Othello A Tragic Hero

Othello A Tragic Hero

Introduction

Othello, the central character of the play, is a Moor, which means a black man. Othello by William Shakespeare is praised by critics for being a cohesive tragic play, but there are many who perceive the central character 'Othello' as un-heroic. In many reviews, authors criticize Othello of being extremely stupid; many consider him as an obsessive man besieged by emotions. Other critics recognize him as self-pitying as well as thoughtless about the terrible nature of his actions. Still all such disparagements fade in front of the anticipation and compassion built by the nobility of this soldier portrayed throughout Othello (Kennedy, 2009).

It is only natural to consider the character of Othello as the tragic hero of Shakespeare's Othello. It was observed as a result of the discussion that the perception that refers to Othello as the tragic hero is actually flawed. This is because the character of Othello is flawed. In this light, it is incorrect to refer to Othello as a hero - let alone as a tragic hero. However, the character of Emilia is clearly a character that presents all the characteristics that should be existing in a flawless hero. The character of Emilia presents dimensions that no other character in the play displays. Therefore, it can be safely concluded that the actual tragic hero in the play is Emilia (Virgin, 2006).

It is only natural to consider the character of Othello as the tragic hero of Shakespeare's Othello. However, modern interpretations of the play have helped to shed a new light on the subject, driving literature analysts to reconsider their opinion of considering the character of Othello to be the actual tragic hero of Shakespeare's play Othello. The sympathy that is primarily directed towards the character of Othello is based on the apparent plot that Shakespeare has presented. However, a deeper insight and closer analysis tends to show a deeper picture. In light of this deeper analysis, it would not be incorrect to state that the actual tragic hero of Othello may not be the character of Othello. A closer look reveals that Othello may not be the tragic hero. This perspective is based on the fact that Othello was actually driven by uncontrollable anger. His uncontrollable anger led him to do more harm than good during the course of the play. In essence, Othello is actually guilty of losing control over himself and engaging in cold blooded murder. The only individual who seems to have made any attempts to go beyond his/her own self is Emilia (Michael, 2006).

Summary: Othello A Tragic Hero

Throughout the tragedy of Othello, by William Shakespeare, the audience is presented with a villainous victim, and thus is unsure if Othello can be granted the status of a tragic hero. In the final scene of Othello, the audience witnesses a jealously blinded Othello murder of his wife and it is only after the act has been committed that Othello realizes his wrongs, and has a moment of ...