tragic flaws. Except that this play ends well for Antony, and Octavian goes on to become the deified Caesar Augustus, first Emperor of Rome.

What you should be getting out of this is that "tragic flaws" are ideas made up by unimaginative English teachers to annoy students of Shakespeare. Bad things do not always happen to people because they are flawed, either in literature or real life. We do not feel sorry for people who tragedy strikes because we feel that they are morally inferior in some way. Indeed, such people are less sympathetic. Check out Shakespeare's tragedy Timon of Athens if you want a story where the "tragic hero" really is flawed. He's really unlikable; there's a reason why you are not studying Timon in school.

Basically, this "tragic flaw" game is 100% hindsight and 0% insight. Something bad happened to someone--we look through his actions which led up to it, fasten on what appears to be a leading characteristic, and call it a "flaw". It doesn't matter that the same characteristic leads others to be blindingly successful. Henry V is one of Shakespeare's greatest heroes, who is as ambitious as Macbeth, as ruthless as Caesar, and as decisive as Othello (and also as easily manipulated, if it is churchmen doing the manipulating). Sure, we can say that Caesar's tragic flaw is that he is ambitious and ruthless, and then we turn around and say that Brutus's tragic flaw is that he is NOT ambitious and NOT ruthless.

Unfortunately, this rubbish spoils Shakespeare (whose plays are actually delightful, moving, and quite easy to understand) for far too many people.

Answer 2

well, Brutus has arguably many tragic flaws.

It really depends on how you view them and all,

1) Idealism

2) Perfectionism

3) maybe naivety

4) poor judgement

5) his honour

6) thrust

7) gullibility

well.. choose for yourself.. I'd probably go for idealism and poor judgement.. maybe even honour

Answer 3

Brutus's tragic flaw is thinking to less of Antony. he referred to him as Caesar's arm and basically saying he was useless. Brutus did not know what Antony was capable of and in the end Antony overruled him.

Answer 4

the three as....aragonce, appearence, and ambition....

Answer 5

Julius Caesar's tragic flaws were his ambition and his arrogance.