Shakespearean Tragedy in Othello, the Moor of Venice
Rob Vest
L314 Late Plays of Shakespeare
Dr Annette Wyandotte
9 August 2002
Regarded by many as one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, Othello, the Moor of Venice contains many of the elements lined out in AC Bradley's essay "The Substance of Shakespearean Tragedy." This paper will examine the most important of these elements and observe apply them to Othello.
First off, according to Bradley, the tragedy is the story of one person, in this case Othello, a powerful general in service to the Venetians. The fact that Othello is well-respected by the people of Venice meets another of Bradley's requirements-the "hero" is a person of great note. This is seen throughout the play, but especially stands out in Act I, Scene 3, in which the leaders of Venice request that he lead them in battle against the Turks. Even at his lowest point, we are reminded that Othello is (or was) a great man when he tells those about to imprison him, "I have done the state some service, and they know't." (1)
Another of Bradley's elements requires that the tale depict the troubled portion of the hero's life which leads to his tragic end, and that this story be one of unexpected suffering and calamity contrasted against happier, more glorious times. Othello meets this requirement in that it is the beginning of his end. Othello begins the play with the world at his feet: a successful career, the gratitude and respect of Venice, and a beautiful, loving wife. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, comes the fisherman Iago, baiting his hook with lies and half-truths. Othello takes the bait and is wrenched from the sea of his success.
According to Bradley, the hero's suffering must extend beyond himself. The most obvious victim of Othello's downfall is his wife Desdemona, but many other innocents also suffer, either directly or indirectly. Cassio becomes a target of Othello's rage due to his jealousy; Emelia mourns for the loss of her beloved mistress; and Gratiano and Lodovico for their kinswoman. Even the engineer of Othello's downfall, Iago, suffers a taste of Othello's wrath when the enraged Moor takes him by the throat in Act III, Scene 3 and demands that he prove Desdemona's infidelity.
Yet another victim of Othello's suffering is the state of Venice, which has lost a great general who defended her and her citizens against a host of enemies. This ties in with another of Bradley's elements: that the hero's fate affects the welfare of an entire nation or empire. The reader is left with the distinct impression that Venice has no one of the Moor's caliber who will be able to replace him. Granted, Michael Cassio receives great praise throughout the play, but nowhere is it implied that he can fill Othello's shoes. One finishes the play thinking that Venice's days of glory are now a thing of the past.
A complete reversal of fortune is also required for Shakespearean tragedy. As stated before, Othello has nearly everything a man could want in Act I. However, by the end of the play, the Moor has destroyed or lost nearly everything that was dear to him: his love, his career, his reputation. The only thing he can attempt to salvage is his honor, which he does in the tradition of the Roman legionnaire and the Japanese samurai-falling upon his own blade.
In Shakespearean tragedy, the calamities proceed chiefly from the actions of men, and Othello is no exception. Othello's downfall is neither an accident nor whim of fate-it is due directly to his own actions and those of Iago. Though Iago is often credited for initializing the Moor's downfall, it could be argued that Othello actually started the whole thing by his actions; that is, marrying Desdemona and/ or naming Cassio his lieutenant instead of Iago. In addition, Desdemona's fate is linked to the actions of Othello, Iago, Emilia (who steals her handkerchief); Roderigo is driven to his death by Iago; Cassio loses his commission and Othello's favor due to Iago's actions; Brabantio's death is due the grief caused by Desdemona; and Emelia's death is due to her husband's actions. Even Iago does not escape, for he is brought low by the actions of his wife Emilia.
Bradley also quotes "abnormal conditions of mind" as an element occasionally found in Shakespeare's tragedies. Though it is never stated that Othello has been driven insane, Iago's induced visions of Desdemona lying with Cassio certainly seem to have made the Moor a likely candidate for therapy. Shakespeare illustrates Othello's state of mind well in Act IV, Scene 1, wherein the Moor suffers from an epileptic fit-his second in two days, according to Iago, who even warns that his commander could break "out to savage madness." (2) Likewise, though Shakespeare never calls Iago a misanthropic psychopath, the ensign's actions certainly paint him as one. The term "mad" is even used in the play as a synonym for infidelity. (3)
The supernatural element that Bradley speaks of in his essay is not as prevalent in Othello as it is in Macbeth or Hamlet, but there are still hints of it, and these hints do contribute somewhat to the action of the play. In Act I, Scene 3, Othello is accused by Brabantio of using witchcraft to ensorcel Desdemona. This accusation attributes to the action by giving Othello and Desdemona the opportunity to convince the Venetian leaders (as well as the audience) that her love for the Moor relies on no such charms-had Othello actually bewitched his wife, then his fall would not be so tragic. The supernatural element rises again in Act III, Scene 4, where Othello tells Desdemona that the handkerchief he gave her was magical. Whether Othello believes this to be true or it is just a ploy to shame Desdemona, is unknown. What is important is that magic is used to make the loss of the handkerchief seem that much more dire to both characters.
Another element in Shakespearean tragedy is the role that 'chance' and/ or 'accident' plays in moving the play forward. Perhaps the best example in Othello occurs in Act III, Scene 3, when Desdemona unknowingly drops her handkerchief and it is subsequently snatched up by Emilia and given to her husband. By a seemingly innocuous act of Fate, the proverbial "smoking gun" has found its way into the hands of Othello's worst enemy, thus sealing his doom.
Bradley also cites external and internal conflict as important to Shakespearean tragedy. The external conflict in Othello is obvious; the play is divided into those who stand with him (Desdemona, Cassio) and those who stand against him (Iago, Rodrigo). Of course, Othello is oblivious to the true loyalties of most of these people, and often sees them as the opposite of what they truly are. The real conflict, however, lies in Othello's mind. His jealousy and rage, spurred by Iago, is constantly at war with his reason and love for Desdemona.
Bradley argues that the hero's tragic flaw is also his greatness, which in the end proves fatal. Othello's tragic flaw, though one could argue it to be jealousy, is more aptly his trusting nature. "My life upon her faith," (4) he exclaims when first warned that Desdemona may deceive him. However, it is this same trusting nature which Iago exploits, sending the Moor into a downward spiral.
An "impression of waste" is another essential element in Shakespeare's tragedies. At the end of Othello, the audience feels this for nearly every character: Othello, once a great man, has been brought low by his tragic flaw; two loyal wives are needlessly slain, as is poor lovesick Roderigo; and Cassio is wounded and has lost a good friend. One even feels pity for Iago, whose uncanny perceptiveness and considerable knowledge of human nature were wasted in such a petty endeavor.
Related to this sense of waste is the nature of the struggle between "good" and "evil." That though evil ultimately fails, those who oppose and triumph over it receive no great rewards for doing so. Though Iago is found out at last and given his just deserts, this is little more than a Pyrrhic victory for Othello-his wife is dead, his career ruined, and his reputation forever stained. Though good ultimately triumphs, the price for its victory seems much greater than that paid by evil in defeat-"waste" indeed. Yet had Iago's plans been thwarted before Desdemona's death, Othello would cease to be a tragedy.
1. William Shakespeare, Othello, the Moor of Venice, (New York: Quality Paperback Book Club, 1997), V.2.390. Ibid, IV.1.64. Ibid, IV.1.258, IV.3.28. Ibid, I.3.318.