The document provides an analysis of William Shakespeare's play Othello from an Aristotelian perspective. It summarizes that Othello fits the mold of an Aristotelian tragedy through his characterization as a renowned protagonist whose fortunes change from good to bad through his own mistakes. Specifically, Othello's trusting and jealous nature makes him vulnerable to manipulation by Iago, which ultimately leads to Othello murdering his beloved wife Desdemona due to his lack of knowledge about her faithfulness. The document analyzes how Othello exemplifies Aristotelian tragic principles such as hamartia through his fatal character flaw of jealousy.

1. Othello Analysis Essay examples
The tragedy of Othello, written by William Shakespeare, presents the main character Othello, as a
respectable, honorable, and dignified man, but because of his insecurities and good nature, he is
easily taken advantage of and manipulated by his peers and alleged friends. The dynamic of Othello's
character significantly changes throughout the play. The contrast is most pronounced from the
beginning of the play to its conclusion, switching from being calm and peaceful to acts of
uncontrolled venomous rage. Othello's motivation in the play appears to be his love and concern for
his wife Desdemona, which ironically, ends up being his downfall in the end. In the beginning of the
play Othello exhibits behaviors leading one to believe that he...show more content...
The duke then sent Othello and some of his men to command a military patrol in Cyprus. Othello
takes Desdemona with him and in Cyprus he continued to be polite, respectful, and charming,
saying things like, "It gives me wonder great as my content to see you here before me" (II.i.83). He
says this to Desdemona reassuring his love and care for her.
By the middle of the play Othello's mood and demeanor seem to shift from being peaceful and
patient to very anxious, paranoid, and gullible. For example when Othello is talking to Iago and
Iago suggests that maybe his wife is not being faithful to him, it becomes Othello's obsession to get
down to the bottom of it and catch her. "I have been talking with your suitor here, a man that
languishes in your displeasure / Who is't you mean / Why, your lieutenant, Cassio. Good my lord"
(III.iii.41–43). In this dialog between Othello and Iago, with just two sentences Iago causes
Othello to lose trust in his wife and believe she is being unfaithful to him which grows stronger
and stronger each scene of the play. Because Iago is extremely cunning and manipulative, he is
able to control almost anyone he chooses and he is in control of Othello's emotions because he
knows the things Othello fears. Iago is pretending to be Othello's friend but secretively is going
behind his back and bringing him down. Iago convinces Othello that Cassio is having an affair with
Desdemona. "I humbly do beseech
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2. Othello Essay
Othello Essay
William Shakespeare's Othello tells a story of the tragic downfall of a man through jealousy and
mistrust, influenced by the manipulative actions of another. Due to innumerable changes within
society over time, it is inevitable that a wide range of critical interpretations and readings of the text
will emerge.
My personal interpretation of the play draws from the concepts of the traditional Aristotelian views
of a tragedy. An Aristotelian interpretation concerns itself with whetherOthello can be considered a
true tragedy. The two main principles which determine whether a text can be labelled as a true
tragedy include the plot and the characters.
The first principle within an Aristotelian tragedy includes the idea...show more content...
and the protagonist should be renowned and prosperous, so his change of fortune can be from
good to bad ..." Despite being set in a society where black men were looked down upon, Othello is
successfully categorised as the renowned and prosperous protagonist. As a noble moor and husband
to the young fair Desdemona, his fortune changes from good to bad as the play progresses. His
mistrust in Desdemona leads him to murdering her, thus losing something he loved so dearly.
Aristotle also claims that "The protagonist will mistakenly bring about his own downfall – not
because he is sinful or morally weak, but because he does not know enough." This idea is also
portrayed throughout the play. Othello's downfall was not due to him being sinful or morally weak,
but because he simply did not know enough. His promoting of Cassio led Iago to become jealous and
ultimately led to Othello's downfall. Due to his lack of knowledge, Othello also fell victim to Iago's
manipulative and cunning nature leading to his growing trust in Iago and the questioning of
Desdemona's loyalty.
Also, another aspect of an Aristotelian tragedy is the term "hamartia". Hamartia refers to a
weakness or a mistake or more commonly as a tragic flaw. Othello's hamartia is expressed clearly
through the play. When Iago manipulates Othello into suspecting Desdemona of being unfaithful,
his jealousy clouds his mind where it has come to the point where all he cares about is proving
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