Defining Tragedy through Pessimism

The adjective ‘Pessimism’ comes from the Latin word ‘pessimus’, which means ‘worst’. It is “a tendency to stress the negative or unfavorable or to take the gloomiest possible view; the doctrine or belief that this is the worst of all possible worlds and that all things ultimately tend toward evil” and that “evil outweighs the good” (The Free Dictionary). ‘Tragedy’ is generally associated with misery and death, which are considered as the worst occurrences in personal lives. In this essay, using Othello as an example, tragedy is examined as a genre of pessimistic perspectives.

First, in accordance with the pessimistic approach, the prevailing themes in Othello were addressed from a negative point of view. Love, the main subject around which the play evolved (Heilman 94), was important to the characters: judging from Othello’s words, he “did thrive in this fair lady’s love, / And she in mine” [his] (Shakespeare, Othello 1.3.125). These words were confirmed by the lady herself, Desdemona, who dared to disobey her father for she “did love the Moor to live with him” (Othello 1.3.248). Iago acknowledged the significance of love for others, whether they were spouses or friends. Nevertheless, he stated that love is short-lived, ceasing “when the blood is made dull with the act of sport” (Othello 2.1.227). By suggesting that it is “merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will” (Othello 1.3.304), he doubted love’s existence altogether.

Jealousy also appeared as a central theme throughout the plot. The plot in fact had its start with it; Iago being jealous on professional grounds, Roderigo – upon his fancy of Desdemona. Jealousy, negative as it is in itself, was indeed perceived as such by the character...

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...fine tragedy by examining some of its major features as they appeared in Othello, it was notable that it largely engaged desperation and loss. Even though ‘pessimism’ is an attitude and ‘tragedy’ is a genre of the arts, the latter resembles definition of the former by its negative take on life, human affairs and relations. It is a genre in which pessimistic expectations are set into practice, becoming reality for the characters. Tragedy’s harshness is due to the notions of innocent characters getting hurt, and of the extent which the misfortune reaches. As was evident in Othello, it concentrates on the personal scale of human catastrophe – the misfortune of individuals. The purpose of such extreme portrayal of sorrow is to evoke emotional responses in the audience. Tragedy aimed to convey to the audience an understanding of the misery of others, which is compassion.