In What Ways Does The Character Of Othello Conform to Literary Tradition Of The Tragic Hero?

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In What Ways Does The Character Of Othello Conform to Literary Tradition Of The Tragic Hero?

Othello is one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies entwined with death, hate and deceit. It tells the story of a well respected and admired war hero, who gradually through the play falls from grace. We are told how jealousy overcomes him so greatly that he murders his innocent lover, and how the resentful Iago seeks revenge on other characters in the play as he envies their positions of power and authority and uses lies, stealing and even murder to get revenge.

Another theme explored in the play is racism. We know Othello has worked hard to overcome racial prejudices in society to reach such a point of great authority and respect, and this makes his story even more tragic because it wasn't as if all that power and status was just given to him. It was his life's work, it meant everything to him and then he lost it all.

In literary tradition a tragic hero is a courageous person who has authority and power yet loses it all. The steps a tragic hero makes during his decline are entirely his own. Although influenced by another, the tragic hero always displays free will, and the decisions that lead to his demise are his own, which means that had he of been more careful his death could have been avoided. It was Othello's fault because of his lack of trust in Desdemona, which resulted in the destruction of them both. Tragic heroes do not necessarily need to die; however they do in all the plays written by Shakespeare. If they do live, then they are destined to suffer moral destruction and lose sense of what is right and wrong, blinded by their feelings and the suffering that they have experienced.

It is crucial that a tragic hero possesses many good personality traits, even if he is a bad person and has evil intentions such as Macbeth, but they must all have one fatal flaw.

Othello had both greatness and weakness. However Othello possessed too much greatness, and was too successful, noble and too proud and couldn't believe that he had ever been wrong. Once he lost his pride and dignity it was all over for him because he had nothing else.

Othello is a successful soldier because he has overcome many dangers and is full of awe-inspiring stories of his courage, will- power, bravery and physical strength. He sounds completely dedicated to his work, and nothing seems to distract him from it as he is always completely focused on it. Every conversation he has he refers to it and we don't know that he has any other interests. Even his relationship is dominated by his work.

Desdemona is captivated by his heroic stories and is full of admiration towards him; in a sense it is his status and the excitement of his amazing adventures that she has fallen in love with, not Othello himself:

'She'd come again, and with a greedy ear

Devour up my discourse.'

Here Othello tells the nobles who have met to discuss battle plans, interrupted by Brabantio accusing Othello of using witchcraft to make Desdemona fall in love with him, that she started to fall in love with him when he told her the stories of the journeys he had made and the battles he had fought in. He describes her fascination with them. The word 'greedy' suggests she was suffering from a desire to hear more and 'devour' suggests that she was desperate to take as much of it in as possible.

It could be said that the couple were always destined for sadness because they were not truly in love, just with each others' image:
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'She loved me for the dangers I and passed,

And I loved her, that she did pity them'

Othello is describing how he knew that she loved him for his experiences in life and courageous character, and that he loved her because she admired him so much. This is an example of how Othello is far too proud, as he loved her only because she was so full of praise for him. This makes me think that he won't be a very good husband as he is too self absorbed, and it sounds as if he ...

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