"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain," says Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent) in the perfectly described film The Dark Knight the theme of William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar. Even more, Harvey Dent's words show the characteristics of the production's tragic hero, Marcus Brutus. Most would say that his role in Caesar's assassination would make him the antagonist, or villain, but through a series of events in the play, it is logical to conclude that Brutus was indeed the hero. He was a tragic hero who just made a tragic mistake. In the first two acts of Julius Caesar, the audience begins to discover what type of person Brutus was. Brutus proved himself to be a respected leader when Ligarius said, “But it is enough / Let Brutus lead me” (2.1.344-345). With this quote, Shakespeare shows that Brutus is the type of man that others are encouraged to follow. Cassius knew this and that is why he targeted Brutus as one of the conspirators. While the noble Brutus plotted against Caesar, Cassius believed that Roman citizens would more readily accept Caesar's murder; however, Brutus was wise. He said: “Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, / that you would have me seek in myself / For that which is not in me? » (1.2.65-67), as soon as he suspected that Cassius had other reasons to speak to him. The audience learns that Brutus is not quick to make decisions and seeks honor above all else. If he was a villain, why would he spend time thinking about the consequences of Caesar's death? Wouldn't he just act? Even during Caesar's murder and funeral, Brutus remained noble. When the other conspirators started shouting "Liberty, liberty and... middle of paper ... how Marcus Brutus was a tragic hero, then nothing will do it." In conclusion, Brutus remained the heroic state of mind throughout the play. All his actions, including suicide, were intended for the good of the Roman Empire. No true villain would want to “improve” something. Now, if Brutus acted out of greed or envy, then the argument would be different, but since he acted out of honor and patriotism, then the argument is non-existent. Brutus is a hero. Just because he made a mistake doesn't mean he's at fault. Everyone makes a big mistake at least once in their life; however, in the case of Brutus, his defect proved irreversible. So why give him a label of infamous or despicable when we can simply say that he was a tragic hero? Works Cited Crowther, John, ed. Don't worry Julius Caesar. SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2005. Internet. March 22. 2014.