Discuss Othello’s Tragic Flaw.

Tragic Flaw of Othello

Othello, the protagonist of the tragedy, is a tragic figure because he is a man of great character and some virtues but brings about his own doom due to a tragic flaw. He is great as a military leader, as a man of stern morality, and he even has the gentleness of behavior and the powers of speech and understanding.  

 

But, as a typical tragic character, Othello has the terrible fault (hamartia) in that he is disturbingly gullible, madly jealous, and irrationally quick in his wrong judgments and actions.

As a tragic character, Othello's 'error of judgment' lies in his faulty understanding of innocent people like his wife as guilty, and his pigheaded trust of villains like Iago. He is a complex character. His sexual jealousy, which rouses in us terrible hatred, would be something ordinary and tolerable if it was reasonable. But his jealousy is based on his disgustingly gullible nature. Othello is noble, but turns out to be a disgusting rogue, killing his innocent wife and trying to justify his horrible crime at the end. As he transforms, his weaknesses flourish and the nobility of a great soldier vanishes. In short, his fall is tragic and even shocking. The only thing that prevents him from being regarded a bad and hateful man is that he does understand and regret his mistake at the end. His suicide also atones for his sin and arouses in us some sympathy.

The change in Othello from the romantic and successful man into the pathetic schizoid (a psychological patient, who thinks of himself as two or more people) and a miserable and lonely outcast is remarkable. His realization of this is the tragedy of Othello, the Moorish captain of Venice. He has been a soldier of the supreme qualities. He is of a royal blood and aristocracy. The black moor is not a mismatch 'to the fair, innocent Desdemona. But Othello is too fragile for love precisely because he is too strong in what he ought to fight back. Jealously rules him and he spoils everything. He is corruptible. His new life as a husband fires passion without tolerance. And when faith was shaken, he rushes headlong in jealousy without the head to make a second thought. He is quick instead of being fit in judgment. His new life which is utterly dependent on faith collapses because he bores holes where he finds little cracks in the illusion. He is in fact uxorious (loving a wife too much). But his wife is merrily, carelessly, innocently and even foolishly a maiden. He wanted what he couldn't be.

It is shocking how Othello never doubts the doubtful, why he doesn't give a thought to Desdemona's innocence, and Iago's pretensions. He is imaginative when he should be keenly searching the truth. He sees vulgar visions of his wife in bed with Cassio instead of opening his real eyes. It is too late when he realizes what he has done. His "honest" Iago has made him blind and he knows he is now, a damned fool remembering "he that was Othello". The awakened, broken-hearted Othello rouses more anger than pity and fear at the end.

 

You Can also Read:

• Iago Stands for the Motive-Hunting of Motiveless Malignity.

• “Othello is a love story–The Tale of a Man Who Loved Excessively but Loved not Wisely” –Elucidate.

• “Othello” as a Tragedy of Intrigues.