Does Othello's lack of perception diminish his tragic stature?

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Does Othello’s lack of perception diminish his tragic stature?

        

Othello’s lack of perception does to some extent diminish his tragic stature in some parts. However it is reclaimed again, perhaps towards the end when we see how Othello has been deceived.  As quoted by Aristotle “Othello is too trusting.” It is his naivety that leads to his downfall.

At the beginning of the play, Othello is described as a “bombastic”, lascivious man as Iago comments on this. However this is contradicted when he makes his appearance in Act 1 Scene 2. We see a sincere nobleman with cool-headedness, quite the contradiction to how we see him later.

Othello’s perception of Iago emphasizes his tragic stature at first in the play. Some critics may see him as quite foolish for being so trustworthy in Iago.

However, Iago appears to trigger off a jealousy that was already embedded in Othello. As he fears if he “love her not chaos will come again.”

Iago can manipulate this, and it could be argued that Othello himself brought on this tragedy again, for having no faith in Desdemona by his quickness to judge when he talks of a “monstrous” thought that Iago must have. He is quick to assume that something is very wrong about his wife when Iago quotes “Ha! I like not that”.

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As we see Othello’s jealousy going into overdrive, I think this is when his stature begins to diminish. It’s his perception of Iago being “Honest Iago” that sends him into a jealous frenzy. He trusts Iago with all his heart, he loved Desdemona with all his heart but yet he trusts Iago over her despite her protests. However it is his love for her also that is causing this chaos.

Shakespeare portrays a darker side to Othello as he talks about killing Desdemona, in some ways he is talking and even thinking like Iago. Although he does re-think ...

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