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Comparing Othello, The Moor Of Venice And Things Fall Apart

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Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe both tell about men of status who lose all power as a result of their actions. Othello and Okonkwo fall into the general category of tragic hero, with each having a tragic flaw and a downfall. Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is that the hero must have a tragic flaw, be neither good nor bad, have a downfall resulting from the flaw, and recognition of their flaw in relation to their downfall. Both Othello and Okonkwo exemplify characteristics of Aristotle’s tragic hero, conveying a common theme while expressing individual themes. Things Fall Apart and Othello, the Moor of Venice share the theme that one’s insecurity will bring upon disaster; however, …show more content…

Othello is a man of royal lineage and high status in the Venetian military, making him a man of great importance. Many, such as Othello’s wife Desdemona, are in awe of “Othello’s visage in his mind,/And to his honors and his valiant parts” (Shakespeare 1.3.254-255). Not only is Othello a descendant of royalty, he is a military leader many aspire to be. This establishes Othello as a man of high status. While Okonkwo is not born into nobility, he earns his status through his hard work and dedication. Okonkwo did not have much in the way of inheritance, but “As the elders said, if a child washed his hands he could eat with kings. Okonkwo had clearly washed his hands” (Achebe 8). As a result of his hard work, Okonkwo became the leader of his clan. Othello and Okonkwo’s status is their point of pride and without it they are controlled by their insecurity. Both Othello and Okonkwo allow their insecurity to control them, laying the groundwork for their eventual demise. As others describe Othello as “an old black ram”, he becomes insecure about his relationship and believes the lies his ancient Iago feeds him about his wife’s ‘affair’ (1.1.97-98). Okonkwo’s insecurity “lay deep within himself. It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to …show more content…

While Othello’s actions are rooted in his insecurity and jealousy, his tragic flaw is his trust in others. Othello’s ancient Iago reveals that “[t]he Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so” (1.3.382-383). Othello trusts every man without question, despite all the adversity he faces. Eventually Othello reaches a breaking point and murders his wife, cementing his downfall from his noble position. Once Othello recognizes that he has slain his wife, he cries out “it should be now a huge eclipse/Of sun and moon” (5.2.100-102). Othello realizes that jealousy obscured his mind and drove him to senseless actions, but only after he lost all status and his wife. Most importantly, the main difference between Othello and Okonkwo is that Othello recognizes himself as the cause of his downfall. When Othello is confronted by others, he asks them to speak of him as “one that loved not wisely but too well” (5.2.353-354). By asking others to refer to himself as a man who loved not to wisely and was foolish, Othello recognizes that he alone caused his demise. Othello is a traditional tragic hero with a tragic flaw, an upsetting downfall, and recognition of himself as the cause of his downfall. Othello’s flaw and downfall convey the theme that blind trust can transform

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