Othello: The Tragedy

Othello: The Tragedy

It has often been said that tragedy purifies man’s affections by pity and terror, in more or less equal measures. Tragedy substitutes imaginary commiseration for measly selfishness. As such, it gives us a permanent and high interest, beyond ourselves, in humanity. It softens and subdues the stubbornness of man’s determination making him a partaker with his kind. It creates a balance of the affections. Tragedy is a discipline of humanity, a refiner of the species –Shakespeare’s OTHELLO, undoubtedly furnishes an illustration of these remarks. The Tragedy of “Othello, the Moor of Venice” ranks as one of the greatest tragedy plays to this day. The play, written by William Shakespeare in 1602, was first put on display for the king’s men in Greece. Parts of the settings from the war between Venice and Greece happening at that time were used in the play. The tragedy “Othello, the Moor of Venice” conglomerates dialogue, action, scenery and raging emotion to draw the audience into a play of a tragic character, Othello, and his eventual downfall. Shakespeare’s OTHELLO, undoubtedly, is a tragedy because it has a tragic hero – Othello, the hero has a tragic flaw, and this leads to his eventual downfall.

A tragic play is a play with a catastrophic plot in which the hero is betrothed in some a struggle resulting in his own demise. Othello’s tragic plot revolves around Iago’s deceitful plan that develops at the beginning of the play and expands on till the last scene. In scene one, at a street in Venice, Iago the villain complains to Roderigo that Othello the Moor Chose Michael Cassio to be lieutenant instead of Iago. Othello is a commanding officer respected by his junior minions. Iago and Roderigo then inform Brabantio that Desdemona, his daughter, has been abducted by Othello. When their words prove to be true, that indeed Desdemona is mysteriously absent from home, Iago, with Roderigo’s permission, slips away to join the Moor. Iago, in an act of secret, personal revenge, forms a plot to steal Desdemona away from Othello ostensibly for his friend Roderigo. Roderigo is secretly in love with Barbantio’s daughter Desdemona. Iago tells Roderigo, in private, that he believes Cassio and Desdemona are in love. He goes ahead to convince Roderigo to pick a fight with Michael Cassio and consequently land Cassio in trouble with the authorities. However, in reality, Iago is determined for Othello’s downfall. He plans to make Othello jealous of Roderigo and/or Cassio courting Desdemona. A fight ensues between Roderigo and Cassio, with Casio losing his lieutenant position in the process. Despite Iago failing in his original attempts, killing Michael Cassio; instead, he manages to take away Othello’s pride, dignity and eventually his life.

The main struggle in this play, however, is the struggle that lies within Othello. He seems to struggle throughout the play giving in to lies and trusting the wrong people. At the opening of the play, Othello is called to a scene of crime where Iago has convinced Roderigo into attacking Cassio. Cassio is, however, only wounded, and Othello is called in to judge and calm the scene. Othello is tricked here for the first time when Iago tells him a different story from what happened. Later on, Othello is tricked again by the villain Iago directly and indirectly when he chooses to believe Iago over Desdemona, his own wife. Like a truly noble man, Othello tries to consume his jealousy but eventually gives in to Iago’s horrific lies and advances about his wife’s adultery.

Othello’s ultimate downfall comes when, in a fit of anger and jealousy, he smothers his wife to death despite her attempts to claim her innocence. Desdemona cries “O, falsely, falsely murdered!” just before she dies, but changes her word to say that she has committed suicide when Emilia her maid servant arrives (Gioia & Kennedy, 2009). Desdemona lies to protect her spouse even in death in a dramatic act to show how entirely honest and faithful she was to him. Sadly, Othello could not trust the one person honest and true to him, his wife.  Smith (2008) argues that when Othello murders his wife, the atrocious injustice of the act causes both the playgoers and characters on the stage, to be moved to pity her undeserved suffering. Pity is one of the main themes that Shakespeare wants to bring out in this play.

Every tragic play has a tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is one who has a character embodied by virtue, has a noble status, is admirable but not perfect, their misfortune is not entirely deserved, and their downfall is not a complete loss. Othello, in the setting of the play, embodies a tragic hero in that he is in a high, commanding army position, in the war against Cyprus. In is in excellent terms with the Duke and is of noble status. When his character is summoned to test in front of the Senate, he is found in favor by them. As a tragic hero, Othello’s reputation is a key point. He marries his wife in a reputable manner and consummates his love for her only after their marriage. In the beginning of the play, Othello courts his wife in a manner to arouse love but provoke pity. Othello portrays the ability to make others submit to him, for example, the senate and his wife Desdemona. Iago uses this to his advantage by aggravating Othello to submit to his lies regarding Desdemona’s adultery.

