Similarities Between Othello And The Great Gatsby

A tragic hero is a literary character who makes an error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. In both Othello and The Great Gatsby, William Shakespeare and F. Scott Fitzgerald utilize the tragic heroes, Othello and Jay Gatsby, as their protagonists. Both men are able to amass great admiration, but then ruin their good name due to the effects of a fatal flaw. Both protagonists place too much trust in the people around them. In Othello, Othello places too much trust in Iago, one of his only enemies in the entire story. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby places too much trust in the love of his life, Daisy. This leads Gatsby to follow Daisy’s every move, hoping that she will come back to him. Unfortunately, both Iago and Daisy use the trust they receive

from each tragic hero to their advantage, leaving both Othello and Gatsby behind to die.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and William Shakespeare’s Othello use the same basic character development involving a protagonist that is a tragic hero with the same fatal flaw: the inability to see reality and the tendency to over trust those around them.

Both Othello and The Great Gatsby share the same character development despite the vast period of time separating the two works. Both Othello and Jay Gatsby act as tragic heroes, first accumulating admiration, and high esteem from their peers and then proceeding to lose their admiration due to a fatal flaw. “My parts my title and my perfect soul shall manifest me rightly” (Shakespeare I.i. 31-31). While Brabantio is cursing Othello for maintaining a relationship with his daughter, Othello remains calm, cool, and collected. He believes that his honest and true intention to love and take care of Desdemona will deliver him from injustice. Othello feels that his reputation will be able to protect him. He has amassed great admiration from his peers, including from Brabantio, and holds a highly regarded position in Venice. “Your son-in-law is far more fair than black” (Shakespeare I.i.292). It is not just Othello that thinks highly

