Final answer:
In Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar', Brutus fits the definition of a tragic hero by fulfilling the criteria of having noble stature, a tragic flaw, a reversal of fortune, recognition of error, and evoking catharsis in the audience.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, Brutus is considered the tragic hero. A tragic hero is a central character who possesses generally noble qualities but has a flaw (hamartia) that leads to their downfall. In Brutus's case, his tragic flaw is his idealism and his naïve belief in the honesty and decency of other men. This flaw leads him to participate in the conspiracy against Caesar, which he justifies as being in the best interest of the Roman Republic.
The aspects of a tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle's Poetics, include nobility, hamartia, peripeteia (reversal of fortune), anagnorisis (recognition of one's own error), and catharsis (emotional purging of the audience). Brutus is of noble birth and his intentions are initially noble, aiming to protect the Republic. However, his actions inadvertently usher in the end of the Republic he sought to protect, illustrating the peripeteia. The anagnorisis occurs when Brutus realizes the consequences of his actions, leading to his eventual defeat and ending his own life, evoking catharsis in the audience. By meeting all these criteria, Brutus embodies the characteristics of a tragic hero.