![]() ![]() ![]() Again, he is a man with an African stature that commands respect from the people and senators of Venice since he is described as tall and dark. In addition, his demonstration of confident reaction especially when Barbantio accuses him of engaging in witchcraft activities is proof that he is the hero of the land as defined by Aristotle. This statement shows that he receives a lot of respect from other leaders and thus can be considered a tragic hero. ![]() In fact, one member of the sitting senators exclaims, “here comes the Barantio and the Valiant Moor (Shakespeare and Opzoomer Act 1 Scene 3). For instance, the treatment he gets from the senators is special such as the time when he enters a room where leaders are discussing the state matters. He commands nobility, is confident, and very strong besides being highly respected by people of the Venice State. In the play, Othello is a Moor from Africa of noble birth who serves at the highest rank in the military as the Cyprus Governor-General. For one to qualify he must possess qualities such as being a person of a high state, face downfall and become unhappy, and his downfall must be contributed by his tragic flaws (Kennedy & Gioia, 856). Othello who is a Moor completely fits the definition given by Aristotle of a tragic hero. Othello is a tragic hero since he is a respected man at the begging enjoying power and honor but later faces downfall when he murders his wife suspecting her of being unfaithful. By using the criteria suggested by Aristotle, it is possible to determine whether Othello, the Moor acts as a tragic hero or not. A tragic hero according to the Greek Philosopher, Aristotle, must be a person occupying a prestigious estate, Prince, or nobleman, possess a tragic flaw besides having some judgmental skills, and falls from a high state to a low one (Dewar‐Watson 12). “Othello, the Moor of Venice" can be considered as a Shakespeare's tragedy in which Othello serves as the tragic hero according to Aristotle. Othello is the tragic hero since the play satisfies all the qualifications for tragedy as defined by Aristotle.The features of tragic dramas include hamartia, catharsis, and anagnorisis.The audience is aware of Desdemona's innocence yet her husband is not.Othello discovers that Iago lied to him of Desdemona’s unfaithful.Another important element of tragedy Othello is the revelation of facts related to the tragic hero or anagnorisis.Othello kills his wife, but the audience still has pity on Othello after he realizes his wife is innocent.Othello’s jealousy is one of his weaknesses.Another distinct quality of a tragic hero according to Aristotle is that the cause of the downfall must result from flaws of his character.He has heroic qualities such as courage, dignity, religious ties, sound judgment, and practice of self-control.He is highly respected by the senators of Venice State and the citizens.Othello, the Moor fits the definition of Aristotle’s tragic hero.A tragic hero must be a man of high status and later face downfall.The play Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy with Othello as the tragic hero.Therefore, it is right to argue that Othello is a tragic drama considering the changing life of the main character from a highly regarded man to a shameful one. He is very powerful at first, and no one thinks that his life can end tragically, as it happens during the conclusion. The anagnorisis is experienced when Othello comes to realize the evil in Iago and that his wife is innocent. Again, Othello’s plot has catharsis experience at the climax of the drama as the play ends. This happens because he has the quality of hamartia leading him to suffer shame at the end of the drama. Othello is a tragic hero since he fulfills all the three requirements offered by Aristotle since he is initially a person possessing noble status but later falls to a shameful one. The third ingredient is anagnorisis, which involves the revelation of some facts that were never realized before to the character considered as the hero. The other one is catharsis in which the emotions of the audience change in a manner that makes them learn a lesson from the drama. According to Aristotle, three main things constitute a tragic drama such as hamartia, which is the tragic flaw in the character that faces the downfall. The play is full of suspense and contains the theme of jealousy, intrigue, suspense, and murder creating a great tragedy as per Aristotle's order. The main character who is the hero in the drama faces trouble at the end of the play when he kills his wife suspecting her of being unfaithful. William Shakespeare’s play Othello, the Moor of Venice concerns the downfall of Othello who was a Moorish General and can be considered a tragedy. ![]()
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