Key Points for Othello as Tragic Hero

1) Definition of a Tragic Hero: “The term hero is derived from a Greek word that means a person
who faces adversity, or demonstrates courage, in the face of danger. However, sometimes he
faces downfall as well. When a hero confronts downfall, he is recognized as a tragic hero or
protagonist. Aristotle defines a tragic hero as “a person who must evoke a sense of pity and fear
in the audience. He is considered a man of misfortune that comes to him through error of
judgment.” A tragic hero’s downfall evokes feelings of pity and fear among the audience.”
2) Characteristic of a Tragic Hero: it was Aristotle who defined some of the characteristics of tragic
hero in his poetics.
3) Towering Personality: A towering personality in the state or locality who hails from elite stratum
of society and holds high position in the state like, kings, princes, military generals, who are
important for the states.
4) Goodness: An embodiment of goodness and virtue. He must be good and religious minded to
such an extent that it may hinder his action. Has Trusting Nature: He put all his trust in Iago
during times of war and during Othello's marriage to Desdemona. Everyone considered Iago as
honest, and it would be out of character for Othello to believe any different. For example,
Othello had told Duke:
5) Hamartia: Othello has two main fatal flaws; jealousy and gullibility. It is a combination of these
flaws that lead to his downfall. His extremely gullible and trusting nature allows him to believe
anything that apparent “honest Iago” says, despite whether he had any physical evidence or not.
It is then his jealousy that causes him to suspect Desdemona, and piece together irrelevant
information that gives him the wrong idea about his wife’s fidelity.
6) Ignorance and blindness towards Iago: “My friend, thy husband: honest, honest Iago
7) Peripeteia: The reversal of fate or circumstances that the hero experiences.
8) Anagnorisis: A moment in time when hero makes an important discovery in the story. Othello
not only admits that his poor judgment led to his killing Desdemona but also finally recognizes
Iago's true intentions.
9) Nemesis: a punishment that the protagonist cannot avoid.
10) Catharsis or Empathy: is the increase of self-awareness and self-knowledge through the process
of releasing, strong or repressed emotions, which Othello demonstrates after murdering
Desdemona when he realizes that he has killed an innocent woman who truly loved him. He has
released his strong emotions of anger and jealousy by murdering his wife and then the epiphany
hits him that he has been blinded by these strong emotions and is made aware what he has done
and the significance it has.
11) He must die or suffer a terrible fate:
12) Conclusion: Othello is a Tragic Hero

Quotations for Othello as Tragic Hero

“If she be false, O, the heaven mocks itself! / I’ll not believe ‘t”

"Hold your hands, both of you of my inclining and the rest. Were it my cue to fight, I should have known
it without a prompter"

"So please your grace, my ancient; A man he is of honesty and trust. To his conveyance I assign my wife,
with what else needful your good grace shall think, To be sent after me"
If it were now to die,
'Twere now to be most happy; for I fear
My soul hath her content so absolute
That not another comfort like to this
Succeeds in unknown fate.

I had rather be a toad,

And live upon the vapor of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love
For others' uses.

Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,

Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely but too well;
Of one not easily jealous, but, being wrought,
Perplex'd in the extreme; of one whose hand,
Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away
Richer than all his tribe;

