"Either you die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain", said by Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent) in the film The Dark Knight, perfectly describes the theme of William Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar. Even more, Harvey Dent's words display characteristics of the production's tragic hero, Marcus Brutus. Many argue that his role in Caesar's assassination would have made 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 happened to make a tragic mistake. In the first two acts of Julius Caesar, the audience begins to learn about the type of person Brutus was. Brutus proved himself to be a respected leader when Ligarius said: "But enough / Let Brutus lead me" (2.1.344-345). With this quote, Shakespeare shows that Brutus is the type of man that others are led to follow. Cassius knew this fact and that is why he targeted Brutus as one of the conspirators. With the noble Brutus plotting against Caesar, Cassius believed that the Roman citizens would more readily accept Caesar's murder; however, Brutus was wise. He said, “What dangers would you lead me into, Cassius, / That you would have me seek in myself / That which is not in me?” (1,2,65-67), as soon as he suspected that Cassius had alternative motives for speaking with him. The audience learns that Brutus is not ready to make decisions and seeks honor above all else. If he were a villain, why would he spend time contemplating the consequences of Caesar's death? Wouldn't he just have acted? Even during Caesar's murder and funeral, Brutus remained noble. When the other conspirators started shouting "Freedom, freedom and... middle of paper... how that Marcus Brutus was a tragic hero, then nothing will." In conclusion, it is shown that Brutus remained in the heroic mood throughout the entire play. All his actions, including suicide, were aimed at improving the Roman Empire. No true villain would want to “improve” anything. Now, if Brutus acted out of greed or envy, then the argument would be different, but since he acted out of honor and patriotism, the argument is non-existent. Brutus is a hero. Just because he made a mistake doesn't mean he is the wrongdoer. Everyone makes a big mistake at least once in their life; however, in Brutus' case his defect was irreversible. So why give him the label nefarious or vile when we can simply say he was a tragic hero? Works Cited Crowther, John, ed. No Fear Julius Caesar. SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2005. Network. March 22. 2014.