Who was to blame for the tragedy of Othello? The Tragedy of Othello is a result of nave innocence, cynical manipulation and pride. Fault cannot be

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Who was to blame for the tragedy of Othello?

The Tragedy of Othello is a result of naïve innocence, cynical manipulation and pride. Fault cannot be attributed to a single character in the text; however Othello seems to have some elements about his character which are crucial to the tragedy of this play.

As the tale unfolds it discloses to the audience the true temperament of sexual jealousy, the issues with race and colour and the consequences which follow.

At the beginning of the play; Othello has passed Iago over for the promotion in favour of the less experienced Cassio. Although he knows Iago as an honest man and as one who has sworn to put his life at risk in protection of his masters Othello still chooses Cassio. We as the audience are not offered any explantation as to why this choice was made but no one would have required any justification for his choice. Whether good or bad Othello’s decision creates in Iago the sense of injured merit, and sets the plot on its first steps of its tragic passage.

While Othello may be at fault for causing Iago’s discontent, it is evident that several characteristics of his personality place him at fault in the tragic conclusion. First of these is his tragic fault, Credulity. His misplaced faith in Iago’s loyalty lies at the centre of the tragedy and, until the final moments of the narrative he is still referring to the ‘honest Iago’ that he thought he knew.

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His second flaw is pride. It seems entirely implausible to him that he could be betrayed “cuckold me?” and such is the dramatic irony of Shakespeare. Worse still, he can only see his world in terms of his own self, “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them”.

The first time we see the weakness in Othello is when he comes down to sort out a fight between Cassio and Roderigo/Montano. He only listens to Roderigo’s and Montano’s side of the story, which is told by Iago. He relieves ...

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