Othello is a tragic hero because of the wrong decision he makes that leads to his downfall. He is virtuous. Yet, he gets tricked by the villain of the story. As a result, Othello is blinded by his jealousy and mistreats his wife.
Detailed answer:
A hero is usually defined as the main character of the play. He possesses unique talents and incredible gifts. Othello indeed has wealth, social connections, and a loving wife. However, in the end, he gets destroyed because of the doubts Iago planted in him. A tragic hero in a dramatic work is by definition:
- a virtuous character;
- destined to suffer because of a wrong decision;
- faces a downfall.
Othello is a classic tragic hero as he suffers throughout the tragedy and dies in the end. He questions Desdemona’s loyalty because of Iago’s evil plan. Othello’s anger and jealousy are killing him from the inside. Believing in rumors, he murders Desdemona – his innocent wife.
Othello is truly a tragic hero because he is responsible for his actions. Moreover, he feels immense guilt. He realizes his mistake too late, so the only way for him to atone is to kill himself.
A hero is not a person who is perfect and doesn’t have any flaws. A true hero has his downsides and works on them. As a tragic hero, Othello let his weaknesses get ahead of him and paid the price for it.
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