The Tragedy of Othello Essay

Tags: tragic hero othello character aristotle shakespeare desdemona christian faith revenge hamlet forgiveness literature

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Othello as a Tragic Hero

Thesis: Othello fits Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero because he meets all four of the philosopher’s conditions: 1) he is great, 2) he demonstrates nobility or manly valor, 3) his character is authentic and true to real life, and 4) he is consistent. The play also fits Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy as it effects pity and fear in the audience.

Outline

I. Introduction

a. Aristotle’s definition of tragedy and the tragic hero

b. Thesis statement

II. Body

a. Othello is better than the average man—he is a hero of Venice and rightly so

b. Othello demonstrates manly valor and that is why he is beloved by the Venetians and by Desdemona

c. Othello is true to life—nothing about is so unbelievable that it makes the play unrealistic

d. Othello is consistent—his fall is a consequence of flaws in his character that are evident throughout the play

e. The play evokes pity and fear in the audience—a proper cathartic affect is achieved as a result of Othello’s tragic fall

III. Conclusion

a. Othello is a tragic hero

b. The play is a proper Aristotelian tragedy

Othello as a Tragic Hero

Aristotle defined tragedy as “the imitation in dramatic form of an action that is serious and complete, with incidents arousing pity and fear with which it effects a catharsis of such emotions” (Johnson & Arp, 2018, p. 1251). His conditions for a character to be a tragic hero, moreover were the following: 1) the character must be superior to the average, common man in terms of merit and worth to the community so that his tragic fall is all the more impactful; 2) the character must possess nobility or “manly valor” as Aristotle called it; 3) he must be believable—i.e., authentic and true to life; and 4) he must not be inconsistent in terms of character (though a character, even a hero, can be consistently inconsistent) (Aristotle, 1970, p. 43). Shakespeare’s Othello conforms to the conditions established by Aristotle in his Poetics, and the play itself qualifies as an Aristotelian tragedy because it provides a dramatic imitation of an action on the stage that is serious and whole and that produces pity and fear so as to effect catharsis—or the purifying of the emotions, as Schaper (1968) calls it. This paper will show that Othello fits Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero because he meets all four of the philosopher’s conditions: 1) he is great, 2) he demonstrates nobility or manly valor, 3) his character is authentic and true to real life, and 4) he is consistent. It will also show that the play fits Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy as it effects pity and fear in the audience and produces catharsis.

From the beginning of the play, Othello is recognized as a superior man, far above the stature of all others. His greatness rouses jealousy and hatred in the evil Iago who vows to bring down the Moor. His greatness is acknowledged by the Senators who depend on Othello’s arm to defend the city-state from the enemy.

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Even after Desdemona and he sneak off to elope in spite of her father’s likely disapproval, Othello is able to persuade the Senate through his masterful eloquence and force of argument of his goodness of intention. Bates (2007) states that Othello’s speech is “capable of mesmerizing the hardened heads of the Venetian Senate” (p. 190)—another indication that he is no ordinary commoner but is rather possessed of many gifts and high qualities. Moreover, Othello is not even Venetian—he is a Moor: he is black and the people he protects are white. He is so unlike them in every respect that he is almost like a real-life Superman in their midst. Of course, he is still a human, with human flaws, which Iago will exploit to bring the hero down. But Shakespeare firmly establishes Othello’s greatness at the outset.

Shakespeare also clearly establishes Othello’s manly valor. This valor is on display when he defends himself and his wife against the accusations leveled before them at the Senate, where he has been accused of stealing Desdemona away. His valor is what attracts Desdemona to him in the first place. She is attracted by his stories of fighting and asks him to tell them to her again and again—and that is how he woos her. His valor is then demonstrated in action, as he is sent by the Senate to defend the city-state from an impending attack. He does not shrink from his duty but rather embraces it. His reputation is such that he recognized by one and all as the most valiant man in Venice—the protector of the city-state, the man called in the hour of need.

It is here that Shakespeare begins to show that Othello is also very true to life and believable as a character. For example, instead of immediately saying goodbye to his new wife, he brings her along with him to the battle. This shows that Othello is like any newly married man who does not want to give up the enjoyments of his new wife so soon. However, this is a mistake on Othello’s part: by bringing his new domestic life into his public and professional life, he crosses a line of propriety that Iago is able to use against him. Additionally, Othello is not used to having a woman in his life: he is a warrior and only recently has begun to act as a lover. He is unfamiliar with the challenges and risks that come with being a lover. He suddenly finds himself vulnerable to fits of jealousy and rage that before would have never been a problem for him. Again, Iago calculates that this will be the case and uses Othello’s lack of familiarity with all things romantic to cudgel him into renouncing his Christian beliefs and calling upon the….....

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References

Aristotle. (1970). Poetics. (trans. by Gerald Else). MI: University of Michigan Press.

Bates, C. (1997) ‘Shakespeare’s Tragedies of Love’, Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Tragedy, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Golden, L. (1984). Othello, Hamlet, and Aristotelian Tragedy. Shakespeare Quarterly, 35(2): 142-156.

Johnson, G. & Arp, T. (2018). Perrine’s Literature. Boston, MA: Cengage.

Schaper, E. (1968). Aristotle\'s catharsis and aesthetic pleasure. The Philosophical Quarterly (1950-), 18(71), 131-143.

Shakespeare, W. (1993) Othello, NY: Washington Square Press.

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