Designed for D. Mitchell's English A1 HL International Baccalaureate class at Socastee High School, this blog offers students key information, blog questions, assignments, and homework related to Part IV and Oral/Written Commentaries. Useful and fun links, as well as other resources, will also be included as time permits.
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Othello does not seem to be the focus of Shakespeare's great tragedy, but, when considering all elements, one can see that the entire tragedy focuses on his journey through deception and downfall, making him the complete underlying focus. We may see Othello as the tragic hero because his flaw, although not directly fitting into one specific category of the seven deadly sins, is his gullible nature. Othello is a 16th century psychopath who tends to mold his person into the things that people, such as Iago, brainwash him to become. Othello's character lacks depth, as wee see in his monologue in Act I Scene II. His thoughts revolve around his past "action in the tented field" (228), displaying the way hardships he has dealt with control his inner-most thoughts. As the tragedy continues, Othello thinks of Desdemona as his prize- referencing an earlier part of his life. His one-dimensionality becomes more and more visible as Iago's manipulation shifts Othello's being. Although not always perceived as the main focus of the tragedy, we still consider Othello the tragic hero due to his rapid changing in nature. Othello does not exceed a limit of one-dimensionality; and this can be seen through his qualities. He has a heroic nature from being a soldier, a flaw which I mentioned earlier, a drastic fall which begins and continues through Iago's deception, and loss of everything, beginning when Othello starts believing every word Iago says.
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I think Othello most definitely deserves the title of tragic hero because he is his own demise. One could say that Iago contributed to the fall of Othello, but really it's Othello's pride and hidden insecurity that cause tragedy. Othello gloats about his past, his accomplishments, and social standing throughout the play because he needs to seem important to those around him. He is an outsider because of his race and knows it. He understands that if he was to expose any of his weaknesses he could lose his place in Venice and his value to that society. With the stakes so high Iago is able to use Othello's own personality against him. Jealousy is tool utilized by Iago because he knows the embarrassment Othello would suffer if the rumors he spreads were proven true. Iago also pawns Othello's subordinates to do as he wishes. Iago is able to transform Othello's extreme pride from strength into weakness. Though, in the end Othello serves as both antagonist and protagonist because his chooses to let his own traits dominate his decisions.
ReplyDeleteTo be considered a great tragic hero there are qualifications the character must pass including having a noble stature, possessing a tragic flaw, drastically falling from a high stature, losing everything, gaining knowledge of the truth, and lastly reaching the point of realization that the character’s demise was brought upon by himself. Othello exceeds the criteria for being a tragic hero. Othello’s “full commission [in] Cyprus” (237) primarily shows his high status within the Venetian government, which meets the first requirement in being a tragic hero. The entire play Othello fights against “the green-eyed monster” (262), or otherwise known as jealousy, passing another one of the criteria. Once Othello kills his beloved wife he loses everything including his right to commission over Cyprus. In one act Othello not only loses his wife but his high stature and his way of living, basically everything that he knows. After Desdemona’s death Othello is informed of the Iago’s wrong doings, finally obtaining the truth. Not only did Othello gain the knowledge of Iago’s doings but also acknowledged the fact that “he threw a pearl away being richer than all his tribe” (307), the pearl in this case symbolizing Desdemona. Othello surpasses the qualifications for being a tragic hero. Shakespeare developed Othello in order to have the perfect tragic hero, which he did accomplish.
ReplyDeleteIago is the main focus of the play because it revolves around him and what he does to manipulate the other characters. Throughout the play each occurrence is in direct relation to Iago. All that happens is because of him. From the beginning Iago says that Othello “will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are” (236). This shows that Iago is the puppet master. He controls not only Othello but all those in the play. Although Othello is regarded as the tragic hero in the play, which he is, he is not the main focus. Othello has his wife which he says is his everything, he has his high and noble status, he has his fault of being as Iago put it “an ass”, and he loses it all. Then Othello has his epiphany when Emilia reveals to him what Iago did and realizes all that he himself has done. In the midst of noticing Othello’s downfall Iago’s own credit is lost. Iago has his noble status given by his honesty and how highly everyone thinks of him, especially Othello who says he is a man of “exceeding honesty” (264). That is the beneficial thin that Iago has going for him. His flaw is his obsession for power and control because through this he loses all that he created. And in Act V Scene II Iago has everything shoved into his face. When Emilia confronts Iago knowing that he had “told a lie, an odious damned lie” (302), Iago’s power vanishes. He loses all that he has worked for and realizes that if it were not for his power hungry personality he would not have come to such a tragic ending.
