The Tragic Hero in William Shakespeare´s Othello

611 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: othello and iago comparison wikipedia

Tragic heroes tend to have very pre-determined paths; usually making the most virtuous of characters destined to suffer. The hamartia or ‘tragic flaw’ is the typical reason the hero falls. Shakespeare was noted to be one of the best writers of tragedies, one of his most prominent to be Othello. In Othello, we find a number of tragic flaws two including pride and ambition. In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, pride and ambition are used to identify the outcomes for the main characters in the play when seeing the resolution of the play, perceiving those who survive and those who don’t, and considering each character’s role in the turn of events.
Pride and ambition are shown in Othello, the tragic hero, and in Iago, the villain. Othello shows pride throughout the entire play. When Iago tells Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, that Othello took Desdemona, Othello is proud. He is proud of his status, proud of taking Desdemona as his bride, and he is blinded by pride when he kills himself. Othello had false ambition when he went to kill Desdemona though. He killed her because he was blinde...

Show More
Related

  • Hubris In Antigone Vs Creon

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Aristotle, tragedy requires an admirable hero with power and in a high state, but more importantly, he or she possesses a tragic flaw that leads to their downfall. This tragic flaw most closely relates to a character’s hubris, excessive pride in themselves or their judgment. But sometimes a character cannot be categorized as tragic, and one can argue whether or not the tragic character violates the requirements. In Sophocles’ Antigone Creon and Antigone serve as tragic characters in the play; however, Creon’s character exemplifies Aristotle’s theory of tragedy.

    Read More

  • The Tragic Hero In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

    1093 Words  | 3 Pages

    Friar Lawrence is one of the most controversial figures in Romeo and Juliet who paved the way to hell with good intentions. Some argue that he is the centripetal force leading to the tragic resolution while he remains in repentance for his sins. However, others simply express their empathy for Friar Lawrence’s ending and magnified condemnation as a result of this good intention. By definition, tragic heroes are prestigious and free-spirited individuals who lead themselves to downfall from a lapse in their judgment. Friar Lawrence is portrayed as an archetypal tragic hero in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as he acquires strong influence on others, arranges precarious plans, and witnesses his demise along with the tragic ending derived from

    Read More

  • Discuss The Archetypes Of The Tragedy In Othello

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s “Othello” is a clear representation of the downfall of a tragic hero. Set in Venice and Cyprus during the 16th century, Othello, a moor, deals with the manipulative actions of a general of the Venetian army, Iago. Due to losing his desired position of being Othello’s lieutenant to another solider Cassio, he plots is revenge in deviousness. Othello becomes persuaded by Iago 's rumors, framing, and miscommunications, causing him to kill Desdemona, his believed unfaithful wife. In realization of his manipulation by Iago, Othello grieves by taking his own life, his ultimate doom. Although there are various archetypes of the hero, the most prominent in Shakespeare 's “Othello” is the archetype of the tragic hero. A tragic hero is an individual that holds heroic qualities or is of noble birth. The

    Read More

  • The Major Themes And Tragedy In Shakespeare's Othello

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout history, countless writers have been commended for their work, yet people still had criticized them. Famous Writers like William Shakespeare, Harper Lee and Charles Dickens all have endured much criticism throughout their lifetime by fellow writers. Movie producers also tend to ridicule traditional stories and plays, focusing on a writer’s weaknesses. One of the most famous plays by Shakespeare, Othello, can be seen in bits of the story Tom Thumb, in which Fielding most definitely ridicules the famous play.

    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

  • William Shakespeare's Othello as a Victim

    1369 Words  | 3 Pages

    due to his race are vast, for example at the start of the play when

    Read More

  • Othello is Not a Tragic Hero

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aristotle continued to express a tragedy arouses both pity and fear, pity for the doomed hero and fear for all humans who are subject to the same forces and weakness. It would not be difficult to discover that Othello demonstrate weakness and fear in the play, and Shak...

    Read More

  • The Tragedy of Othello

    676 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Tragedy of Othello William Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, from the sixteenth century is an excellent example of Renaissance humanism. “A poet of unparalleled genius, Shakespeare emerged during the golden age of England under the rule of Elizabeth I.”(Fiero 3:98) He produced comedies, tragedies, romances and histories. According to Webster’s pocket dictionary, a tragedy is defined as a form of drama in which the protagonist comes to a disaster, as through a flaw in character, and in which the ending is usually marked by pity or sorrow. I would like to concentrate on the character Iago and the theme of deceit.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Presentation of Othello as Responsible for his Own Downfall

    1503 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare’s Othello consists of the themes betrayal, love and dishonesty. At the centre of this play is the tragic downfall of Othello at the hands of his so called friend Iago. In this essay I will be discussing the reasons for and against Othello being responsible for his downfall through looking at critical interpretations of his character and actions.

    Read More

  • “How does Shakespeare Encourage the Audience to Pity the Character of Othello?”

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    To conclude, the audience feels pity towards Othello because throughout the play they are helplessly witnessing the downfall of this powerful and admirable general, triggered by his fatal flaw and miscommunication between characters. What makes this play tragic is that one realises that having a fatal flaw like Othello’s and being naïve can have serious consequences. The perfect balance between terror and pity, sympathy and judgment is what makes Othello a character that is somewhat relatable, likeable and very real.

