This shows that even someone who now dislikes Othello due to Othello’s affair with his daughter, in the past, respected Othello greatly. The Duke also tells Brabantio that ‘[Brabantio’s] son-in-law is far more fair than black. However, the most significant testimony to Othello’s great character is given by the character in the play who despises him the most and hates him ‘as [he does] hells pains.’ However, even Iago is forced to confess that the state ‘Cannot safety cast him’ because ‘Another of his fathom they have none’. Even the senator refers to him as the ‘valient moor’.
Othello has many heroic and admirable qualities; he is in the army and a general, he is perceived to be very brave and consequently won Desdemona over with his tales of battle and bravery. He is also perceived as being a very noble and good man by all those around him. Within the play, there are many implications of racism, however Othello ignores all remarks makes about him. This is admirable and the audience respects Othello more and feel empathetic towards him.
There are also many examples in ‘Othello’ of his tragic status. For example, his unwavering, although clearly misplaced, trust in Iago. Othello allows himself to be manipulated by other characters, which allows the seeds, which allow peripeteia to occur, to be planted by Iago. As Othello is an honest and trustworthy person himself, believes that others must be the same. While trusting others is essentially a good characteristic, it is also part of Othello’s hamartia and it is self-inflicted, as it is within his personality that he trusts others easily. Othello does not see the evil Iago and his malicious acts. Othello had experience with the military people on the battle field, where trusting others is essential as he had to put his life in the hands of others. As Iago had a good, commendable reputation on the battle field, Othello built a trust towards him and Iago used this to his advantage in destroying Othello. Othello believes Iago about Desdemona’s unfaithfulness and her affair with Cassio, so Othello’s gullibility also makes him jealous. Jealousy is powerful in Othello because it takes Othello over and Othello lose of both his mind and good judgment. Othello becomes twisted, angry and bitter due to his jealousy, which eventually brings himself about his death and the death of others at the end of the play. Like his trust In Iago and others with the intention of manipulating him, jealousy is a self inflicted hamartia as it is within his personality. Another of Othello’s main tragic flaw that leads to his downfall is his tremendous Hubris. This paired with the malevolence of Iago are the main causes of his tragic downfall. Othello remains unaware of those who want to undermine him and although we have previously admired Othello for ignoring any racist or demeaning comments about him, he does not seem to take any comments too seriously and does not see threats. Othello is essentially naive.
Even in Act one, Othello seems to fit all of the necessary criteria to be a tragic hero; he is of a high position, as he is a general in the Venetian army, he is a powerful figure who is respected by all those around him. At the start of the play, he does indeed have good intentions and is essentially a good person. He is also clearly ambitious and hard working as he promises to not let Desdemona become a distraction if she comes with him to Cyprus. To be a tragic hero, the character must have something to lose- in ‘Othello’ this is Desdemona. His love for her is worth destroying. It is in Act one that we see Othello’s hamartia and later in the play see that this does, in fact, lead to his downfall and the loss of everything important to him. At the denouement, we see that it is his blind jealousy and gullibility shatters his idealism; by the anagnorisis, however, it is too late and we see that Othello’s hamartia ultimately destroys him and by the end of this tragic play, a strong feeling of catharsis has built up within the audience.
You could also argue, however that Othello is not a tragic hero, due to the fact, to be a tragic hero, the character must not only contribute to their own disaster but fully understand and realise their own input. Although Othello does contribute to his own disaster and, to a certain extent accept that he contributed, I do not think he fully, or even really party, takes the blame for the tragedy.
However, Othello does not become a tragic hero after he has killed Desdemona and finally regained his senses. After he has killed Desdemona, Othello realizes what a terrible thing he has done. It is this anagnorisis that leads to the peripeteia and, eventually, the denouement. Shakespeare shows that Othello has returned to a heroic status because he is once again allowed to speak in verse, like at the beginning of the play, as opposed to prose. He also tells all those around him of his accomplishments and begs them not to remember him only for his flaws, which were caused by Iago.
by
gracemayturner (student)
