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Dawn Chase
Dr. Yaw
ENG 102
March 2, 2020
Analysis of Othello, the Moor of Venice, as a tragedy
William Shakespeare’s play( details the epic fall of a Othello, the Moor of Venice,
Moorish general through an interplay of jealousy, suspense, and murder. Positioning the play as
an Aristotelian tragedy calls for a deeper understanding of the qualities that align it to Aristotle’s
definition of a tragic development (Arp and Greg 4). Aristotle’s description of a tragic drama
entails compliance with three characteristics, namely, harmatia, karthasis, and anagnorisis.
Harmatia entails weaknesses in the character or decisions that result in the downfall of the tragic
hero, while karthasis is the emotional involvement of the audience into the lesson acquired from
the tragic end (O'Meara 65). Anagnorisis is the eventual realization of the real facts that the
tragic hero failed to see during the plot. The main protagonist in Shakespeare’s(Othello, the
Moor of Venice, meets the criteria of a tragic hero, which classifies the play as an Aristotelian
tragedy whose plot exhibits the presence of harmatia, karthasis, and anagnorisis.
OTHELLO AS A TRAGIC HERO
The social position, decisions and eventual fate of Othello, the Moorish general, qualify him as a
tragic hero. The definition of a tragic hero presents a person of high social standing that ends up
desolate and unhappy due to harmatia, which translates to flaws in character or decision making.
Othello, the main protagonist in the play, starts as a high ranking military officer commanding
the respect of and envy of junior officers, including Lago (Gale 11). Moreover, Othello stands
out as a highly reputable member of the Venetian society receiving admiration, respect, and love
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from other members. His initial standing as a highly dignified member of society sets the stage
for a catastrophic fall as the plot develops.
The qualification as a tragic hero also requires the presence of a flaw in the protagonist’s
judgment of personal character that orchestrates the eventual fall. In the case of Othello, his
harmatia is the gullibility to believe every word that Lago tells him concerning the unfaithful
behavior of his wife, Desdemona (Turner 49). Othello’s hasty conclusion without diligent
investigation of the allegations reveals his character flaw as well as weakness in decision