    Read More

  • Othello’s Dramatic Flaw in Shakespeare's Othello

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    The play “Othello” by William Shakespeare was written in 1604 during the Elizabeth era. Othello is one of the most extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare’s dramas. He enjoyed unheralded success in the combat zone, which gave him the reputation as one of Venice’s most competent generals. Even though he has great success in the battlefield, he has a dramatic flaw that causes a downfall in his life. The dramatic flaw that causes his downfall is jealousy. This was brought on by a simple persuasion of Iago, the evil character in the play. Even though Iago used extreme manipulation to get Othello to be jealous, Iago did not really have to try very hard to get Othello in a jealous state of mind. Othello was blinded by his jealousy which led him down a path of constant questioning of his wife and his friend Cassio. Throughout the play we see his dramatic flaw sink him deeper and deeper into a cloud of doubt which eventually leads him to kill not only his love of his life but also himself.

    Read More

  • Macbeth: A Tragic Hero

    1162 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tragic heroes, who destined for a serious downfall, are the protagonist of a dramatic tragedy. A tragic hero is usually a great hero, who gets the most respect from other people; on the other hand, a tragic hero can also lose everything he gained because of his mistakes. His downfall is the result of a wrong judgment, a flaw which might combined with fated and external forces. The downfall can cause the tragic hero to suffer for the rest of his life. In many literary works, the downfall of the tragic heroes usually happen in their highest point. In the same way, Macbeth is a tragic hero in the play called “The Tragedy of Macbeth” which is written by a legendary writer, William Shakespeares. Macbeth is a great general who gained many respect from the people and even the king. In the highest point of his life, because of seeking for greater power, it created Macbeth’s downfall. Macbeth, a tragic hero, causes suffering for himself and others by committing murders and creating distress, which are the negative effects of seeking for a greater power.

    Read More

  • Tragic Hero's Downfall In Othello '

    775 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mrs. Cornwall ENG3U1 October 14 2015 A Tragic Hero’s’ Path Towards His Downfall In society there are always people who are easily manipulated and possess poor judgment. This leads them to make wrong decisions and negatively affect their lives and the lives of the people around them. The reason for Othello’s tragic downfall was because of his poor judgement, his easily manipulated conscience and his jealousy and obsession with the world. These traits displayed why Othello was responsible for the play’s tragic outcome. The first trait that led to Othello’s downfall was his easily manipulated conscience.

    Read More

  • Othello the Tragic Hero in William Shakespeare's Othello, the Moor of Venice

    1617 Words  | 4 Pages

    Othello as a Tragic Hero William Shakespeare's famous tragedy "Othello, the Moor of Venice" (c.1604, as reprinted in Laurence Perrine and Thomas R. Arp, Literature: Structure Sound and Sense, 6th ed. [Fort Worth: Harcourt, 1993]1060-1148) is arguably one of the finest, if not the finest, tragedies in the literary history of Western civilization. This paper discusses Othello as a "tragic hero" and compares him to the great Aristotle's concept of what a "tragic hero" actually is. First, we need to understand the characteristics of a so-called "tragic hero" as defined by the Greek critic, Aristotle. He indicates that a tragic hero must have these characteristics: (1) Be a nobleman, prince, or person of high estate; (2) Have a tragic flaw, and a weakness in judgment; and (3) Fall from high to low estate. (Hubele). Using the Aristotle criteria, we can easily classify Othello, the Moor, as a tragic hero. At the time, it was common practice for the Italian city-states to have a foreigner, with proven military capabilities, serving as the head of their Army. Othello, an African Moor of noble birth, is just such a character and held the highest ranking military position as Governor-General of Cyprus. The city of Cyprus was a city-state in the great state of Venice. His title alone, Governor-General, exudes an air of nobility, confidence, and strength. It defines someone who is held in tremendously high esteem by the people of Venice. During Act 1, Scene 3, the Duke and a few Senators are discussing issues around a table when Othello enters the room.

    Read More

  • Othello As A Tragic Hero Essay

    2372 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the play “Othello” by William Shakespeare love, jealousy, and conspiracy defined the tone of the play. Desdemona’s beauty makes two men fall desperate in love with her, but their differences make Othello the tragic hero of the play and Iago the despicable villain. Othello is a "tragic hero" because of his self-centered nature and his gullibility. Othello also has a noble stature and a high position in his culture. Othello is great and an honest solder but not perfect He also allows himself to be manipulated by other people for instance, Iago instead of trusting his own heart Othello easily believe other people or his friends. Othello is a tragic hero because he is noble, he suffers from a fatal tragic events and he goes through a tragic downfall. Iago is an envious and resentful men whose ambition is to have everything that belongs to Othello. Iago’s ambition is to obtain Othello’s position, love, and fortune. Although, Othello kills his wife Desdemona, Iago is responsible for her death, and the downfall of Othello and himself.

    Read More

More about The Tragic Hero in William Shakespeare´s Othello

Open Document