How Is Othello A Tragic Hero

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Shakespeare's Othello clearly demonstrates a tragic hero, with multiple deep rooted causes leading to a downfall. Othello is a complicated and troubled character who is manipulated into heinous acts. However, there are faults in his own traits that make him so easily overcome. Othello is overly passionate, both in love and anger. When he falls, he falls spectacularly. His emotions are explosive, his pride is toxic, and his security is fragile. This incapability to separate delusions from reality makes him susceptible to a horrific lapse in judgment, where he undermines himself.

Othello is a black moor married to a young Venetian woman, causing an insecurity in him when faced with a society that benefits from racist elements. Along with Othello's soldiers, the couple travels from Venice to Cyprus to prepare for battle. Othello's attending ensign, Iago, harbors a secret hatred for the general, and is determined to ruin him. Through ingenious tricks, Othello is lead to believe that his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful to him. Othello readily admits that Desdemona deserves a more suitable lover, which solidifies Iago's lies into common sense in his mind. …show more content…

Combined, he makes a dangerous and volatile character. In just a few days, his sanity is unhinged in multiple mental breakdowns, furious fits, and acts of cruelty. This fast shift between a respected leader to a used villain demonstrates his lack of control, As he descends further into madness, Othello loses the trust and friendship of his brothers in arms. The night he decides to kill Desdemona, he frantically argues with himself. He is blind to his love for her, brain filtered through irrational accusations. Othello was already a bomb, and Iago lit the

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