Othello is the epitome of a tragic hero, he starts out as a rather respectable and
rational fellow, but eventually was consumed by jealousy and anger. A tragic hero must
have a tragic flaw or flaws. Othellos tragic flaw is that he is easily manipulated, and him
trusting the wrong people.
Othello starts out the play a well respected man, who seems at the very least to be
very wise military leader. He is well respected by his army, his officers with the
exception of Iago of course, and he is well respected by polticians. This is made very
clear in the story Shakespeare based this play on entitled: Hecatommithi
There once lived in Venice a Moor, who was very valiant and of a
handsome person; and having given proofs in war of great skill and
prudence, he was highly esteemed by the Signoria of the Republic, who in
rewarding deeds of valor advanced the interests of states.
The quote shows Othello as a highly esteemed man who commands the respect out of
everyone he meets. He is obviously a man in very high places, which will eventually
make for an interesting fall from grace.
Othello is very much in love with his wife at the beginning of the play, and seems
to treat her with love and compassion. Only after he becomes consumed with jealousy
and anger by the manipulation of someone else does he start to turn on her. He almost
seems like a completely different person than he was in the beginning of the play.
Consider the way he talks to his wife at the beginning of the play: “ It gives me wonder
great as my content/ To see you here before me. O my soul’s joy!” ( II: i, 181-182) He
really does not sound like someone who is going to end up killing his wife right there.
Now consider later on in the play when he is talking to his wife. “ Heaven truly knows
that thou art false as hell.”(IV, ii, 37). It almost sounds as though a completely different
person is talking. The first quote Othello sounded so loving and compassionate, and in
the second quote he sounds like a hateful jealous individual.
Iago is the one who seems to cause Othello’s tragic downfall. He manipulates
him into a state of jealous rage. However Othello manages to be very skeptical at first. It
shows that he is usually not such a jealous person. Here is one of Othello’s original
responses to Iago’s accusations towards to Desdomona “No, not much moved./ I do not
think but Desdomona’s honest.” (III, iii, 224-225). This shows how skeptical Othello
originally was. Of course he eventually becomes to believe Iago. It would make for a
pretty boring play if Othello continued to be skeptical through out the play.
Once Othello starts to turn into the jealous monster he eventually becomes,
everything seems to go downhill pretty fast. The turning point for Othello would have to
be when he is ease dropping on Iago’s and Cassio’s conversation. That was the point in
the story where he was convinced that Desdomona was cheating on him, and of Cassio’s
involvement in the whole thing. If Othello would have actually would have caught the
actual context of the conversation between them, the story might have ended in a
drastically different way, more than likely with Othello not killing his wife. So maybe
Othello’s tragic downfall was that he was a horrible listener and acted just a bit rashly.
Othello seems to be kind of remorseful for his shameful acts at the end, or at the
very least he knows he screwed up big time, and is probably going to hell. The following
quote shows Othello fussing over going to hell.
O cursed, cursed slave! Whip me, ye devils,
From the possession of this heavenly sight!
Blow me about in winds! Roast me in sulfer!
Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!
O Desdemon! Dead Desdemon: dead. O! O! (V,ii, 274-278)
The quote shows Othello very much aware that he has done some horrible things, he is
positive at this point that he will be going to hell, and will never be able to see
Desdemona in heaven. This is the point in the story where Othello has hit rock bottom.
He has gone from a rational well respected man to a cold blooded murderer.