Tragic or Dramatic Irony in Othello

1) Definition of Dramatic or Tragic Irony: “Dramatic irony, in literature, a plot device in which the
audience’s or reader’s knowledge of events or individuals surpasses that of the characters. The
words and actions of the characters therefore take on a different meaning for the audience or
reader than they have for the play’s characters. This may happen when, for example, a character
reacts in an inappropriate or foolish way or when a character lacks self-awareness and thus acts
under false assumptions. The device abounds in works of tragedy.”
2) Main Dramatic Irony lies in the Plot of Othello’s destruction. Only Iago knows about it and the
audience through Iago’s soliloquies.
3) Iago’s identification as a devilish type of a person and Machiavellian character who tricks and
baits almost all the characters under his circle. Audience has prior knowledge, none of the
characters does.
4) Othello, a good man, commits a heinous crime. Iago, an evil man, masquerades as an honorable
man. In fact, in one of the better known passages in the play, Iago extols honor, saying: “Good
name in man and woman, dear my lord, …… makes me poor indeed.” (The situational irony is
that the villain lectures others about the importance of a good name. The dramatic irony is that
the audience is aware of Iago's hypocrisy but Othello is not.)
5) Iago, in a pretense to make himself seem a friend to Othello, speaks of the danger of jealousy:
“O, beware, my Lord of Jealousy …. Feeds on it” (The situational irony is that Iago speaks
against jealousy even though it is jealousy that motivates him. Othello's promotion of Cassio
instead of Iago made Iago extremely jealous of Cassio and caused him to seek revenge against
Othello. The dramatic irony is that the audience is aware of Iago's evil intentions but Othello is
not.
6) Verbal Irony: What is said is the opposite of intention. There are many verbal ironies is the play:
“My Lord, you know I love you” – “I know, Iago, Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter” -
O, beware, my Lord of Jealousy …. Feeds on it”. etc
 7) Situational Irony is the opposite of occurrence to expectation: a) Iago wanted Cassio demoted,
in the end Cassio was promoted. B) Othello being the only one oblivious of his wife’s chastity. C)
Iago plots to gain his goals, losses his life in the end. Etc.
8) Desdemona’s innocence, b) Handkerchief, c) Desdemona requests Iago’s help, d) Iago’s
cunningness, etc.
9) Impact of Irony on the Play: Feelings of loss and Catastrophe, Adds depth, slight humour

Quotes for Tragic or Dramatic Irony in Othello

"O, thou art wise! 'Tis certain"

"I know, Iago, Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter.”

"My lord, you know I love you"

"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on"

How poor are they that have not patience!

What wound did ever heal but by degrees?

Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse steals trash . . .
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.

I am not what I am...."

"The heavens forbid But that our loves and comforts should increase, Even as our days do grow!..."

"It is the very error of the moon;(130) She comes more nearer earth than she was wont And makes
men mad....

"Fire and brimstone!..."

"Her honor is an essence that's not seen; They have it very oft that have it not:..."
 Iago, the Evil Personification in Othello
1) Introduction: Amorality, duplicity, cynicism, pride, and of course, ego. Presented by the speech
and actions of all characters, the modern audience can construct a character sketch of Othello
that contains all the elements stated above.
2) Shakespeare’s most sinister character because he is malcontent: The Machiavellian villain of
Shakespeare's. Machiavellian character is characterized by subtle or unscrupulous cunning,
deception, expediency, or dishonesty.
3) Personification of Evil: Unlike Hamlet where evil is pervasive and hangs over the whole country.
In Othello, it is personified in one character who wears the mask of seeming virtue. In Iago, we
see evil as deception and as a direct challenge to the order and harmony of the universe.
4) Iago as the Evil Force: Despite his hypocrisy, Iago reveals himself to the reader as an active force
of evil right from the first scene of the play. It is Roderigo alone who is given the insight into Iago;
but he is foolish and doesn’t understand the implications of Iago’s plans. Iago stands for social
disintegration.
5) Iago’s Egotism: The supreme egotism of Iago is a manifestation of the code of ‘reason’ by which
he lives. True human reason in terms of Renaissance Christian humanism was a reflection of the
supreme wisdom of God. And it consisted in submitting one’s will to the purposes of Go. Iago’s
reason is the sin of pride, for it denies the supremacy of God and sees man as the sole author of
his destiny, able to control himself and others by the power of his mind.
6) Iago’s Self-betrayal: Iago’s betrayal of himself is quite expected and possible despite Bradley’s
wonder that how his supreme intellect should finally betray him into such colossal errors as his
misjudging the relationship between Othello and Desdemona and the character of his own wife,
Emilia.
7) Audience Views about Iago:
8) Iago versus Othello: Iago personifies evil in the guise of good whereas in Othello himself, we
have a depiction of true virtue which seems to be wearing many of the signs of evil. As in
Cinthio’s story, Othello’s wedding with Desdemona was unnatural. Cinthio doesn’t mention the
blackness of the Moor, mentioning it only once in the story. In the Renaissance, the color black
was a symbol of lechery. It was so commonly used in the books that it was also the color of the
devil whose redness is a fairly recent innovation.
9) Deception of Character: The first two acts of the play these themes, the evil of the unnatural
marriage and that of Iago’s mask of seeming virtue. Othello has the blackness of Satan, Iago the
whiteness of truth and virtue. True virtue bears the mark of evil and evil is marked with the
semblance of honesty.
10) Iago is surrounded with bitter irony: He is not what he appears
11) “An opportunist who cleverly grasps occasion” (John Draper)
12) Misogynistic views about women:
13) In conclusion, Iago is an interesting and fascinating study in evil. A practiced liar and cruel
political opportunist, Iago delights in his own manipulative skills and relishes turning other's
'virtue into pitch.' By the end of the second Act, the characterization of Iago by all characters in
the play leaves the modern audience with much food for thought and the discussed
characteristics firmly entrenched on their minds.
 Quotes on Iago, the Evil Personification in Othello
Who steals my purse steals trash
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.

