Essay Comparing Oedipus And Othello

Both Oedipus and Othello have similar qualities that portray a noble character. Oedipus’ nobility is given at birth because fate rescues him as he is left to die in the mountains. Not only is Oedipus noble in his birth and upbringing, he is additionally noble in action. He is noble in action because he leaves upon finding out that he wants to harm his father as well as later on answering the riddle of the Sphinx, once arriving in Thebes. Othello, on the other hand, is noble only by his actions. He is a Moor and an outsider, yet he is accepted by the Venetian people because of his job as general of the Venetian army. It is his rank, with the army, that makes him a noble character. His contemporaries tribute him as brave, and they declare that he is a true commander (2.1.35-38). …show more content…
Even though they show it in different ways, Oedipus and Othello both suffer from the sin of pride. Pride becomes the fertile ground in both Oedipus and Othello for the root of each individual ruin, but for one there is a much nobler downfall spiral.

At the beginning of the play Shakespeare shows Othello as a calm and collective character, who is able to keep his cool in grueling situations. He is portrayed as the perfect army general because of his honorable characteristics. In the first scene that the audience is introduced to Othello, he obviates a fight by keeping calm and thinking the situation through. Othello gives the audience the impression that he is self-confident but not self-consequential and that he shows respect to the right people. When he is incriminated of witchcraft he does not shout or lose control in front of the council. Instead he explicates the story of how