As suggested previously, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is actually two tragedies pasted together, for the play depicts the falls of both Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus. In fact, a reader could even argue that the play depicts the falls of three Romans, for the play also develops the character of Caius Cassius and portrays his fall as well. On the other hand, a reader might also argue that Cassius is a man without honor from the very beginning of the play. So, he cannot fall from a position of honor and respect as does Brutus.
But, regardless of how a reader may regard the figure of Cassius, the play is certainly unusual because of the manner in which Shakespeare approaches his topic. Audiences during the time of the Renaissance would naturally expect – as would audiences of today – that the central figure in a play entitled The Tragedy of Julius Caesar would be Julius Caesar. But Shakespeare enjoyed experimenting with dramatic conventions and delighted in giving his audiences a play that surpassed their expectations. And Shakespeare certainly does so with this play. Julius Caesar is not the central figure of the play. He is not the protagonist. Caesar is assassinated early in Act III. From that point on, the audience becomes more concerned with the character of Brutus. And even in the first two acts of the play, the playwright devotes more time to Brutus and elaborates upon the conflict that plagues him. Thus, a more precise title for this play would be The Tragedy of Marcus Brutus.
At the heart of this play is the internal conflict that weighs down Brutus. Brutus is opposed to himself (a man vs. himself conflict). He must choose between his great friendship for Caesar and his devotion to the public welfare. Or, another way to express this conflict is that Brutus must choose between his love for Caesar and his love for Rome. The first is a personal love, but the second is a patriotic one. Since Brutus is truly a man of honor, he cannot place his personal feelings above his public zeal. In that sense, then, Brutus really has no choice. Circumstances force him to join the conspiracy and engage in an act that is loathsome and detestable to him. Brutus is a victim of fate (thus, the reader could also view the play in terms of the man vs. fate conflict), and his guilt and remorse over his role in the assassination plague him and torment him until the time of his death.
The climax (the point of highest tension) of the play comes with the death of Cassius. With his death the forces of the conspirators cannot hope to win against the combined forces of Antony and Octavius. And, so, Brutus’s fall becomes inevitable (expected) at that point. The resolution (the point in which the central conflict is over) of play comes, naturally, with the suicide of Brutus. The suffering and guilt that Brutus experiences during the course of the play can only end with his death. And, so, the life of a noble man who acts solely out of pure and good intentions ends his life most tragically.