'I should rather have this tongue cut from my mouth than it should do offence to Michael Cassio. Yet I
persuade myself, to speak the truth.'

“I hate the Moor,/ And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets/ [H’as] done my office. I know not if’t
be true,/ But I, for mere suspicion in that kind,/ Will do as if for surety.”

"But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

For daws to peck at: I am not what I am"

"In following him, I follow but myself;..."

"After some time, to abuse Othello's ear

That he is too familiar with his wife.
He hath a person and a smooth dispose
To be suspected, framed to make women false"

"Come on, Come on: you are pictures out of doors, bells in your parlors, wild cats in your kitchens,
saints in your injuries, devils being offended, players in your housewifery, and house wife’s in your
beds".

Theme of Jealousy in Othello

1) The play is largely driven by a grand love story, and filled with jealousy: Through the
juxtaposition of Othello's credulous nature and Iago's pernicious villainy, the image of jealousy is
truly personified as an all-consuming "green-eyed monster". Because of this venomous nature of
the beast of jealousy, the events of the play manage to unfold in Iago's lustful authority, which
bring down the eponymous character to his tragic downfall.
2) Definition of Jealousy: "a complex of thoughts, feelings, and actions which follow threats to self-
esteem and/or threats to the existence or quality of the relationship ... generated by the
perception of a real or potential attraction between one's partner and a (perhaps imaginary)
rival." --- (there are certainly three important people involved at the beginning: Iago being the
jealous individual, Desdemona being the partner, and Othello being the third party rival)
3) Major Theme in the Play: In contemporary culture, Othello has become known as the
quintessential parable about the tragic effects of jealousy. Iago’s primary tactic in bringing
Othello to ruin is to sow seeds of distrust in the general’s mind. Iago manipulates the play’s
events to lead Othello to believe that Desdemona is having a sexual affair with Michael Cassio.
 The great irony at the heart of the play is that the jealousy—the “green-eyed monster”—is an
illusion, but yields real disaster.
4) Iago is the human incarnation of the "green-eyed monster", the jealousy.
5) Iago’s trickery and plotting seeds this monster into Roderigo’s mire of existence
6) Othello is tricked into it also.
7) Casio’s finding of Handkerchief is an example of how Iago's jealousy is key in giving his schemes
their devious characteristics.
8) Another character who exhibits signs of monstrous jealousy in the later parts of the play is the
eponymous character himself, Othello: His jealousy is fueled by Iago’s scheming.
9) Othello becomes Iago’s victim because of his delusional jealousy.
10) Conclusion: Severe ending of the play

Quotation for Theme of Jealousy in Othello

"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on"

Work on, My medicine, work! Thus credulous fools are caught,

And many worthy and chaste dames even thus,
All guiltless, meet reproach.

