Elements Contributing to Othello's Role of the Tragic Hero

1180 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Brief analysis of OTHELLO

Elements Contributing to Othello's Role of the Tragic Hero

What is a tragic hero? A tragic hero is the protagonist in the play who usually is faced with some opposing force whether internal or external. In order to be a tragic hero, one has to have the following characteristics: (1) be a nobleman, prince, or person of high estate; (2) have a tragic flaw, and a weakness in judgement; and (3) fall from high to low estate. These can be seen in Shakespeare's "Othello" which discusses the downfall of a noble man because of his flaws that are not actually defects in itself, but rather the excess of a virtue. All throughout this paper, I will discuss how Othello was being said as a nobleman and how his attributes became his tragic flaws that caused his downfall.

We can say that Othello is a nobleman because of the respect brought forth by the people of Cyprus in the first scene of the second act, when Montano, the Governor of Cyprus, is awaiting the arrival of Othello's ship, he remarked:

" Pray heaven he be,

For I have served him, and the man commands

Like a full soldier…

As to throw out our eyes for brave Othello…"

(II.i.36-40)

In this text, we can see that he is a proven leader of men and known for his military knowledge and skills. As a matter of fact, his soldiers hold him in awe, and throughout the play he is referred to as a captain whom do his comrades respect.

On the other hand, his noble attributes such as self-confidence, generous trust and love became the perfect concoction which eventually lead to his destruction. In other words his positive attributes are responsible for bringing out his negative side, his flaws in character. In the case of his self-confidence, it is clear at first that...

... middle of paper ...

...struction in Othello himself of all the ordering powers of love, of trust, of the bond between human beings.

Obviously Othello portrays the characteristics of a tragic hero. He clearly was a man of nobility, of noble character and held in a very high estate. He was discussed in this play by displaying his positive traits which man continues to search for in order to fulfill a happy life. His traits quickly came crashing down because of character flaws in other people such as deceit, fraud, selfishness, hatred, and a deep desire for revenge. Following Othello's trust for his good friend Iago, he clearly demonstrated flaws in the forms of judgments, jealousy, loss of self-control and his lack of self confidence in himself. All this eventually lead to the murder of Desdemona whom he continued to love through the end and his own eventual self inflicted death.

Show More
Related

  • Tragic Heroes And Their Downfalls In Shakespeare's Othello

    1347 Words  | 3 Pages

    Northrop Frye once said, “Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divisive lightning.” Othello is the pillar of tragic heros, first playing the part of a loving husband with a beautiful wife, then being manipulated into believing his wife was cheating on him and killing her. Throughout the play, he played the part of the protagonist, everyone hoping he would figure out Iago was lying to him. Othello being the protagonist made the fact he was also a villain bittersweet. His apparent love for his wife Desdemona, his ‘just’ reasoning for killing her, and Iago’s deserving end all contribute to the tragic work as a whole.

    Read More

  • William Shakespeare's Othello

    568 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, the character Othello is portrayed as a fairly good man. By some, he may be known as a bad person but he has become greatly beneficial to the growth of Venice and the state of Cyprus. Othello is a good man even if he committed murder to his wife because he is a great war general and contributed to Cyprus in time of need.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Othello

    1444 Words  | 3 Pages

    When Cypress is threatened by Turkish forces, Othello is wanted specifically by the duke and the senate, as evidenced by Cassio’s comment that the senate “sent about three several quests” to look for Othello (I.ii.46).Othello became Governor of Cypress in Act I, Scene III, but his fortunes promptly change and not for the better. Othello has a reputation for courage in battle along with wonderful judgment when it comes to serious decisions about the military. The Venetian government has enough faith in Othello to put him in full martial and political command of Cyprus. In his dying speech Othello reminds the Venetians of the “service” he has done their state

    Read More

  • Othello's Honor

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Tragedy of Othello, William Shakespeare tells the tale of the “noble Moor” whose honor and innocence bring about his downfall. Shakespeare writes of the power of jealousy, and the art of masterful deception and trickery. The story primarily takes place in Cyprus, during a war between the people of Venice and the invading Turks. In this play Shakespeare shows the feelings of Othello’s embittered right-hand man of, Iago, who feels he is passed over for a promotion and swears his revenge. He proceeds to manipulate his friends, enemies, and family into doing his bidding without any of them ever realizing his ultimate goal. He makes Othello believe that his new wife, the innocent Desdemona, is committing adultery with his newly promoted officer Michael Cassio. After this seed of jealousy has been planted, Othello’s mind takes its course in determining the true outcome, with a little more nudging from Iago. The course of action he proceeds to follow is one that not only ends his own life, but also the life of his wife and others. In Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Othello, Othello is a man who is still truly honorable, despite the course of action he takes to resolve his perceived problem.

    Read More

  • Othello, The Moor of Venice

    1326 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first rule that is met in Shakespeare’s play is that Othello is considered tragic hero, which every tragedy must contain. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero must be a man in a position of power who is a good person and makes a mistake during the timeline of the play due to a tragic flaw. Othello’s major flaw can be seen as jealousy: “Othello has often been described as a tragedy of character, as the play’s protagonist swiftly descends into a rage of jealousy

    Read More

  • Othello’s Dramatic Flaw in Shakespeare's Othello

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the beginning of the play we see Othello as a strong character. His stature, tall, dark, African Moor, combined with his personal charisma, assist him in gaining the respect and allegiance of the Venetian people and senators. Since Othello has been a soldier all his life, he is seen as a very admirable man. His title alone, governor-general, presents an air of nobility, strength, and confidence. Othello’s title defines someone who is held in extremely high esteem by people of Venice. An example would be when the Duke and a few Senators are discussing issues around the table when Othello enters the room. It’s clear that Othello is held in admiration when, as he enters, one of the senators states “Here comes Barbantio and the valiant Moor” (I...

