WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR’S OTHELLO AS A TRAGIC PLAY

WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR’S OTHELLO AS A TRAGIC PLAY

By

 Abubakar Sulaiman Muhd

This question is often posed on students undertaking Literature in English in various colleges and universities across the nation, especially students undergoing IJMB program that whether Shakespeare’s Othello is a tragic play?

  

            In this exposition students will get to know that Shakespeare’s Othello is truly a tragic piece. Student will know what is tragedy, what are the elements of tragic text, a rundown synopsis of the text, and at the end we will make some references to the elements of tragedy contained in the text under discussion.

What is Tragedy?

Tragedy means a very sad event or situation especially one that involves death. In literary term, it connotes any play with sorrowful ending. According to a Greek philosopher, Aristotle maintained that a central character in a tragic play is a person with admirable characters who holds an important position but who later gets downfalling fates and flaws (tragic flaw). A good example is King Lear, in King Lear, Romeo and Juliet and Christopher Marlowe’ Dr. Faustus.

Elements of Tragedy

For a play to be called tragic play there are some elements in it, those that qualify it to pass in to the series of tragic texts. Such elements are those that evocate our feeling, emotion, pity, terror and horror.

1.      Sorrowful ending: The play must end unhappily in sorrow and sadness through the death or suffering of tragic hero or other important characters.

2.      Tension: The atmosphere is always tense and boiling.

3.      Conflict: There is the presence of conflict either between character and character, society and society, or idea and idea.

4.      Avenge and Revenge: In any text of tragedy there is always the issue of revenge by somebody who feels that he is been cheated or persecuted and as a result, he seeks to take avenge.

5.      Supernatural forces: There is the presence of supernatural being that accelerates the tragic event in the play.

6.      Bloodshed: There is the issue of killing, assassination, war and murder.

7.        The issue of scheming, plotting, intrigue, conspiracy, treason and betrayal.

8.      Suspense and uncertainty.

9.      Tragic flow: Tragic hero must have tragic flaws that will lead to his difficulties.

10. Catharsis: Audiences or readers at the end of the play will be left with anger because of the misfortune that befalls on the central character or other important characters.

11. Great moral lesson.

Overview of the Text

The play opens in the street of Venice with the two people, Iago and Roderigo discussing a plot against the Moor, Othello the tragic hero. Both of the two, Iago and Rodrigo have his own grievance against Othello. Roderigo is jealous of the love affair that Othello has with Desdemona a daughter of Venetian senator, while Redriego is also feeling her affection. On the other hand ,Iago a member of army troop in Venice feels that he has to be promoted to the lieutenant position as an old hand in the army, instead of Michael Cassio but Othello the head of the army staff assigns Cassio as his second in command leaving Iago as a mere ensign. Iago feels that he has to put synergy to connive in league with Roderigo to bring an end of Othello by any means.

Desdemona steals away from her home and goes to marry Othello because of the inkling that her father Brabantio, a Venetian senator will not marry her to her choice, because he is mulatto. Immediately Iago and Roderigo inform her father who later goes straight to the palace and reports the issue to the Duke. Right away the Duke gives order to summon Othello. Admirably on his coming to the palace, he is supported by Desdemona, exonerating him that it was not he who stole her away; it was on her own accord and wish. Hearing that the Duke acquits him.

 Iago continues to add fuel in the blazing fire that is razing through the atmosphere eating up every article of happiness, when he finds  his wife Emilia  gets the handkerchief in possession of Desdemona, who misses it unconsciously; which Othello gives her himself. Iago collects the handkerchief and ensures that he has given it to Michael Cassio so that Othello will see the handkerchief with him in order to prove him that his wife is unfaithful and makes him cuckold.

Iago’s persistent persuasion to Othello that the allegation that his wife betrays him, comes into his certainty when he sees the handkerchief in the hand of Cassio .This put Othello in to volcanic rage that leads him smothers his wife on her bed. Iago’s wife Emilia comes to Othello’s place to confess Desdemona’s innocence, only to be killed by Iago after she discloses the event. He had also already murdered Roderigo for failing to kill Cassio as he told him to do earlier on. But a letter found in Roderigo’s pocket proves Iago guilty taking a hand in the killing. When Othello realizes the innocence of his dead wife he also kills himself.

Shakespeare’s Othello as a Tragic Play

Othello is a tragedy of a noble tragic hero who holds a high position but later ruined by tragic flaws. The play has some elements of tragedy ranging from killings, war, assassination, revenge, hatred, suspense, plotting, scheming, racism and jealousy. The play stirs our emotional feeling, evokes our pity and sympathy by presenting spectacles that are very tragic and touching.

Aristotle maintained that drama is human being in action, so by this, the suffering and tribulation are shared with the readers or audiences as we feel that we can experience the same encounter in our real life.

By using juxtaposition in reference to Shakespeare’s Othello we can put the text in the cannon of tragic play because of some elements of tragedy it possesses.

First, the issue of racism against Othello. They are all envy to see somebody the like of Othello the Moor to marry a daughter of respectful Venetian senator.

Secondly, the issue of conspiracy and revenge. Iago tries hard with all effort to see that he exacts torture on Othello in return of not appointing him as his second in command. So he keeps in company of Roderigo to see the failure of Othello catches him.

Thirdly, the killing and war, the killing of Roderigo, Emilia, Desdemona and Othello’s suicide are all as a result of Iago’s plot.

The tragic hero at the end meets his tragic flaws, first his rush action of killing his innocent wife, then his suicide which leads to the ending of the play sorrowfully loading the readers and audiences with lump of anger as the case is always with tragedy(catharsis).

Lesson We Can Learn From the Text

There are some lessons we can learn from the text. The sad effect of disobedience to parent by Desdemona where she meets her punishment in the hand of her husband by killing her. The irrational action of Othello killing his wife without investigation over the allegation he was told against her. The effect of plotting and conspiracy are seen as not proper means of achieving one’s ends. All these lessons can be learnt and applied in our daily basis of our real life, as drama reflects man in action.