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  • Essay / An Analysis of a Tragic Hero in Othello and Macbeth

    There are many ways to define a tragic hero. Aristotle violated many of these characteristics during his philosophical years. Several definitions have been provided at the top of this question, many of which can be attributed to both Othello and Macbeth: the Shakespearean plays. These characters were both excellent examples of tragic heroes, very different from ordinary, everyday heroes. The main difference between the two is that tragic characters have some sort of supernatural destiny causing destruction. Sometimes in the form of their own personal flaw. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Macbeth is very close to these ideas. In this criterion, Aristotle stated: “The tragic catastrophe is both public (the State) and private (a family tragedy as well) and usually sexual transgressions are involved in one way or another. “Personally, I think it relates more to Macbeth. In this play, Macbeth killed Duncan at the very beginning. It was a loss for both the state and the family as the citizens lost their king. However, it was also a loss for the family as they lost Duncan. Shakespeare was very consistent with these characteristics in employing Aristotle's ideas. Aristotle also asserted that: “But the hero struggles mightily against this fate and this cosmic conflict wins our admiration.” Othello did not have just one fault, but several. One being that he trusted Iago too much. The other being his too great love for Desdemona. He allows this love to consume him and change who he is. He became very jealous and Iago is responsible for this. He sees this deep love and tries to tell Othello that she is cheating on him. This is what made him so jealous and become an unfair leader. These mistakes caused the destruction of Othello and his reign. Aristotle's criteria fit very well into both Shakespearean works. Several concepts of prejudice are integrated into Othello. Among these, a recurring phenomenon would certainly be racism. As we all know, the main character, Othello, is black and lives in a very racist period in history. There were many times when his race determined his destiny and how others viewed him as well. Although he was considered a tragic hero, Othello did not achieve the high social recognition that Aristotle claimed tragic heroes were known for. Othello also married Desdemona, a white woman. This caused many problems in his community and in Iago as well. He became very jealous and became the antagonist of this play, causing Othello many problems. One of the obvious displays of racism in this play would be when Brabantio confronts Othello about marriage. He came to Othello claiming that Desdemona had been forced to marry him against her will. Even if it is not said outright, we can understand that this is due to his race. But later, during the discussion, he claimed that Othello had nothing to offer a white woman and that he would rather see her single than with him. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom EssayIn my opinion, these ideas are central to the theme of the piece. Without these racist conflicts, Othello's story would be completely different. The hero had to be of color to fully explain the complexities of his life and his struggles. This also shows the intensity of the hero Othello's good nature and morality. Although these racist implications would have occurred with or..