You might think that a tragedy is a terrible, destructible event in one's life that causes great pain and can contain great loss. One work in particular written by William Shakespeare, one of the most famous poets in history, appears to be a story full of tragedy. Othello, the Moor of Venice, set during the fascinating Renaissance era, portrays a character named Othello who reveals the characteristics of a tragic hero. The brilliant philosopher Aristotle of the 4th century BC developed his own definition and idea of what a tragic hero is. Eric Engle, author of “Aristotle, Law and Justice: The Tragic Hero,” said: Because of Aristotle's influence, his tragic flaw has distorted Western thought since its conception” (Engle). “The question of whether Othello is a true tragic hero is debatable. Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero was a protagonist who is socially superior to others, but who then falls due to a "tragic flaw", typically caused by the character's solitary weakness. Because of Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero, Othello possesses the qualities from his definition that fulfill the role of a tragic hero. The first quality that Aristotle believes tragic heroes acquire is the character of noble status and greatness. Othello was not born essentially wealthy, but is portrayed as someone dignified, a leader, and highly respected among the citizens of the city. Shakespeare is often known for creating characters who dominate leaders, such as Hamlet and Macbeth. Othello is one of Shakespeare's great leaders, and a great example of this in the story is when he arrives towards the beginning of the play's first act. One of the senators said: "Behold Brabantio and the valiant Moor" (Kennedy . ..... middle of paper ...... finally recognizes Desdemona's goodness. The play's antagonist, Iago, is finally shamed for the terrible person he was, and the power of evil is revealed last act done by the guards took him away to be executed and he was put to death The character of Othello is shown at the end when he commits suicide due to the enormous amount of remorse and pain that he felt for his love for Desdemona and the outcome of the play was truly tragic He realized his flaws and as a result he no longer wanted to stay alive self-centered nature and his innocence. He allowed himself to be controlled by someone instead of trusting his heart In the trial Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero is embraced through the character of Othello, the Moor, and the play is in fact considered an Aristotelian tragedy...
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