of himself, others around Venice praise the moor, and without question respect his opinion. When Brabantio goes into a craze, many of the other high officials question his sanity due to Othello’s beyond impressive reputation. Here, the Duke tells Brabantio that Othello is a kind and fair man. It is evident there is racial tension during this time period, but in this instance, the Duke refers to him as more fair than black illustrating Othello’s good character. “At the beginning of the play, Othello appears as a noble figure, generous, composed, self-possessed… He seems to be a fully integrated man, a great personality at peace within itself” (Scott 431). The beginning of the book has Othello as a successful, prominent man in society who is content with his position, and personal life. Othello, admired by his peers, has seemingly everything he can ask for. However, because of his tragic hero role his luck soon turns for the worst. “Handsome to look at and a perfect gentlemen” (Fitzgerald 71). Gatsby has a similar reputation to Othello.Gatsby epitomizes the classic hero: handsome, respectful, and admirable. Many high class citizens of the Eggs praise Gatsby for the service he does for the community by putting on extravagant and luscious parties. “I don't want you to get a wrong idea of me from all these stories you hear” (Fitzgerald 65). Although Gatsby has already achieved such honor and fame, he also works tirelessly to keep up this image. Gatsby, concerned with his image, prides himself on his good reputation and constantly works to keep his honor. William Shakespeare and F Scott Fitzgerald set the scene and accomplish the first requirement of a tragic hero, establishing great and virtuous characters destined to fail.
As the stories progress both characters begin to establish their fatal flaw: the inability to see reality and an overly trusting nature. “Or failing so, yet I put the Moor At least into a jealousy so strong That judgement cannot cure” (Shakespeare II.I.280-283). Iago explains to Roderigo his plan to take down both Othello and Michael Cassio. Othello, however is unable to see this reality and the underlying cause of Iago’s seemingly overbearing trust. Othello becomes so engulfed in Iago and the seeming honesty and support that Iago holds toward Othello that he blindly accepts anything Iago says. “Othello: To furnish me with some swift means of death For the fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant. Iago: I am your own forever” (Shakespeare III.ii.494-496). Illustrating the blind trust of Othello toward Iago, and Iago’s deceitfulness toward Othello, this quote exemplifies the inability of Othello to see the reality that surrounds him as well as his tendency to over trusts those who are generally untrustworthy. “...it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men” (Fitzgerald 2). Nick Carraway, when introducing Jay Gatsby notes that the surroundings of Gatsby aid in his downfall, much like how Othello’s race works against him. Gatsby and Othello, both play on an unlevel playing field with enemies wishing for their failure. Gatsby is unable to see that the culture of East Egg is unwelcoming toward new money like him. Unfortunately, Gatsby over trusts Daisy and hopes that she will come running back to him even though East Egg culture prevents such actions. “He hadn’t once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes” (Fitzgerald 91). Gatsby is so blindly in love with Daisy that he reevaluates everything he owns due to the opinions of Daisy. His blind loves causes him to act foolish doing anything for a woman who is never able to run off with him. The environment of East Egg holds Daisy into the lavish old money lifestyle, even if she wants to run away with Gatsby. This culture is the foul dust floating that brings Gatsby down, unfortunately it is Gatsby’s tragic flaw that prevents him from seeing what lies in front of him. “But he must fail, because of his inability to separate the ideal from the real… Nick tells him he can’t repeat the past. “Can’t repeat the past,” Gatsby replies “Why of course you can!”” (Telgen, Jago, and Pasquantonio 73). Gatsby is unable to fathom a world without Daisy and becomes so consumed with winning her back that he prevents himself from seeing that it is impossible for Daisy to run away with him. The societal grasp East Egg holds on Daisy prevents her from leaving even if she wanted to. Yet, Gatsby so consumed by his unconditional love for Daisy believes that she can do whatever she wants and that she can reawaken the love they shared so long ago. Both Othello and Jay Gatsby share the same tragic flaw, the ability to believe in the people around them too much, and the inability to see the hostile environments that challenge them.
Following the emergence of a fatal flaw, both William Shakespeare and F Scott Fitzgerald send their tragic hero’s on a downward spiral, causing the tragic heroes to fall from grace and lose their respectability. “Lodovico: Is this the noble Moor whom our Senate Call all in all sufficient? Is this the nature Whom passion could not shake? Whose solid virtue The shot of accident nor dart of chance could neither graze nor pierce? Iago: He is much changed now” (Shakespeare IV.i.257-162). Lodovico questions Othello sanity when asking Iago “is this the noble Moor whom our Senate Call all in all sufficient?” This question goes to symbolize Othello’s falling from grace, and losing the respect that was once held for him earlier in the play. This once polite, proper, and prosperous man has suddenly turned into a crazed bestial figure capable of killing his own wife. Iago responds saying that he has changed for the worse, ruining Othello’s good name. Othello’s tragic flaw of trusting Iago and his inability to see Iago’s true intention leads Othello into this downward spiral. “Thus Othello… is not taken from excessive complacency and illusory happiness to equally excessive despair and nihilism… That they should drive him to such alternative excesses gives the measure of his lack of judgement” (Scott 433). Othello’s change in attitude is a direct result of his lack of judgement and inability to see reality around him. Othello is unable to see the evil in Iago, and continually places more and more trust into one of his only enemies. The excessive amount of trust Othello puts into Iago creates a state of control for Iago, allowing Iago to turn his general into his puppet. “It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul. Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars” (Shakespeare V.ii.1-2). Even as Othello proceeds to kill Desdemona due to the rumors Iago has ingrained in his brain, he is unable to believe anyone other than Iago. Desdemona tells him the truth, but he has had enough, he is certain that murder is the only way to fix the situation. Othello, a once fair man is now completely under the control of Iago, one of the one people who want to see him fail. Likewise, Gatsby also takes a downward spiral in his quest for love. “”Your wife doesn’t love you,” said Gatsby. “She’s never loved you. She loves me” (Fitzgerald 130). By attacking Tom directly, Gatsby takes the first step in his spiral downwards. Gatsby, completely blinded by his love for daisy, convinces himself that Daisy loves only him and has always loved him. When Daisy admits that she did love Tom at some time or another, Gatsby is completely dumbfounded, but still determined to win her back. His tendency to trust Daisy and his inability to see the effects of East Egg on Daisy results in his heartbreak and his death. “She vanished into her rich house, into her rich, full life, leaving Gatsby- nothing. He felt married to her, that was all” (Fitzgerald 149). Daisy returns to Tom even after Gatsby’s attempts to win her back. Daisy, through her marriage with Tom, was now involved in a society that she could not escape from, one that she did not want to escape from. Gatsby throughout the story was unable to see this, he believed new money was as good old money, but in the eyes of society old money still trumped. Daisy had everything she could ever want as a member of East Egg, something that she didn’t want to give up. “The materialism of the East creates the tragedy of destruction, dishonesty, and fear. No values exist in such an environment” (Telgen, Jago, and Pasquantonio 71). Daisy, engulfed in a society that has few values and cares only for materials objects, is unable to care for anyone outside her culture. Daisy’s materialistic attitude prevents her from leaving Tom and going to Gatsby regardless of what her heart tells her. Both Gatsby and Othello’s inability to see reality and the social effects of East Egg, leads him to his broken heart, and his death.
Othello and Jay Gatsby are two of the most prominent tragic heroes in literature, both following the same general sequence of events. Although their situations were unique to each story, the basic structure that makes a character a tragic hero is present in both Othello and The Great Gatsby. Both tragic heroes, fall from grace due to the environment that surrounds them and the tragic flaws both protagonists possess. Unfairly ruined, Othello and Gatsby fell because of the unwelcoming society that surrounded them and the fatal mistakes both made throughout their journey’s. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and William Shakespeare’s Othello create of the two most famous tragic heroes in literature. Both Othello and Jay Gatsby die as a result of their tragic flaws: the tendency to over trust, and the inability to see reality.