Topic: Movie: Othello (1992) Aristotelian Tragedy

Submitted By: Saman Zainab (027)

Submitted To: Ma’am Rabia Shahbaz

Course Title: Literary Criticism

Department of English

Foundation University Rawalpindi Campus

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“Othello, the Moor of Venice”: An Aristotelian Tragedy

Introduction:

Othello, the Moor of Venice is the Shakespeare’s play in which he uses Othello as the
protagonist to describe tragedy. Othello was a Moorish soldier in the Venetian army who is
highly respected and qualified. Throughout the play he found himself in several tragedies
resulting from love, envy and racial discrimination. Other characters like Desdemona (Othello’s
wife), Lago (army ensign), and Cassio (Othello’s Lieutenant) are also involved in Othello’s
tragedy. At different levels these characters interact with Othello’s to create tragic incidences
throughout the play. The experiences that Othello went through from his prominence to downfall
are sufficient to label him as a tragic hero; hence this play can be classified as an Aristotelian
tragedy.

Summary:

The movie begins with the marriage of Othello who was the noble black worrier. He
secretly marriage with the beautiful white lady who was the daughter of a prominent senator
named Brabantio. The father of beautiful white lady (Desdemona) decides to disown her
daughter. Lago was jealous and hates Othello for appointing Cassio, a younger soldier, to a
lieutenant position. As Lago hates Othello, he decided to take revenge from him. He made a plan
and said to Othello, that his wife is not loyal to her and she has been having an affair with
Cassio. Lago decided to start a street fight which Cassio is blamed for, and then Othello
dismissed him from his post. Othello’s wife discussed the case of Cassio with him, which only
increases his suspicions that they are lovers. Othello was confused and said to Lago that he
doesn’t believe that her wife is cheated on him and he asked for the proof to Lago.

While all of this is happening Lago made a plan asked his wife to steal the handkerchief
of Desdemona that was given to her by Othello. He somehow gets the handkerchief on Cassio so
that Othello sees it and he finally concludes that the possession is proof of the affair. Then
Othello orders Lago to murder Cassio, and he also killed his wife. Afterwards his wife’s
innocence was revealed and Lago’s treachery exposed. In the end Othello commit suicide and
Lago is taken into custody by the authorities.
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Principles of Aristotle tragedy and Othello:

At the beginning of plot, Lago warns Othello to be suspicious that the lieutenant (Cassio)
is dating his wife (Desdemona). Afterwards he created a scenario to confirm Othello that his wife
and Cassio are dating. One day, Othello’s wife drop her handkerchief which was the first gift
given to her by Othello, which Othello termed as very important to their relationship. Lago asks
his wife to steal that handkerchief for him. Emilla succeed in stealing that and gave it to her
husband, and then Lago quickly places it in Cassio’s bedroom as evidence that he has an affair
with Othello’s wife. Lago approaches Othello and asks him to listen to him as he interrogates
Cassio over the handkerchief. After listening all this Othello is convinced that his wife is cheated
on him. The hero turns tragic after lago succeeds to cheat him that his wife is promiscuous.
Afterwards Othello decided to kill his wife and orders Lago to kill Cassio. Immediately, Othello
starts tormenting Desdemona by beating her up. At the same night Lago hires Roderigo to kill
Cassio. When Othelo killed Desdemona then fortunately Emilla is the first witness to discover
that Othello has killed his wife Desdemona. For justification Othello mentioned the handkerchief
as proof of infidelity. Emilla wife of Lago exposes her husband for plotting the handkerchief
menace.

More tragedy in the play is witnessed after Lago’s wife confesses what her husband has
done. On this Lago kills his wife for betraying him. Both Othello and Lago are charged with
murder. Later hero commits suicide using a knife he has secretly carried at the time of his arrest.
The wife of Othello is a tragic paradigm in the play. She remains love his husband even though
his behavior wasn’t good towards her after Lago plots her as unfaithful. She vows to have
maintained their relationship at all cost.

After knowing the plot of the movie it is to be noted that Othello’s tragedy can be linked
to that Aristotle, who defines tragedy as a replication of action of great importance (unity of
action), magnitude, or completeness through emotions created due to pity and panic. Othello in
this play is the epitome of this definition. In the play the life of Othello is dominated by
incidences of linked killings, jealousy and conspiracy. Othello’s downfall from a prominent army
boss depicts a perfect Aristotelian tragedy.
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According to the Aristotle’s tragic principles Othello proves to be tragic hero throughout
the play. Because according to the Aristotle the tragic hero must be a person from high estate like
a noble, must exhibit the tragic fault and must fall from the high estate to lower one. These
characteristics precisely describe Othello’s turn of events throughout the play. At the beginning
of the play, Othello enjoys a powerful position as the army boss and then the downfall of the
hero from power icon to a murderer makes his life tragic. Aristotle avowed that one cannot be a
tragic hero due to a mere downfall. Instead, the downfall of a tragic hero must be contributed by
his and her own faults. The downfall of the hero can be the result of the hero’s poor judgments
that eventually land him or her in downfall. In this context, Othello is a quick in judging Lago’s
trickery that his wife is unfaithful. Othello quickly believes every word of Lago instead of
investigating the allegation before taking an action. Despite the play portrays that Lago is the
responsible of the murder of Othello’s wife and his suicide, Othello’s downfall is self
contributed. At the end of the play, hero has a catharsis and realizes Lago led him astray, and that
it was his own trust, jealousy and naivete, that led him to take his wife’s life. His tragic flaw was
that he blindly trusted a friend. So, the play portrays the tragic hero same as the Aristotelian
definition of tragic hero.

It is stated by the Aristotle that the fear and pity caused by various tragedy scenarios
constitute purgation. In the end of the play Shakespeare succeed in influencing the audience to
feel sorry for Othello, his wife Desdemona, Cassio and Lago. The audience feels pity for the
hero when he stabs himself after realizing that his wife was innocent. Despite the ending of the
play remorsefully for the couple, and the punishment given to Lago is brings the sense of justice
to the play.

Conclusion:

To conclude whole play is perfectly matches with the principles of Aristotelian tragedy.
From how the events linked in the play, there is no doubt that the Othello is a tragic hero. His
experience is perfectly matches with Aristotle’s tragic principles. It is therefore; appropriate to
classify the play as an Aristotelian tragedy.
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References:

https://momoweb.monster/movies/play/0114057-othello-1995?
mid=17&sid=&sec=2b55e055fe1a102de3fca68c0634ae63d956403c&t=1666611828