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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 6 page paper which examines the ways in which Othello deviates from the six qualities of a tragic hero as described by Aristotle in “Poetics.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: TG15_TGothari.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
is actually a literary device that was defined by Aristotle in Poetics. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero was the personification of six specific qualities. These included being
characterized by both good and evil; possessing a tragic flaw in his character, described as harmatia, that is ultimately responsible for his downfall; he is being preyed upon by a
hubris, or some person who hastens his decline; the hero embarks on a journey during which he learns something about himself; he is someone people find easy to relate to,
a human being they can imagine responding similarly, should they find themselves in his situation; and finally, the hero must always die in the end, but this death must be
the culmination of the events that he himself caused. William Shakespeare was obviously quite familiar with the criteria of the Aristotelian hero because his most memorable dramas featured protagonists
who are now regarded as the quintessential tragic hero, such as Hamlet or King Lear. However, Othello was different than any other character Shakespeare ever constructed which is why
he remains one of literatures most enigmatic figures. Therefore, the conventional rules of tragic hero, though often attributed to Othello, do not apply. First, the tragic hero is supposed
to be a combination of good and bad traits. Othello is a Moorish commander who has carefully lived his life in accordance to the warrior hero that was celebrated
in the epic poems of Homer. His character was courageous, honorable and noble. To his officer, Iago, Othello observed with his typical simplicity and sincerity, "My services which
I have done the Signory / Shall out-tongue... complaints... / My parts, my title, and my perfect soul / Shall manifest me rightly" (I.ii.20-21, 34-35). Othello is also, first
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