Othello The Tragedy of an Aristotelian Tragic Hero Essay

Shakespeares play, â€Å"Othello, the Moor of Venice,† is a powerful example of a tragedy and it’s main character, Othello, is an excellent illustration of what Aristotle constitutes as a tragic hero. The play imitates life through basic human emotions such as jealousy and rage. In addition, Othello is far from being a perfect character - another quality that meets Aristotles requirements. Othello also matches Aristotles ideas of tragic hero because our Othello realizes the error of his ways, causing us to feel sympathy for him. If we carefully examine the third scene in the third act, we can see how Othello fits into Aristotles definition of tragic hero. This passage reveals how much Othello has deteriorated as far as his ability to reason†¦show more content†¦The highly emotional scenes in Othello give the audience a means of catharsis for the audience. It is necessary for this to transpire within a tragedy. H.A. Kelly writes in his book â€Å"Ideas And for ms Of Tragedy From Aristotle To The Middle Ages† that â€Å"the representation generates certain passions in souls that moderate themselves, to pitying or fearing.† The reader connects with the powerful emotions of sadness in the story. The overwhelming feelings allow the reader to let out the suppressed feelings in a way that is allegedly therapeutic. Furthermore, Professor W.A. Neilson of Harvard University says â€Å"This is in part due to the splendor of its poetry, the absorbing nature of the plot, and the vividness of the drawing of characters who marvelously combine individuality with a universal and typical quality that makes them appeal to people of all kinds and races.† In the tragic story of Othello and Desdemona, pain and heartache is a paramount emotion from the beginning through to the end of the play. For example, the story begins with Iago and Roderigo enacting their plan to tell Desdemona’s unknowing father, Brabantio, of her marriage to Othello. Brabantio then becomes irate with emotions of anger and betrayal. In scene III, he expresses these emotions while addressing the Duke and a handful of senators by saying â€Å"She is abused, stol’n from me and corrupted.† (Shakespeare) The reader can connect andShow MoreRelatedOthello : An Aristotelian Tragedy And Tragic Hero1604 Words   |  7 PagesOthello, an Aristotelian Tragedy and Tragic Hero When reading a story, specifically a tragedy, what stands out? Tragedy often enables its audience to reflect on personal values that might be in conflict with civil ideas, on the claims of minorities that it neglected or excluded from public life, on its on irrational prejudices toward the foreign of the unknown (Kennedy Gioia, 2103, p. 857). Readers feel sympathy for the characters, especially the tragic hero. 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