What is Othello's tragic flaw?

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What is Othello's tragic flaw?

The extravagant language and literary techniques used in Shakespeare's Othello enhance the settings, characters, and themes. Othello, an intricate tragedy about good versus evil, loyalty, love, sexual jealousy, and appearance versus reality, is told in a first person point of view. The play is entitled Othello and the plot and action encompasses him, thus supporting his position of protagonist.

The play takes place during the Renaissance in Venice, Italy and in Cyprus over three days. The opening scene of Othello is very dramatic as it begins in the middle of a disagreement or argument between two of the characters, Iago and Roderigo. Iago is a corrupt individualist who bitterly despises Othello, and his villainous scheme for revenge results in the deaths of Othello, Desdemona, his own wife and Roderigo, a suitor of Desdemona. 

There is suspense as Iago and Roderigo talk of two men. One who is named and another who is referred to as ‘he’ or ‘him’. This creates an enigma or feeling of suspense as the audience wonder who ‘he’ is. The reason being that Iago presents ‘him’ in a negative way, “…he, as loving his own pride and purposes…”. This shows Othello or ‘he’ to be boastful and perhaps even egotistical and full of pride. The enigma continues when Iago says, “I follow to serve my turn upon him”. The audience find this chilling, and wonder how this storyline will develop and how Iago will take revenge on Othello.

In the time this play was written, even the Queen was xenophobic, “(banishing) the great number of niggers and black moors which are crept into this realm…who are fostered and relieved here to the great annoyance of her own liege people, that want (lack) the relief which those people consume.” Queen Elizabeth 1’s proclamation of 1601. Therefore the term ‘Moor’ used for Othello throughout the play may have or not shocked the audience, as it is a racist remark. One of Othello’s focal flaws would be his colour. One could argue is Othello is a racist play? This play does conform to the stereotypical image of a Moor; the play opens with racist language, ‘Moorship’, ‘the thick lip’, ‘Old black ram’. At the start of the play when he is seen heroic and noble, he is seen as being ‘more fair than black’, however when he kills Desdemona he is the ‘blackest devil’. On the other hand Shakespeare has dealt with the issues of race, and has written about it, he challenges stereotypical labels such as ‘Moor’ and exposes racism. However Othello clearly feels himself to be an outsider, “your great business”. “Your” implies that he does not feel himself to be part of Venice, he does not say “we”. Iago expects this feeling Othello has very cleverly by appearing as a world-weary man, knowledgeable of Venice and Venetian women.  

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Othello is a prestigious character, ‘Valiant Othello’ and is respected by the senators for his valiant service in war.

Othello seems to have a good deal of ‘self knowledge’. This is revealed through his calm assurance when faced with Brabantio’s fury as he had “stolen” Desdemona from him. Othello Marries Desdemona, a Venetian white woman, who is also the Senator (Brabantio’s) daughter. “Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them”. He is accustomed to command others, “keep up” is addressed not only to them not under his orders but also to an older Venetian Senator with power ...

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