    Read More

  • Human Frailty in Othello

    1530 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 39-55)

    Read More

  • Free College Essays - The Tragic and Serious Othello

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    The tone of the story is tragic and serious. Meanwhile, there isn't any point of view because this is a play and a play doesn't normally have a narrator. Shakespeare lets the reader make up his/her own imagination with the characters' words and behavior. Since Othello is the protagonist, he is explained in more detail. Although Othello is a brave warrior, he is a jealous person; his jealousy also prevails over his good sense. The whole play depicts the fact that jealousy causes corruption. There are many conflicts found in Othello, and person vs. person is one of them. An example is when Iago seeks revenge against Othello and Cassio because of his anger and jealousy. Person vs. society appears when Desdemona's father Brabantio, disapproves her marriage to Othello because he is several years older than Desdemona, from a different class, and a different race. An internal conflict of person vs. himself is found when Othello is in a dilemma about whether or not should he believe that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him. Othello loves and trusts Desdemona until his jealousy is aroused by the cruel manipulations of Iago. Iago's intention was to persuade Othello to believe that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. As Iago succeeds in convincing Othello that Desdemona is guilty of adultery, it leads to the climax of the play. And so Othello must face emotions he can't deal with. His jealousy drives him insane, and his judgment is replaced with anger and hate. At this time, the reader notices that the death of Desdemona is inevitable. Othello smothers her, and he eventually kills himself when he knows that Iago falsely accused Desdemona. This also represents the tragedy of the play.

    Read More

  • "Othello" and Its Connection to Greek Tragedy

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    Othello is a classic Greek tragedy because it abides by Aristotle's definition of great tragedies, the place, time, and focus of a single plot throughout the entirety of the play. Othello is a tragic hero whose demise is brought forth by his own tragic flaw. He is susceptible to the manipulation of others do to his own insecurity with himself, and ultimately leads to his irrational murder of the only thing he treasured, Desdemona. Through manipulation and deception, Iago is able to become the puppeteer of Othello's life, controlling the course of his fate in a sense simply through the power of words. Iago proves to be a crucial factor in the destruction of Othello's world.

    Read More

  • Othello Dynamic Character

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even though he is angry with Othello, Iago admits that Venice doesn 't have a better military man. He tells Roderigo that Othello won 't lose his job over his marriage to Desdemona because the Venetian Senate can 't do without him. Later, the Duke tells Othello that he must leave for Cyprus immediately, even though he is newly married. The Duke says that the Venetians already have a good man in Cyprus, but "opinion, a / sovereign mistress of effects, throws a more safer / voice on you" (1.3.257-259). In other words, Othello 's reputation is such that no one will feel safe until he is on the job. Shakespeare makes it clear from the first act that Othello is a praised and highly respected

    Read More

  • Othello's Tragic Flaw

    863 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the first impressions gained of Othello is that he is a great war hero. Before much else is said of him, tales of his skill and valor in battle are illustrated and he is shown to be a great and famed warrior. He naturally possesses many attributes typically associated with soldiers. From the beginning Othello is noble, quick to act, judicious, trusting, and gives much weight to the importance of duty. These are all traits that serve to make him great at the beginning of the play, and later, ironically become key elements in his downfall. These aspects can be considered the internal causes of Othello’s tragic flaw. “Othello's nature is all of one piece. His trust, where he trusts, is absolute…. Love, if he loves, must be to him the heaven where either he must leave or bear no life. If such a passion as jealousy seizes him, it will swell into a well-night incontrollable flood.” Othello is pure an...

    Read More

  • Othello Analysis

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    The tragedy of Othello, written by William Shakespeare, presents the main character Othello, as a respectable, honorable, and dignified man, but because of his insecurities and good nature, he is easily taken advantage of and manipulated by his peers and alleged friends. The dynamic of Othello’s character significantly changes throughout the play. The contrast is most pronounced from the beginning of the play to its conclusion, switching from being calm and peaceful to acts of uncontrolled venomous rage. Othello’s motivation in the play appears to be his love and concern for his wife Desdemona, which ironically, ends up being his downfall in the end.

    Read More

  • Doubt in Shakespeare´s Othello

    581 Words  | 2 Pages

    Othello is a man who comes from a hard life. In the time period the play is set in, racism is common and Othello is a target for it due to his dark skin. He fought in many battles and was put into slavery for a time. Now he is a high ranking General in the army. Othello, for all that he has been through, is also kind, caring, and trusting of those close to him. He cares and trusts his comrades and is loving and kind to his wife, Desdemona. Othello is also r...

    Read More

  • Heroic Virtue in Othello

    1947 Words  | 4 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello puts on exhibit an obvious hero and other not-so-obvious heroes. Let us examine them all in this essay.

    Read More

  • Oedipus the King as a Tragic Hero

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    The concept of tragic hero is very important in the construction of tragedy. It is the main cause of pity and fear. The tragic hero is a character between the two extremes; he is neither virtuous nor evil. At the same time, this character is better than the ordinary men or audience, he has some good qualities. Moreover, as a tragic hero, he is moving from happiness to misery by his downfall at the end. In fact, this downfall is caused by an error or a flaw in his character not by a vice or depravity. Another feature in the tragic hero is that he has good reputation and he is a man of prosperity. It can be said that Oedipus is a tragic hero because he has all the previous mentioned characteristics and the whole play is a classical application of this concept.

    Read More

More about Elements Contributing to Othello's Role of the Tragic Hero

Open Document