Friday, March 14, 2014

In Othello, why is Othello considered a "tragic hero"?

Othello fits all of the criteria of a tragic hero that Aristotle outlined in his work, "Poetics" According to Aristotle:

1. The tragic hero has a noble stature and a high position in his culture.

Othello is a general and commander of the Venician armed forces. Later he his governor of Cyprus.

2. The tragic hero, is great, but not perfect. The audience relates to him as a human being.

The lack of self esteem because he is a Moor is a problem for Othello.

3. The hero's downfall is the result of a "fatal flaw" in his character. It is the result of free will, not of an accident or mere fate.

His lack of self esteem allows him to be manipulated by Iago into thinking his wife is having an affair.

4. The hero's misfortune is not wholly deserved. The punishment exceeds the "crime."

He kills his wife and then himself.

5. The hero's fall is not pure loss. The is an increase in awareness, a gain in self-knowledge, or some sort of discovery on the part of the tragic hero.

Before he dies he says, "one that lov'd not wisely but too well". Othello realizes that he was manipulated but it is too late.

1 comment:

  1. Really useful one, compact yet packed with important points.Thank You very much for the effort to make the hard one looks so simple. Further, you can access this site to read Othello’s Tragic Flaw

    ReplyDelete

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