Author: o.rodriguez2

Is Othello a tragic hero or not? Does he have a tragic flaw or series of them? Why or why not?

Othello’s biggest flaw is his lack of faith in himself. Everyone from great leaders to his lover admired and had great faith in him. These leaders sending him for battle in the name of the place he so wishes to call home but can’t quite fully accept it as such.

He is a great hero, but not in his mind. He’s fought so hard his entire life to belong, yet, he never truly saw himself outside of being the moor of venice. That was his biggest flaw; he could not accept himself, which is what fueled his disbelief in Desdemona. If he could not accept himself, truly, no one could accept him either.

It seems as though Virgil plays the role of a mentor to Dante. Dante wants to escape this place where he feels trapped. He feels as if there is no way to get out. Virgil offered himself, and Dante took this as solace and a hope for guidance. He feels that Virgil can offer something that he feels the culture around him and he has lost, which is culture and virtues like poetry.

What is the role of prophecies and/or fate in The Aeneid?

Prophecies and fate have a central role in the Aeneid. Throughout the story Aeneas’s journey is paved by different prophecies that he needs to fulfill. What is even more interesting is that not even Juno, the Queen of the gods, can manipulate fate and the prophecies. The frustration from knowing this is probably what drives her to punish Aeneas and send many trials his way.

To fulfill his fate Aeneas has to walk away from the mother of his children and leave many other lovers behind, some end up dead and some take their lives. No matter what he finds along the way he must continue on this predetermined path to execute the prophecies.

Is Odysseus or anyone else in The Odyssey a hero? If so, what does this tell us about western ideas of heroism? Do any of these ideas remain in place today or have they changed? If so, how or how not and why or why not?

I feel like in the Odyssey Odysseus is portrayed as a hero, referred to as “kingly” and that “there is no mortal half so wise,” which means he was highly regarded. However, his method of surviving and winning all these battles was his wit and that does not necessarily mean his honesty. He did whatever he needed to do to get out of a situation regardless of who he was affecting in his path. I feel like the idea of a hero has changed tremendously in recent times. Heroes are viewed selfless people who give themselves over to protect others never thinking of themselves and are always honest.