Tragic Flaw in the Character of Othello
The tragic hero is not only a person of high position; he also has an exceptional nature. His character is built on a grand scale. He has some passion or obsession which attains in him a terrible force. He has mark done-sidedness, a strong tendency to act in a particular way. They are all driven in some one direction by some peculiar interest, abject passion, or habit of mind. Bradley calls this trait ‘the tragic flaw’.
It is because of his
open, frank nature that Othello falls an easy prey to the intrigues of Iago. He
regards Iago as a man of exceeding honesty and never doubts what he tells him.
He lacks the intelligence to distinguish between appearance and reality, and
being extremely credulous he is easily deceived by Iago. Indeed his credulity,
his simplicity, the frankness and honesty of his heart are the tragic flaws of
his character. He errs, and his error, joining with other causes, brings ruin
upon him. In other words, his character issues in action, or action, issues out
of his character. It is in this sense that ‘Character is Destiny’ is true of a
Shakespearean tragedy.
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