Othello - Tragic Hero Flashcards
What is the full title of the play?
‘The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice.’
Why would the Elizabethan audience recognise the play as a tragedy?
The term signified a play which
involved the death of a great or noble person.
Who would be recognised as noble people
Othello and Desdemona
What were the Renaissance ideas regarding tragedy in plays?
Tragic hero was considered to be a figure of high birth, a Prince or King, with admirable qualities but a single tragic flaw that brought about his downfall.
How does Othello fit the character of a tragic hero?
He is described as ‘noble Othello’, ‘Worthy Othello’ and ‘brave Othello’, a man with impressive personal
qualities. He says of himself, ‘I fetch my life and being/From men of royal siege’.
In what sense does Othello not fit the theme of a tragic hero?
He is not a Prince or King, but a soldier who has earned his high reputation rather than being born to it. He is regarded by Brabantio as an unfit match for his daughter and is described by Roderigo as an outsider, ‘an extravagant and wheeling stranger’.