“For that I do suspect the lusty Moor hath leap’d

into my seat; the though shereof doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards; and
nothing can or shall content my soul till I am even’d with him, wife for wife”

“Get me some poison, Iago; this night! I’

ll not expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty
unproved my mind again”

“
I kissed thee ere I killed thee. No way but this,
Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.”

Shakespeare's play of Othello is largely driven by a grand love story, and filled with jealousy. Through
the juxtaposition of Othello's credulous nature and Iago's pernicious villainy, the image of jealousy is
truly personified as an all-consuming "green-eyed monster". Because of this venomous nature of the
beast of jealousy, the events of the play manage to unfold in Iago's lustful authority, which bring down
the eponymous character to his tragic downfall.

In human psychology today, the modern definition of jealousy remains relatively unchanged from
Shakespeare's time, albeit being expressed in more modern scientific terms. It is defined as "a complex
of thoughts, feelings, and actions which follow threats to self-esteem and/or threats to the existence or
quality of the relationship ... generated by the perception of a real or potential attraction between one's
partner and a (perhaps imaginary) rival." (White, 1981, p. 24). In scenes of jealousy, there are typically a
triad of people involved: a jealous and threatened individual, a partner of the opposite gender, and
his/her third party rival. In the case of Othello, there are certainly three important people involved at
the beginning: Iago being the jealous individual, Desdemona being the partner, and Othello being the
third party rival. Iago definitely feels threatened by Othello's dominance over him, both in his military
rank and his relationship with Desdemona, as portrayed upon Iago's words, "I hate the Moor!" (I,iii,377).
Iago then manages to spread his jealousy to his impending victims, such as Othello; as the subject of his
jealousy is partly the sheer beauty of Desdemona.

In the plot of Othello, the most devious and perfect example of a human incarnation of the "green-eyed
monster" is Iago. Iago originally becomes jealous when Othello succeeds in convincing Desdemona to
marry him. Iago's searing hate of Othello deep within him also contributes to his extreme jealousy. He is
also very envious of Othello's military rank of the General of the Venetian Army - in military terms, Iago
is ranked two levels below him. The jealous Iago crafts his plans with the intention to bring down Othello
exactly in these two areas: to eventually force Othello to lose his position as General (I,iii,395), and to
create distrust within him and Desdemona, such that the two will eventually split (I,iii,339). Iago's inner
personality is ideal for a villain; he is innately a very sly, manipulative and venomous man, who is willing
to take every risk to ensure that his plans are carried out successfully. However, despite his intense
jealousy, Iago astutely manages to control his feelings and hide his jealousy, such to the degree he earns
the informal title "honest Iago" among the characters of the play. Because of Iago's pernicious and
duplicitous character, his kind of jealousy can be perfectly portrayed as the pernicious "green eyed
monster" - it strikes slowly, stealthily and deceptively, but once it hits, it is lethal and very contagious.

A direct example of how Iago's jealousy is key in giving his schemes their devious characteristics is shown
in a crucial scene in Act 3, when Cassio spontaneously finds an anonymous handkerchief on his bed. That
scene, in short, is a perfect testament to Iago's manipulative genius and sly deceptiveness. From the
pure coincidence of Emilia placing the handkerchief onto Cassio's bed, to Iago's luck of Bianca scolding
Cassio and assuming him of leaving her to another woman, we can see how intricately weaved and
devious, yet perfectly planned Iago's scheme is; he is ALWAYS thinking. Yet, Iago is very patient in his
scheme - the whole episode evolves not in seconds or in minutes, but in a matter of hours or even days.
In addition, Iago manages to see this part of his scheme unroll successfully, without even being noticed
or brought into the picture at all! As such, from the flawless manner in which Iago's scheme unrolls in
this episode, we can perfectly see how and why Iago seems like the ideal, pernicious villain, whose
intense jealousy strikes not unlike Shakespeare's "green eyed monster" - slowly, stealthily, but lethally.

