Topic > An Analysis of a Tragic Hero in Othello and Macbeth

There are several ways to define a tragic hero. Aristotle violated many of these characteristics during his philosophical years. At the beginning of this question several definitions were given, many of which can be attributed to both Othello and Macbeth: Shakespearean plays. These characters were both great examples of tragic heroes, which differs significantly from normal everyday heroes. The main difference between the two is that tragic characters have some sort of supernatural destiny that causes destruction. Sometimes in the form of one's own personal default. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayMacbeth is very relatable to these ideas. In the criterion, Aristotle stated: “Tragic catastrophe is both public (the state) and private (even a family tragedy), and usually sexual transgressions are involved in some way. “Personally, I think this is more relatable to Macbeth. In this play, Macbeth kills Duncan right at the beginning. It was a loss to both the state and the family because the citizens lost their King. However, it was also a loss to the family because they lost Duncan. Shakespeare was very consistent with these characteristics by employing Aristotle's ideas. Aristotle also stated that: “But the hero struggles mightily against this destiny and this cosmic conflict wins our admiration.” Othello had not just one flaw, but several. One is that he trusted Iago too much. The other is his love Desdemona definitely too much. He allows this love to consume him and change who he is. He has become very jealous and it is Iago's fault. He sees this deep love and tries to tell Othello that she is cheating on him. This is what made him so jealous and turned into an unjust leader. These flaws caused the destruction of Othello and his kingdom. Aristotle's criteria fit very well with both Shakespearean works. Various concepts of prejudice are intertwined in Othello. Among these, a recurring one would certainly be racism. As we all know, the main character Othello is black and lives in a very racist historical period. There were several moments where his race determined his fate and even how others viewed him. 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 a lot of problems in his community and also with Iago. He became very jealous and became the antagonist of this play, causing many problems for Othello. One of the obvious displays of racism in this play would be when Brabantio confronts Othello about marriage. He went to Othello claiming that Desdemona had been forced against her will to marry him. Even if it is not said openly, we can understand that this is due to his race. But later in the discussion, he stated that Othello had nothing to offer a white woman and would rather see her unmarried than with him. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essayIn my opinion these ideas are central to the theme of the work. Without these racist conflicts, Othello's story would be completely different. The hero had to be black to fully explain the complexity of his life and struggles. It also shows the intensity of the hero Othello's good nature and morality. Although these racist implications would have occurred with or without the fact that Othello was black, Shakespeare uses this to explain that appearance has nothing to do with.