Another imperative characteristic of a tragic hero is for him, or her to have some flaws. What makes Othello relatable to the audience is the fact that he is not perfect. He is a virtuous man who loves his wife and helps others but is insecure towards his wife, appearance, age and race. Martin Wangh (1950) explains that many clues are provided in the play as to why Othello is so effortlessly afflicted by an overwhelming passion (p. 202-212). Othello talks of himself as a black man declined into the vale of years’ (Wangh, 1950). Elsewhere he talks of “the young affects” (Wangh, 1950). This lack of self confidence adds to his jealousy problem as manifested in his suspicion of his wife’s infidelity. Nevertheless, Othello’s core tragic flaws are his gullibility; trust in the wrong people, jealousy and the eventual smothering of his lovely wife.

A tragic hero’s flaws and eventual downfall are, however, not purely his fault and not a complete loss. Othello’s ultimate demise was influenced by events and actions put in place by other characters. Events leading up to Othello’s murder and suicide are as a result of Iago’s conniving plans. Iago pricks jealousy and suspicion into Othello’s mind about his wife and her cheating. Despite Desdemona remaining utterly faithful, Iago’s selfish agenda and jealousy force Othello to think otherwise. Macaulay (2005) in her article argues that a number of critics exonerate Othello of any blame while others view Iago as an honest realist. A third camp argues that Iago, and Othello share responsibility and some aspects of personality. However, for Othello to be a tragic play, according to Aristotle’s definition, the blame for Othello’s downfall must be apportioned to both Othello and Iago. Desdemona’s murder and Othello’s suicide should also not be a complete loss. In the end, Othello realizes Iago’s deceit and his late wife’s faithfulness. He resolves to kill himself. Despite this tragic ending, the audience can examine their own lives and realize the sick nature of human deception around them.

“Othello” can be categorized as an Aristotelian tragedy. This is a play that arouses somber emotions, and stimulates the audience’s minds into personally relating to the situation. The difference between a normal tragedy and an Aristotelian tragedy is the pleasure of fear and pity embodied together in the play. Emotions of deep grief, anger and frustration, are stimulated in the audience as the tragic story is told. Iago’s schemes provoke anger and disgust as he robs the honest of their integrity and slanders women. The realization of Othello’s wrongful murder provokes deep grief in the audience. Taking place during a time of war, Othello was technically written for the Greek theater.

Nevertheless, some scholars argue that Othello does not kill Desdemona out of jealousy alone, but also in a conviction forced upon him by the more or less superhuman art of the scoundrel Iago. Such a conviction, considering Othello believed Iago’s honesty all along, would have been entertained by any man. We, the audience, discern Iago as a villain from the start; however, considering the essence of the Shakespearian Othello, we ought to place ourselves perseveringly under his circumstances and situation. It is only then that we shall directly feel the fundamental difference between the solemn anguish of the noble Moor, the melancholic suspiciousness of Leonatus, who is, in other aspects, a fine character, and the desolate fishing jealousies of Leontes. Othello has no other life literally but in his wife, Desdemona. The thought that she, his angel, had betrayed their love and, her native innocence, made his heart distraught. She, like him, is almost sanctified in front of the audience by her utter auspiciousness, and holy entireness of her love. As the curtain finally drops, whom do the audience pity most? (Steve, 2003).

“Othello” brings to light the jealousy and deceit in human beings. Iago is a principal example of a villain who would do anything at any cost to achieve his selfish agenda. Steve Cassal (2003) argues that Iago is an example of personification of honesty in the story. Most references of honesty in the play involve Iago. The jealousy in the character of Iago is relatable to human relationships today. Gioia and Kennedy (2009) argue that, it is a safe gamble that Othello will exultantly live as long as fathers distaste whoever their daughters marry, as long as husbands are suspicious of their wives’ fidelity, as long as blacks reminisce servitude, and as long as the ruthless court favor and the jealous exercise deceit (p. 909). “Othello, the Moor of Venice” will continue to have an impact for generations to come.