Tragic Hero

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer presents a detailed examination of the Shakespearean character Othello as a tragic hero. The writer discusses the character Othello, as held against the standards of philosopher Aristotle and compared to the character of Creon in Sophocles. The writer explores the six attributes that Aristotle believed were needed to become a tragic hero and argues that Othello fits this description more completely and convincingly than Creon did. The writer concludes that when it comes to Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero Othello clearly outpaces Creon in all six categories of definition.

Outline:
Introduction
Comparing the Characters to the Six Elements
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"According to Aristotle there are six significant elements to being labeled a tragic hero. They include nobility and greatness, imperfection, faults or a downfall, punishment exceeding a crime, in other words the misfortune of the hero is not completely deserved by the hero, and there must be a discovery of self or something learned by the hero during the tragedy itself. The final criterion is that the audience is not left feeling a total sense of loss or sadness. When one holds Creon from Sophocles and Othello, from the play Othello against each other one can easily see that Othello is the more convincing tragic hero of the two."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Othello http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/othello_1_1.html
• Fagles, Robert, MacGregor, Bernard, Knox, Walke, The Three Theban Plays (Paperback) by Sophocles, Penguin Classics; First edition (January 3, 2000)

More papers on Tragic Hero:

• Analytical Essay # 33531 : "Othello As A Tragic Hero"
• Analytical Essay # 124697 : "Mrs. Wright as a Modern Tragic Hero"
• Analytical Essay # 32971 : "Othello As A Tragic Hero"
• Essay # 6401 : "The Tragic Hero of Antigone"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: