Othello as Tragic Hero

Paper Summary:

This paper provides three main characteristics of a tragic hero: the person must be basically good or admirable in some way; the person has a fatal flaw that leads to their demise; and the person must be responsible for the tragic ending that occurs. The paper then examines Othello's character in light of these qualities.

From the Paper:

"The first quality is that the person is basically good or admirable in some way. This is true of Othello. Othello perhaps describes why he is admirable when he says, "My parts, my title and my perfect soul Shall manifest me rightly" (I,ii). It is also seen that other characters in the play have great respect for Othello. At one point the Duke of Venice says that he will take action against whoever has stolen his daughter. In an angry and determined reaction he says, "Whoe'er he be that in this foul proceeding hath thus beguil'd your daughter of herself and you of her, the bloody book of law you shall yourself read in the bitter letter" (I,iii). However, as soon as he hears that it is Othello, his attitude changes and he becomes more forgiving and understanding. This is a sign of how great his respect for Othello."

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