The Tragedy of Othello

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. 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 demons of Hell to motivate him to revenge for his wrongly perceived cuckoldry. That Othello should so quickly lose his mind over what he believes to be Desdemona’s unfaithfulness is perfectly understandable and true to life. It is a scene that we have seen in history before in the real world in the example of the O. J. Simpson trial. Therefore, Othello is strikingly true to life.
Finally, Othello is depicted as very consistent—even though he falls from his greatness and becomes a raving lunatic of a jealous husband who murders his wife on the flimsiest of pretenses. His fall is characterized by a descent in spirit. In the beginning of the play, he is calm and mannered and part of Christian society. Though he is externally a Moor, he is not an infidel in terms of faith. He is a Christian like them and that is why he fights to protect them. However, his faith is rocked by Iago who basically pours poisonous lies into Othello’s soul in order to get him to fall. He preys upon Othello’s flaws—his lack of familiarity about the customs of polite Venetian society (after all, Othello is an outsider, it must be remembered). He uses the warning given by Desdemona’s father—namely that she deceived her father and thus could easily deceive her husband too. Othello falls under Iago’s spell in this manner and then gives up his Christian soul to pursue a heathenish revenge. Othello states, “Arise, black vengeance, from the hollow hell! / Yield up, O love, thy crown and hearted throne / To tyrannous hate!” (3.3.507-509). His fall is consistent with his character and his language shows that: his words are as eloquent and forceful here as they are at the beginning of the play when he explains how he wooed Desdemona to the Senate. Even at the end of the play when he comes back to his senses and realizes his wrongdoing, his words still ring with eloquence. He says, “I kissed there ‘ere I killed thee; no way but this—killing myself to die upon a kiss (5.2.420-21).” In this one line is all the knowledge of his fall coming back into him with a punch—right before he takes his own life, not in an act of despair but in an act of justice—killing the heathenish dog in himself for having killed his wife. It is a tragic ending that cannot be explained away. On the contrary, it fills the audience with pity and fear because there is no easy way to explain away the action.
And for that reason, the play fits in with Aristotle’s description of a tragedy. It fills the audience with pity and fear and produces the effect of catharsis. Golden (1984) explains that with Aristotelian tragedy “imitation consists of a carefully controlled process that so arranges the elements of action and character as to lead us to an insight into the meaning of the human situation represented in a given drama” (p. 142). This is exactly what takes place with Othello. His character arc begins with him at the top in Venice and ends with him deep in a hole on an island, isolated from civilization. He takes his own life because he sees that there is a despised dog in his soul that has to come out. It is understandable, but it is also terrible. His nobility and pride will not allow him to be led before men as a representation of a fool—so he acts like the warrior that he is and dispenses with the fool (himself). The audience, which has watched the fall with horror, now feels ultimate compassion and pity for the man because he takes his own life with such moving words of love and honesty. “I kissed thee ‘ere I killed thee”—there is no sentimentality in these words—just a simple recognition of the fact. He justifies his actions by stating, “No way but this: killing myself to die upon a kiss.” His desire is to be forgiven by the woman he has killed—and yet where is the forgiveness? She is already dead and cannot forgive. The audience should leave feeling shaken and afraid and willing to be better in their own lives because of the experience they have had watching this terrible drama on stage. For that reason, the play is very much an Aristotelian tragedy.
In conclusion, Shakespeare’s Othello meets the conditions required for an Aristotelian tragic hero: 1) he is superior to other men, 2) he possesses nobility and valor, 3) he is true to life, and 4) he is consistent. The play overall meets the requirements of an Aristotelian tragedy because it fills the audience with pity and fear as they watch the fall of a great man, brought low by an evil counselor who preys upon the hero’s flaws and moves him to do a horrific act. Because the hero is so great, the audience experiences a cathartic moment—for if such a thing could happen to so heroic a person, how easily could it happen to an ordinary person? The audience’s emotions should be purified by the viewing of the drama and they should leave the theater feeling humbled and cautious about how they go about living their own lives.
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.