ReplyDeleteShakespeare’s development of Othello, mirrors that of a tragic hero. Othello’s “parts, [his] title, and [his] perfect soul” becomes in question as the play unfolds, revealing his tragic downfall (11). His title and perfect soul denotes his nobleness and purity. Othello does not represent the ideal tragic hero but through analytical interpretation of his qualities, Othello’s tragic heroism is revealed. Othello’s unsuspecting nature, which represents his tragic flaw, allows for Iago to deceive him, which causes Othello’s downfall from his noble position. “Honest Iago,” a phrase repeated often by Othello, depicts his unsuspecting nature, which causes him to believe every word Iago says, exploiting his gullibility (47). Othello experiences a great character evolution throughout the play, going from a noble leader to taking Desdemona and his own life, depicting his character as being more then one-dimensional. One-dimensional characters do not demonstrate a sense of learning, but through an epiphany, Othello was able to realize that he had been manipulated by Iago. A noble leader usually orchestrates his pawns next moves, but ironically Iago was able to use manipulation to make himself the leader of Othello’s actions. Through Iago’s manipulation, Othello’s tragic flaw, downfall, and loss of everything is revealed, paving the road for Othello’s tragic heroism to be born.
ReplyDeleteOthello is, by very definition, a tragic hero. An esteemed general driven to madness by his hubris and jealousy resulting in his suicide after realizing his faults seems to fit all of the criterion for fitting the mold of the tragic hero. We see the depth of his love for Desdemona when he proclaims, "O my soul's joy! / If after every tempest come such calms / May the winds blow till they have waken'd death!" (242). Here, he is at his highest point. At his absolute lowest, the point before his suicide, the audience is given a glimpse into his tortured mind. He wants to be "[blown] about in the winds! [roasted] in sulphur! / [Washed] in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!" (305). By providing both ends of his personality, Shakespeare creates a dynamic tragic hero. This does not mean, though, that he is the play's central figure. The plot is instead driven by the antagonist Iago, who provides the audience with the majority of narration and perspective through the framework of his soliloquies.
ReplyDeleteAgreeing with Ryan that Othello is an "esteemed General;" I believe that Shakespeare named this play Othello in order for the reader to focus mainly on the protagonist instead of the antagonist. By focusing on Othello instead of Iago, Shakespeare places his readers in the same atmosphere as the characters in the play. Also by Shakespeare naming this play Othello, he leads on the reader of his work as Iago leads on the characters in the drama. This allows for the readers to see the development of not only Othello as the play enters the final acts, but also as Iago progresses through his deceptive tactics. So by Shakespeare naming his play Othello he causes readers to focus on the development of Othello and Iago together instead of two seperate entities to create contrast between the development of good and evil.
ReplyDeleteOthello is the tragic hero because he begins in high status, as all tragic heroes do, and he makes sure that everyone knows it. He is a very respected member in their society, he is a warrior and, as Iago points out, “[he has] seen the cannon [w]hen it hath blown his ranks into the air”(274), showing that he is courageous. Othello’s tragic flaw causes his downfall in the end because Iago deceives practically everyone he knows to get what he wants: his lieutenant role. All of these credentials prove him to be a multi-dimensional character. But, in order to be a tragic hero, he must have a downfall. His first problem is listening to Iago. He let Iago get inside his head and cause him to second guess his beliefs. His lack of self confidence causes him to make the decision to kill the most important person in his life. His character clearly fits the role of the tragic hero.
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