Shakespearean tragic hero
The concept of the tragic hero was first defined by Aristotle (ancient Greek philosopher) as a
character who has heroic traits, but also has flaws or makes a mistake that ultimately lead to their
downfall. The character should be noble, powerful and also feel a responsibility to the rules of
honour and morality. These traits are what make the hero attractive and evoke pity and fear in an
audience. While being heroic, the character should have a tragic flaw (hamartia), which must lead to
their downfall. On the other hand, it is this flaw that makes the character ‘relatable’ and someone
who the audience can identify with. This tragic flaw importantly means that the source of tragedy is
internal to the character and not merely some outside force. Additionally, the character should
suffer a terrible reversal of fortune, which to a degree outweighs what an audience feels they
deserved.
Othello fits the mould of a tragic hero because of his noble traits, tragic flaws and tragic downfall.
Although Othello, unlike Shakespeare’s other tragic protagonists, is not a monarch (King Lear), an
aspiring monarch (Macbeth) nor a displaced prince (Hamlet), he is presented as worthy figure. By
giving Othello a measured speech style, Shakespeare encourages us to accept this poetic hero as
both a soldier and husband in the first act of the play. Shakespeare portrays Othello as a great
military man through frequent references to Othello’s reputation, such as when the Duke, a figure of
authority, addresses him ‘valiant Othello’. Furthermore, Shakespeare creates a sense of inevitability
about Othello’s downfall by transporting the characters from the ordered city of Venice to the
volatile and ‘war-like isle’ of Cyprus. Othello’s assertion that he feels ‘too much joy’ coupled with the
dramatic irony in the character’s belief of ‘the mere perdition of the Turkish fleet’, foreshadows the
tragedy that is to come. It could also be argued that Othello suffers from hubris by being
overambitious and marrying Desdemona, which overreaches his ability to successfully combine the
roles of soldier and husband.
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The concept of the tragic hero was first defined by Aristotle (ancient Greek philosopher) as a
character who has heroic traits, but also has flaws or makes a mistake that ultimately lead to their
downfall. The character should be noble, powerful and also feel a responsibility to the rules of
honour and morality. These traits are what make the hero attractive and evoke pity and fear in an
audience. While being heroic, the character should have a tragic flaw (hamartia), which must lead to
their downfall. On the other hand, it is this flaw that makes the character ‘relatable’ and someone
who the audience can identify with. This tragic flaw importantly means that the source of tragedy is
internal to the character and not merely some outside force. Additionally, the character should
suffer a terrible reversal of fortune, which to a degree outweighs what an audience feels they
deserved.
Othello fits the mould of a tragic hero because of his noble traits, tragic flaws and tragic downfall.
Although Othello, unlike Shakespeare’s other tragic protagonists, is not a monarch (King Lear), an
aspiring monarch (Macbeth) nor a displaced prince (Hamlet), he is presented as worthy figure. By
giving Othello a measured speech style, Shakespeare encourages us to accept this poetic hero as
both a soldier and husband in the first act of the play. Shakespeare portrays Othello as a great
military man through frequent references to Othello’s reputation, such as when the Duke, a figure of
authority, addresses him ‘valiant Othello’. Furthermore, Shakespeare creates a sense of inevitability
about Othello’s downfall by transporting the characters from the ordered city of Venice to the
volatile and ‘war-like isle’ of Cyprus. Othello’s assertion that he feels ‘too much joy’ coupled with the
dramatic irony in the character’s belief of ‘the mere perdition of the Turkish fleet’, foreshadows the
tragedy that is to come. It could also be argued that Othello suffers from hubris by being
overambitious and marrying Desdemona, which overreaches his ability to successfully combine the
roles of soldier and husband.
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