Othello is a perfect example of tragedy.
According to Aristotle tragedy “is the imitation of an action that is serious and also as having magnitude”- “with incident arousing pity and fear, where to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions” (Pg-5). Othello is a perfect example of all this. The play circled around the Character of Othello who was lead to believe his wife was having an affair with Cassio, due to the lies intrigues of Iago. This is defined as serious action; because a man that believes that his wife is having an affair can become emotionally disturbed. Othello did become depressed and began to feel anger and hate towards poor Desdemona. He also had bear hearing the lies Iago came up with, and evidence that proved that Desdemona was having a supposed affair. Still today this serious action could have still caused a tragedy.
Aristotle’s idea of tragedy being of a certain magnitude can be seen when Othello kills his wife. Then when he learns that it was all lies and intrigues caused by honest Iago he commits suicide. This tragedy had a great magnitude because two innocent people died because of the fault of another, who was full of jealous and hate.
For Aristotle tragedy had to convey pity and fear. This misfortune is conveyed at the end right after he kills Desdemona. Now he knows the truth and there is nothing to be done his love is dead. The only escape for all this anger and sorrow was to take his own life. But before he died he said “I kissed thee ere I killed thee, now way but this, killing myself, to die upon a kiss”. He kisses her and dies.
Shakespeare in many of his plays used Aristotle’s poetics guide. That’s why many of his plays have very good tragedies, for example: Hamlet, avenging the death of his father; Oedipus killing his father and marrying his mother; Romeo and Juliet killing themselves for their love; and Othello kills his wife and self for believing intrigues. In Othello we see the important elements of a tragedy which are: tragedy with serious action, a certain magnitude, pity and fear. Othello fits the Ideas of Aristotle’s Poetics.
