A Tragic Hero: Shakespeare’s Othello

Aristotle once said that “A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall”, and that is a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error. This error inevitably leads to his own destruction. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero must possess several characteristics. These include having a noble nature, a tragic flaw (hamartia), and reversal of fortune because of his own choices (peripeteia). Othello from Shakespeare’s Othello reflects the tragic hero character through several examples.

Nobility of a Tragic Hero

Desdemona and Othello

A tragic hero must be noble in nature, but imperfect so that the audience can see themselves in him. Othello’s career and virtues made him a distinguished noble man. He gained his nobility through his good deeds and achievements. Othello was a Black man when racism still existed. People perceived him as different. Nevertheless, he had a respectable status because of his success as general of the Venetian army. Thus, Othello possesses the nobility that characterizes a true tragic hero. However, this nobility does not make him impeccable.

Hamartia of Tragic Hero

Hamartia is flaw or error of judgment. Every tragic hero has a tragic flaw which eventually leads to his demise. Othello’s tragic flaw is his insecurity which caused his jealousy and naivety. Othello’s appearance and perception of reputation made him self-conscious. Also, he became  naïve and jealous, accusing his wife of cheating. Othello said that he would never doubt Desdemona, and he needs evidence to believe that she is cheating on him. However, Iago had a direct influence on him which made him doubt his wife. 

Othello’s naivety

Although it was clear that Iago was manipulative, Othello put his trust blindly into this man and always praised his honesty. He never bothered to evaluate things critically. He started doubting his achievements as a great general just because his reputation will be ruined. This shows have insecure and naïve he is. His jealousy towards Desdemona stems from his insecurity as a man who values reputation and what other people think more than anything else. This jealousy and insecurity pushed him to disrespect his wife and accuse her without evidence. Hence, Othello’s hamartia is his jealousy and naivety.

Othello’s Peripeteia

Peripeteia is a reversal of fortune brought about because of the hero’s error in judgment. Othello, once a respectable noble man with good virtues, starts cursing his wife and disrespecting her. Because his insecurity and jealousy made him value reputation more, he lost what is truly valuable to him. Othello’s insecurity made him murder his wife, and then, he realized she was innocent. That’s when he actually lost his reputation and honor by becoming a murderer. Othello finally kills himself. Thus, Othello’s flaw in character made him commit actions that reversed his fortune and caused his demise.

Othello learns through his experiences that his flaws are destructive. His fate was more than what he deserved, and he discovered his fate by his own actions. As readers, we feel empathy towards Othello. Thus, he is an ideal example of what a tragic hero is.

Other works include: Macbeth