However over the last century the views of two critics have been remarkably influential. A.C. Bradley believes that Othello “has played the hero and borne a charmed life…” and describes him as “a great man… conscious of his own worth…”. We believe Othello’s nobility and graciousness from the constant references made to him; for example “Valiant Othello…” (I.iii.49) by a good number of characters. Evidently Othello is well respected and looked up to, for this reason he must possess elements of decency. This understanding of Othello is strengthened when Shakespeare compares him with Christ, when “Brabantio, Roderigo, with Officers and torches and weapons” (I.ii.54) enter Scene Two of Act One. This scene of Othello re-enacts a small part of the Gospel when Christ and his followers are met by officers carrying swords and torches. A similar comparison can be made when Othello avoids any physical activity telling the opposition to “Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them…” (I.ii.56), this could be symbolizing Christ’s words; ‘Put up thy sword into the sheath’ an extract from the Gospel. Hence Shakespeare links an idolized figure and Othello, emphasizing his positive persona and therefore also attributing the view of A.C. Bradley.
On the other hand F.R. Leavis considers Othello with a lot more negativity; believing that he is put under a spell to easily. A.C. Bradley argues that “…it was no sign of stupidity in Othello” placing his trust in Iago, and “…it would have been quite unnatural in him to be unmoved by the warnings of so honest a friend”, stating Iago was trusted by everyone and it would be incorrect and unjust blaming Othello wholly for his actions. This is identifiable from the play: Roderigo, Cassio and Emilia are prime examples of characters other than Othello under the spell of Iago’s selfish manipulation. And the constant “…honest Iago” is uttered throughout Othello by the majority of characters and not just Othello.
There is a fair amount of assumptions concerning the probability and realism expressed by Othello. This suggests that because of the seeming unlikelihood of events in the play, it is not a feature of a tragedy and Othello cannot be considered as a tragic hero. However this observation is brought by how rapidly the plot develops. Some readers/audiences may see this as a weakness in the actual work, but it just clearly shows Shakespeare’s literary ability to work in another aspect of the definition of the ‘tragic hero’ by Aristotle.
“If you string together a set of speeches expressive of character, and well finished in point of diction and thought, you will produce the essential tragic effect nearly so well as with a play which, however deficient in these respects, yet has a plot and artistically constructed incidents. Now character determines men’s qualities, but it is by their actions that they are happy or the reverse.”
The extract above is also from Poetics written by Aristotle. Here Aristotle tries to convey that essence the real meaning of the tragedy lies not in the characterization, but the actions of the tragic hero. Hence Shakespeare felt it unnecessary to complicate things with useless information which wouldn’t be expected from the heart of tragedy.
Although Shakespeare does not waste any time transforming Othello the virtuous protagonist doubtfully into an insane murder, but we need to remember that he is up against the most ingenious villain. Iago does everything he can to intensify the effects of Othello’s tragic flaw and instigate it to work against him. The most manipulative aspect of Iago’s plots is recurrently seen through play, when he subtly increases his own image while destroying others. Scene Two of Act Two withholds an example of this; while Iago is questioned by Othello concerning the reason of the “barbarous brawl.” “Touch me not so near. /I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth/than it should do offense to Michael Cassio; Yet I persuade myself to speak the truth/Shall nothing wrong him.” Here Iago gives the illusion of being unwilling to speak ill of a friend but we know that this is his plan all along to set Cassio up so that he would be stripped of his rank and position. This ploy raises his credibility and outwits the potent Othello and also Roderigo and Montano.
Othello’s development fuel is the rising jealousy of the antagonist as the medium with which his tragic flaw secures his downfall. As the play progresses, and Iago poisons Othello’s mind, Othello slowly becomes more and more wounded with unnatural suspicion and detrimental emotion which has become his weakness. As a result of Othello’s excessive trust, Iago’s wicked schemes and ideas are able to penetrate into Othello’s usual unsuspecting mind and distort his actions and thoughts through the course of the play. The love between Desdemona and Othello is nothing but pure and true and as a result of this Othello is struck by sorrow when it is suggested to him that he has been cuckolded. At a turning point in the play where he’s tortured with images and disbelief in his mind, here we see the usually cool, calm and brave Othello withering away at the mercy of Iago. In Scene One of Act Four, Othello falls into a trance after falling victim to another one of Iago’s lies regarding the details of the imaginary affair between Desdemona and Michael Cassio. “Lie on her? …Zounds! …Noses, ears, and lips? Is’t possible? -Confess? -Handkerchief-O devil!” The unusual exhaustion of placid Othello followed by when he physically collapses shows his final capture by Iago and the point where Othello the tragic hero is irreversibly cast into a black hole of sin!
In Othello’s last speech, it seems like he separates himself from the flaw responsible for his deeds and seems to kill it. “Set you down this. And say besides that in Aleppo once, where a malignant and turbaned Turk beat a Venetian and traduced the state, I took by th’ throat the circumcised dog and smote him thus.” We’re quite moved in Othello’s ironic speech when he reveals before he commits suicide, “Speak of one that loved not wisely, but too well, of one not easily jealous but, being wrought, perplexed in an extreme…” Here Othello truly realizes that he has a tragic flaw and that is his naivety and lacking of wisdom. And as a main characteristic of a tragedy, the hero, Othello, realizes this really late and he dies leaving the reader/audience saddened by the events forming the tragedy.
Othello is another casualty of the strong force of hamartia as defined by Aristotle, he’s seen as a way through which Shakespeare can boast about his genius as a playwright. This play Othello captivates the reader/audience using such concepts like hamartia to arouse strong feelings in them, causing them to feel sympathetic for the protagonist. The fact that the excessiveness of a good quality such as ‘trust’ could have such a devastating effect on a man of esteem, and respect as portrayed by Othello enhances Shakespeare’s capability to communicate with the reader/audience on a very personal level because the events of the human characteristic, e.g. Othello’s naivety, are so fathomable. Encountering first-hand the vibrancy of Othello, the play’s protagonist, Othello, is undoubtedly portrays, through tests and the climatic demise, the classic tragic hero!
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