The concept of a tragedy has persevered throughout time since its definition by Aristotle: "serious, complete and of a certain magnitude". A tragic hero must always have a hamartia (fatal flaw), a scene of anagnorisis where his flaws are realised, and peripety: the reversal of fortune. Moreover, the downfall of the hero in a tragedy must be greater than what he deserved. Shakespeare, in this regard, partly based his idea of tragedy upon this concept; Othello conveys this exceptionally well. The destruction of Othello's pure love for Desdemona is seen through his jealousy and the underhanded nature of Iago, a unique antagonist which emphasizes Othello’s hamartia. Furthermore, the extreme and dramatic downfall of Othello is emphasized by his
…show more content…
The scenes in Act III are perhaps what truly delineate Othello as a tragic hero. During his conversation with Iago, Othello shows uncertainty; Shakespeare uses rhetoric and imagery to show Iago's convincing nature. The more Iago shows certainty in his accusations, the more Othello's mind gets clouded. Iago answers Othello's doubts with "indeed" but Othello replies with rhetoric: "Indeed? Ay, indeed. Is he not honest?" The peripety occurs when Othello abandons his mindset of a happy relationship with Desdemona and exclaims "Why did I marry? This honest creature doubtless". Extreme irony is conveyed to the reader: Othello easily questions Desdemona, yet believes Iago without a doubt. Furthermore, Othello believes that his reputation is ruined by Desdemona's supposed infidelity. "Her name, that was as fresh as dian's visage, is now begrimed and black..." The quote is ironic in a sense. Othello aligns his former reputation to that of a white face, and associates his dark skin with corruption. The mental degradation of Othello can be seen through his language. Whilst speaking initially with blank verse, he descends into a state of madness, and abandons his calm demeanour. Crude, bestial imagery is used to show his degraded state of mind. When Iago informs Othello of Desdemona’s acts with Cassio, he replies with "O monstrous! …show more content…
With his honest impression as a foil for his true deceptive nature, he sets out to manipulate Othello, maintaining his facade until the end. It is only towards the end of the play that Othello realises the true cause of his actions. Emilia reveals the origin of the handkerchief, a dramatic tool used to dissuade Othello. Both the anagnorisis and catharsis occur here. Recalling the earlier foreshadowing by Brabantio ("Look to her, Moor, if though hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee."), Othello realises too late, his hamartia. He realises he was "one that loved not wisely, but too well and of one not easily jealous, but being wrought." His suicide serves as catharsis for his actions, and he can only justify himself as an "honourable murderer". Thus, through the use of dramatic techniques, allusion and foreshadowing, Shakespeare effectively implements tragedy in
The scenes in Act III are perhaps what truly delineate Othello as a tragic hero. During his conversation with Iago, Othello shows uncertainty; Shakespeare uses rhetoric and imagery to show Iago's convincing nature. The more Iago shows certainty in his accusations, the more Othello's mind gets clouded. Iago answers Othello's doubts with "indeed" but Othello replies with rhetoric: "Indeed? Ay, indeed. Is he not honest?" The peripety occurs when Othello abandons his mindset of a happy relationship with Desdemona and exclaims "Why did I marry? This honest creature doubtless". Extreme irony is conveyed to the reader: Othello easily questions Desdemona, yet believes Iago without a doubt. Furthermore, Othello believes that his reputation is ruined by Desdemona's supposed infidelity. "Her name, that was as fresh as dian's visage, is now begrimed and black..." The quote is ironic in a sense. Othello aligns his former reputation to that of a white face, and associates his dark skin with corruption. The mental degradation of Othello can be seen through his language. Whilst speaking initially with blank verse, he descends into a state of madness, and abandons his calm demeanour. Crude, bestial imagery is used to show his degraded state of mind. When Iago informs Othello of Desdemona’s acts with Cassio, he replies with "O monstrous! …show more content…
With his honest impression as a foil for his true deceptive nature, he sets out to manipulate Othello, maintaining his facade until the end. It is only towards the end of the play that Othello realises the true cause of his actions. Emilia reveals the origin of the handkerchief, a dramatic tool used to dissuade Othello. Both the anagnorisis and catharsis occur here. Recalling the earlier foreshadowing by Brabantio ("Look to her, Moor, if though hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee."), Othello realises too late, his hamartia. He realises he was "one that loved not wisely, but too well and of one not easily jealous, but being wrought." His suicide serves as catharsis for his actions, and he can only justify himself as an "honourable murderer". Thus, through the use of dramatic techniques, allusion and foreshadowing, Shakespeare effectively implements tragedy in