Another character who exhibits signs of monstrous jealousy in the later parts of the play is the
eponymous character himself. Othello originally becomes very jealous of both his wife Desdemona and
Michael Cassio, after Iago manages to take advantage of his credulity and brainwash him gradually into
thinking that Desdemona has had recent affairs with Cassio. Eventually, his jealousy brews into a fiery
rage. The jealous Othello constructs his plans (with suggestions from Iago), with the intention to punish
his immediate "offenders", for the greater good of justice - to show Desdemona through brute force
that what he suspects her of doing is a mortal sin, and that he will not tolerate being cuckolded.
Othello's inner personality, on the other hand, is not suit to be an ideal villain that a "green-eyed
monster" might portray. He is a very determined, courageous, and strong character physically - a good
stereotype of the medieval war hero. Yet, he possesses a crucial harmatia: credulity. As such, his
monstrosity caused by jealousy appears when he is made angry through hearing undesirable rumors; he
turns into a hateful and destructive monster. In his rage, however, Othello is unable to hide his true
feelings, and rampages not unlike a brutal dragon, spilling out his true emotions and showing his anger
to everyone whom he comes in contact with. His rampaging later takes such an emotional toll on him,
that at one point in the play, he goes into an involuntary trance (IV,i,45) , and his wife even tells him, "I
understand a fury in your words." (IV,ii, 32). Because of Othello's powerful, yet credulous nature, his
kind of jealousy does not exactly fit into the definition of the "green-eyed monster" - however, his kind
of jealousy better resembles a raging, dragon-like monster: destructive, hateful, and brutal.

A direct example of how Othello's jealousy is key in giving his schemes their destructive characteristics is
shown in a crucial scene in Act 4, Scene 1, when Othello is told by Iago and is already convinced that
Cassio has had recent affairs with his wife, Desdemona. Othello is thus enraged by hearing this rumor,
and he already decides to "chop her into messes" (IV,i,202). However, Iago already decides to modify his
"plan", telling him to "strangle her in bed" (IV, i, 209) instead. The audience can already notice a distinct
tone of anger in Othello's tone of voice - not only does he want to chop his wife, which is an outrageous
thing for any husband to do already; but he wants to chop her up into messes! In addition, Othello has
become mentally unstable in this angry state of mind, and has lost his ability to plan logically and think,
like Iago. What is even more amazing to note is that Othello loses his temper in a matter of seconds - he
does not have much patience to wait for his plan to be carried out. From his sheer physical power as the
war general, his outbursts of rage are quickly noticed by many. As such, from Othello's bad temper in
this scene, we can perfectly see how and why Othello fits best into the definition of a "tragic hero"
whose intense jealousy strikes quite unlike Shakespeare's "green eyed monster", but like a brutal dragon
- angrily, violently, and hatefully.

In summary, it is apparent that ultimately, Shakespeare has included the demon-like, pernicious nature
of Iago, and the destructive, powerful nature of Othello to demonstrate a "theme and variations" on the
classic image of jealousy: the "green eyed monster/ which doth mock the meat it feeds on". Because of
the prevailing venomous nature of this beast of jealousy, the feelings of jealousy are able to be spread
contagiously in ensuing events in the play, from character to character, in Shakespeare's play, Othello.

