Essay on Othellos Tragic Flaw - 852 Words

Of Shakespeare’s five greatest tragedies, Othello is by far the most passionate and gripping. It is a tale of love, deception, evil, honesty, and virtue. Othello himself is set apart from other Shakespearean tragic heroes by the absolute feeling of affection the audience feels for him even unto the very end of the play. Any discerning reader painfully recognizes the virtue and goodness of Othello throughout the entire play, in contrast to the general degeneration of character so typical of a tragic hero. It is this complete pity that makes the death of Othello so tragic as the audience lends their full hopeful support until the inevitable and unavoidable fall. The evil side of Othello’s tragic flaw came from without, in the form of†¦show more content†¦Iago is a creature of a most deceptive and evil nature. He manipulates and controls the direction and outcomes of the entire plot until the revelation of his wicked plan to all at the very end. By putting on an act of honesty and earning the trust of those around him, he holds their fates in his hands. No less is true of Othello. Iago spends the course of the play developing an honorable reputation with him so that he might plant seeds of suspicion, doubt, and jealousy in the heart of Othello. The audience cannot blame him for his trust in Iago for, â€Å"His opinion of Iago was the opinion of practically everyone who knew him: and that opinion was that Iago was before all things ‘honest’.† (Bradley) Othello, in his afore mentioned quality of judiciousness, seeks proof out of Iago and questions him again and again. He wants to be certain of truth before taking rash action. Iago, in his brilliant ability to control others, is able to give Othello false and deadly proof in the form of deceived confessions from Cassio and by planting the infamous handkerchief into his hands. Othello has more reason to put faith in a proven friend whom he knows well, than in his newly wed bride. In spite of the complete mental breakdown we see in Othello as he is convinced of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness and Cassio’s disrespect, we get a sense that by the end, Othello has his emotionsShow MoreRelatedOthellos Tragic Flaws746 Words   |  3 PagesOthello’s tragic flaws Rodrigo Diaz 5/13/14 William Shakespeare wrote many plays in the 1600’s, lots of them were tragedies. William Shakespeare’s plays often had the downfall of a hero in it. In the play Othello: the tragic hero, Othello who is a larger than life character has earned a high rank in life as well as the military. He is a much respected man even though he is black. And has married a white woman named Desdemona. But when he makes the decision to make Casio Lieutenant instead ofRead MoreOthellos Tragic Flaw Essays1208 Words   |  5 Pagesby becoming a military general. In the military Othello meets Cassio and Iago, he chooses Cassio as his lieutenant which upsets Iago. The promotion of Cassio begins to show jealousy in the play. 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The tragic flaw is what captivates the audience to further reflect on Othello’s characterRead MoreShakespeares Use of Aristotles Guidelines to Tragedy in Creating the Play Othello1572 Words   |  7 Pagesof its ability to bring the viewer into the drama and feel for the characters, especially the tragic hero. This analysis of tragedy was formed by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, and also noted in his Poetics (guidelines to drama). As a playwright, Shakespeare used Aristotle’s guidelines to tragedy when writing Othello. The play that was created revolved around the tragic hero, Othello, whose tragic flaw transformed him from a nobleman, in to a destructive creature, which would inevitably bring himRead MoreThe Mirror Of Weaknesses Of Shakespeare s Othello Essay1483 Words   |  6 PagesThe grand tragic play Othello written by Shakespeare illustrates the contradictions in human natures through the display of tragic falls of various characters such as Othello, Iago, and Roderigo. Othello, the protagonist of the play, fell in love with the daughter of a nobleman, Desdemona. However, this relationship is soon broken up because Othello believed the accusation from Iago, Othello’s subordinate, towards Desdemona for having a disloyal relationship with her husband Othello’s lieutenant