Othello: A Tragic Hero and an Aristotelian Tragedy I. Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare is one of his most acclaimed tragedies. “Othello’s story is a tragedy, and not just a very sad story, because it is a story of the destruction of a noble, deeply admirable man brought about through his own weaknesses, systematically exploited by a malicious enemy” (Porter, 2005, pg. 27). However, it has long been debated whether Othello satisfies the requirements of an Aristotelian tragedy. A.
A tragic hero is virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy that is destined for a downfall. The hero learns from his mistakes and is the protagonist in the story. To be a tragic hero the character must display the elements of a Greek tragedy. In the play ‘Antigone' by Sophocles, Creon forbids Polynices to be buried because he fought with his brother for the throne and wanted the throne to destroy Thebes. Antigone; Polynices sister tries to bury him and Creon has her captured for a punishment.
According to Aristotle a tragic hero must be a noble person and also hold a “high” status in society. Firstly, the character must also have an error in judgement (hamartia). Often the character’s ‘hamartia’ involves hubris (excessive pride). The character must have these in order to be considered a tragic hero. The hero must have a reversal of fortune brought by the hero’s tragic flaw although the downfall will not be a complete loss.
Firstly, for the reader to understand why Oedipus in the Greek play, Oedipus Rex is a classical example of tragic hero, one must know the theory. The theory of Greek tragedy refers to the protagonist or hero whom suffers some serious misfortune which is not accidental, mostly predetermined and very significant in that the misfortune is logically connected with the hero’s actions. This tragedy stresses the vulnerability of human beings
Furthermore, the traditional image of Brutus as a cruel traitor to his close friend has also been reworked in Shakespeare's play. Although Brutus takes part in the conspiracy to murder Caesar despite his close ties to him, Brutus's actions are based on genuinely noble reasons. Brutus is the true hero of the play because, unlike the other conspirators, his motivation is based on keeping the Roman republic from coming under the rule of an emperor; furthermore, while Caesar and Antony both have virtuous qualities, their flaws are much less forgivable than that of Brutus's. Brutus’s motivation for killing Caesar is more noble than that of the other conspirators, who were driven by envy. In the beginning of the play, as Caesar rakes in adoration from the common people, Cassius reveals his jealousy over Caesar’s popularity and power: “it doth
Marcus Aurelius once said, “Whosoever does wrong, wrongs himself…” Othello by William Shakespeare and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams both illustrate the critical lens. Both authors use literary devices to convey the critical lens. Both authors use characterization and theme of deception in their literary works. The critical lens means that if a person does wrong or bad thing it will eventually affect them at the end. The quotation is true because when someone does wrong thing it comes back to them.
The Hellene man deceives Xerxes by providing him with a false plan: once night falls, the Greek army would set sail by a route which offered escape. Xerxes, with no thought of being deceived, planned accordingly. This in turn, made his men tired and ultimately led to his armies defeat. Therefore, the play “The Persians” is an important source for the study of Greek history as it provides details on the Battle of Salamis. However, the reliability is questionable as parts of the play may have been exaggerated or fabricated, as it was a play written to win a prize.
Statement: ''According to Aristotle, the tragic hero should not be entirely good nor evil. Instead, he should possess a fatal flaw, which will incite pity and fear in the audience. Critics are divided about Othello. Some feel that he is flawless, while others think that he is too easily moved to jealousy. What is your view on the matter?''
From these thing, it is made clear that Lear is not only rash and insecure but also thoughtless and stupid. Based on these pieces of textual evidence, I think it is clear that King Lear is motivated by his self-concern, and nothing more. Shakespeare causes us to think this through both his words and his actions throughout Act
Consequently, they achieve a certain degree of self awareness and knowledge that they did not possess before. Shakespeare, writing in the tragic genre created in Lear and Macbeth, two tragic heroes who achieve anagnorisis or personal discovery through a series of tragic events. Aristotle believed “anagnorisis....when it occurs together with peripetia (adventure) the change of fortune from good to ill or reverse” would lead to “external identification” which is in other words self-knowledge. Shakespeare’s contemporary audience would have understood the theme of self knowledge, in tradegy as it was a popular genre. During that time, it was believed that the death of a King would upset the natural balance of order and society.