Othello is a tragic hero for several reasons. A tragic hero is the protagonist of a story who has a fall from grace. A tragic hero is a character who has everything going for him or her, however, they have flaw that sparks their downfall. Due to hubris or pride the heroic character, realizes his or her unfortunate mistake to late. Othello is a military general who is respected by the government and most of the people in his Italian community. However, Iago is the antagonist or nemesis who works against Othello. Due to Iago’s envious and vengeful personality, he constructs the downfall of Othello. Iago hates Othello because Othello has promoted Cassio instead of himself. Then, Roderigo hates Othello because he’s in love with Desdemona who is Othello’s wife. Finally, Brabantio, Desdemona’s father hates Othello for marrying his daughter without his permission. Despite Othello’s courageous leadership, he is tainted by Iago’s, Roderigo’s and Brabantio’s feelings about Othello’s race and/or national origin. Othello is a Moor from North Africa. He is the only African in his Italian community; therefore, he is subjected to the scrutiny of others.
I agree. I would like to add that Othello’s most prominent flaw is his gullibility. If he wasn’t so naive in trusting what Iago says, he would probably have decided to speak with his wife in person to verify the story about the handkerchief. Instead, he allows himself to be manipulated by Iago, and to be driven crazy from jealousy.