Domestic Tragedy in Othello

1) Introduction & Definition of Domestic Tragedy: In English drama, a domestic tragedy is a

tragedy in which the tragic protagonists are ordinary middle-class or lower-class individuals. This
subgenre contrasts with classical and Neo-classical tragedy, in which the protagonists are of
kingly or aristocratic rank and their downfall is an affair of state as well as a personal matter. The
Ancient Greek theorist Aristotle had argued that tragedy should concern only great individuals
with great minds and souls, because their catastrophic downfall would be more emotionally
powerful to the audience; only comedy should depict middle-class people. Domestic tragedy
 breaks with Aristotle's precepts, taking as its subjects, merchants or citizens whose lives have less
consequence in the wider world.
2) It was a genre that flourished on the Renaissance stage from 1580-1620
3) Doubt and Suspicion over wives being loyal in conjugal relation loom over every society.
4) Iago intends to destroy the Harmonious relation between husband and wife: “I will set down the
pegs that make this music”
5) There is harmony to be seen between Othello and Desdemona in Cyprus
6) There are also bourgeois stratum in the play other than Dukes and General
7) The play does not deal with meticulous subjects instead it deals with private life, emotions and
common human nature.
8) It is merely a story of a jealous husband who being present in an esteem position brings ruin to
his conjugal life.
9) The Cause of the destruction is Iago’s plotting based to conceited cuckold insinuation on
Othello
10) Conclusion: Benson argues that just as Hamlet employs and adapts the conventions of revenge
tragedy, so Othello can only be fully understood in terms of its exploitation of the tropes and
conventions of domestic tragedy.

Quotes on Domestic Tragedy in Othello

I will set down the pegs that make this music.

And this, and this, the greatest discords

Be. That ever our hearts will make.

Racism in Othello

1) Definition: Racism is usually defined as prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of

a different race based on such a belief. It is someone who is prejudice and discriminates
someone because of their race, ethnicity.
2) Skin color is very prominent in Othello.
3) Othello’s insecurity about his skin colour and heritage is a tragic flaw. He is the highly-respected
general of the armies of Venice. He is not a native of Venice, but rather a Moor, or North
American. Othello is easy prey to insecurities because of his self-consciousness about being a
racial and cultural outsider. This is a tragic flaw because it leads to death.
4) He is constantly referred to as “The Moor”, (The people of Berber and Arab descent living in
Northwest Africa.)
5) Iago’s hatred for the Moor is proclaimed in the opening lines of the play
6) Iago uses Racism to spark indignation in Brabantio, Desdemona’s Father
7) Brabantio intends to send Othello to prison because he thinks that since Othello is a black man
that means that he is doing witchcraft
8) Brabantio would rather have his daughter unmarried than be with a black man
9) Racism is also used in Othello in many other ways like: Calling him names “like the moor, thick-
lips".
10) In the Elizabethan times, it was believed that the errors in the character were reflected in the
outer appearance. However the Duke tells Brabantio that his daughter is safe if Othello is her
husband. The duke says, and, noble signior, 
If virtue no delighted beauty lack, your son-in-law is
 far more fair than black”. When the duke says this, Racism is in the atmosphere because the
duke is implying that Othello is not like all the other moors, Othello is honorable.
11) Conclusion: The demonstration of Racism in Othello is displayed throughout the whole play,
however primarily in Act 1. Iago’s decision to destroy Othello is not specifically based on colour,
but the fact that he believes the promotion in the military more. While racism indeed is
demonstrated in Othello, it has nothing to do with the tragic outcomes in the play. On the
contrary, Shakespeare has displayed Othello as a good black man who was driven to do horrible
things by a white man. Shakespeare’s point is that appearance is no indicator of the person
beneath the skin. Like they say, “don’t judge a person by their colour”.

Quotation on Racism in Othello

Even now, now, very now, an old black ram

Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise;
Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,
Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you.
Arise I say!

What a full fortune does the Thick-lips owe If he can carry’t thus!

Because we come to
do you service and you think we are ruffians, you'll
have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse;
you'll have your nephews neigh to you;