Oedipus and Othello: Two Tragic

Oedipus and Othello: Two Tragic Heroes

While both Oedipus and Othello fit Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero, neither fits the definition in the exact same way. Oedipus' two main faults, for example, are his pride and his wrath. Othello's two main faults, on the other hand, are his insecurity and his jealousy. Even though both men are responsible for their own falls, which are effected in very dissimilar ways, each one is also firmly established as a hero prior to the fall. This paper will show how the two characters serve as models of the tragic hero and how each one, in succumbing to his own faults and failings, has his own personal moment of realization.

Aristotle's first principle of the tragedy is that the hero must be good (43). Oedipus' goodness is established in the opening scene when he asserts his nobility. As king he is like the father of the Thebans and their sufferings afflict him. That is why he calls for the priest: he wants to find out what he must do to stop the plague and pacify the gods. Othello's goodness is shown by way of his reputation: he is regarded as an excellent soldier, a Moor who has converted to the Christian cause and proved himself worthy of the nobles' respect. Even in their status, however, both heroes may be considered outsiders. Oedipus has come to Thebes as a stranger; Othello, in spite of his heroics, is still regarded by some (including Desdemona's father) as an outsider (because of his race).

Aristotle's second principle of tragedy is that hero be appropriate to his character: "for it is possible for a character to be brave, but inappropriately to a woman" (43). Both Oedipus and Othello are certainly appropriately brave: Oedipus pursues the truth of his identity despite warnings; Othello braves the seas as well as the indignation of the nobles when he marries Desdemona. Yet the two are appropriate to their positions in other ways as well. Both use language to show their edification, royal or noble natures, and dignity. Iago, Othello's villain, is appropriately crass and crude when exercising his villainy, and when Othello falls, his language becomes black as well when he tells Iago, "I'll tear her all to pieces," in Act 3, scene 3; and in the same scene just lines later he uses appropriately hierarchical language to renounce his nobility: "Arise, black vengeance, from the hollow hell! / Yield up, O love, thy crown and hearted throne / To tyrannous hate! Swell, bosom, with thy fraught, / For 'tis of aspics' tongues!" (3.3.507-510). Othello inverts his substance by calling on "black" hell to displace the heavenly (and Christian) spirit he has adopted since fighting for Venice.

Both characters are also true to life, which is Aristotle's third necessary element of the tragic hero. Oedipus' story may be fantastical (winning the Theban crown by answering the riddle of the Sphinx), but his character is very human and true to life. His explosive anger, for instance, is certainly a human quality. As Steven Lattimore states, Oedipus reveals the truth of his very nature in his argument with the priest, who lays the blame for the plague at Oedipus' own feet: "the Teiresias/Oedipus scene reveals the resources and essential natures of the two men" (Lattimore 105) and shows the degree to which Oedipus can swing from nobility to common wrath. Indeed, he calls the priest of the gods a "vile slanderer" for simply stating that Oedipus is to blame. This is also an illustration of Oedipus' pride.

Othello doesn't suffer from pride as much as he suffers from insecurity, which stems from his vanity. Othello (perhaps because of his "otherness") is deeply concerned about how he is perceived. The thought of his being a cuckold, of being the butt of jokes for having an unfaithful wife, drives him mad. His jealousy is roused, an entirely believable behavior for one in his place. He complains that his name "is now begrimed and black" (3.3.384) and fears that Desdemona has made him a "fixed figure for the time of scorn" (4.2.53). His fears might be those of any man, insecure in his position, concerned about how he is viewed. Thus, both heroes are true to life in that each has his own particular faults, like any man.

Aristotle's fourth condition of the tragic hero is "consistency: for though the subject of imitation…be inconsistent, still he must be consistently inconsistent" (43). As Aristotle suggests, both characters are inconsistently consistent, though in their own ways. Oedipus bounces from being high-minded, caring and affectionate to being almost simple-minded, careless and angry any time his pride is pricked. For example, even when the evidence all points to the truth of what the priest says, Oedipus is reluctant to admit it; yet when his wife tries to undermine what the priests says in order to protect her family, Oedipus refuses to consent to her views. What appears to be inconsistency in his character is actually consistent, because Oedipus is a complex character, who struggles with his faults, falls because of them, and learns about himself in the process.

Othello is also consistent, though not in the same way as Oedipus. Othello's rashness is seen in his elopement with Desdemona. He carries that quality with him throughout the play: when Iago hints of Desdemona's unfaithfulness, Othello rashly leaps to the conclusion that Iago is correct (in spite of his better sense). Othello's insecurity and vanity are reflected from the beginning: even though his manliness is what has wooed Desdemona, their marriage was done in secret so as to shield both him and her from criticism. Yet, Othello is manliest when at war; as a lover he is untried. As he himself states after killing Desdemona and before killing himself: "I loved not wisely but too well." In other words, his affection was inordinate and is further reason for marrying Desdemona under cover of night: in daylight, truth is exposed. Othello does not want to be exposed as a weak man. He prefers to be idolized (which Desdemona did when the Moor came to her father's house to tell his stories). Thus, Othello is consistent from the beginning of the play to the end. As his vanity and insecurity are plied by Iago, he crumbles and falls. Yet, in falling, he arrives at a deeper understanding of himself.