Othello as a Tragic Hero

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done the signiory/ Shall out-tongue his complaints” (7) Othello felt as though his services to the state would exempt him from being punished by the Duke and Brabantio for eloping with Desdemona. Othello’s pride in his reputation goes a step further when he fires Cassio. Because Cassio hurt Montano, a man “of great fame in Cyprus,” Othello refuses to reinstate him without finding the “safest occasion” to do so (40). Othello is very concerned with maintaining his reputation- if he had not fired Cassio it would have made him look indecent in the eyes of the state. This pride could potentially lead to Othello’s downfall, as he could seek to destroy those who stand in the way of protecting his reputation in the future.

Emilia suggests that Othello is a jealous man- and this jealousy could be Othello’s tragic flaw. Othello seems to be jealous of the non-existent illicit sexual relationship between Desdemona and Othello. Emilia asks “Is not this man jealous?” because Othello becomes enraged with Desdemona after she continues to bring up Cassio’s suit (57). It is very likely that Othello is jealous, as Iago had already whispered thoughts of a love affair into Othello’s ear. Emilia continues to hint at the idea that Othello is jealous even if the cause is unclear because “but jealous souls will not be answer’d so;/ They are not ever jealous for a cause/ But jealous for they are jealous: ’tis a monster/ Begot upon itself, born on itself” (59). Emilia understands the nature of jealousy. Jealous husbands, like Othello, never really need any cause to be jealous – they just are jealous. Othello’s jealousy and paranoia feeds on itself. Othello only needs a seed of doubt to germinate in his head before it becomes a full blown obsession. Because of his jealousy, Othello could kill Cassio and Desdemona. He exclaims, “O, blood, blood, blood!,” seeking a fatal revenge on the two which would not end well for him.

Thus far, Othello meets the criteria for an Aristotelian tragic hero. He is clearly of noble birth as a general with a fair wife and has flaws which could potentially lead to his demise. it is too early to determine which flaw actually leads to Othello’s downfall or if he possesses the other characteristics of a tragic hero.