In his tragedy, Othello, Shakespeare presents his audience contradictory

impressions of the plays tragic hero, Othello, and his intentions. He

does through the characterization of Othellos dramatic manner, which is
simultaneously naturalistic and stylized and which is sufficiently
ambiguous that it allows the audience to develop their own feelings
about Othellos character. Othello is given the title the noble Moor to
which some believe he fulfills, being described This view is shared by
writer, A. C. Bradley, in his work, Shakespearean Tragedy. However,
Othellos actions throughout the play suggest a degree of irony to these
claims, as they present a contradictory impression - one of an egotistical
and self-deluding man as expressed by F. R. Leavis in Diabolic Intellect
and the Noble Hero, The Common Pursuit.
At first, Othello seems to follow a similar structure to that of
Shakespeares earlier work, Macbeth, with the establishment of the great
Aristotelian tragic hero, though also pressing the audience to constantly
question the polarizing nature and acts of the Othello. A. C. Bradley sees
Othello as by far the most romantic figure among Shakespeare's
heroes (Bradley, 1950). In Bradleys interpretation of Othello, Othello
is to be seen as a near-perfect hero who is subjected to the malevolent
works and cunning of the devilish Iago. Bradleys belief that Othello is
virtually faultless (Bradley, 1950) stems from his belief in Othellos
divine perfection, declaring him as a man who does not belong to our
world one who seems to enter it we not know whence almost as if
from a wonderland (Bradley, 1950). Bradley synonymizes Iagos
character with his actions, Iagos plot is Iagos character in action
(Bradley, 1950), which reinforces his idea that Othellos actions are
reasoned by Iagos manipulation of his virtue and trusting nature
(rendering it his tragic flaw his great strength becoming his weakness).
It is on 20 occasions that Iago is referred to as honest, of which 12 are
from Othello, which according to the Bradley view, is a demonstration

of his trust. However, upon closer examination of Othellos trust, we

begin to see the cracks in Bradleys argument. For example, Othello
demonstrates no trust towards Desdemona, his devoted wife.
Furthermore, one could question why Bradley judges Iago on account of
his actions in the one hand, and yet excuses Othello from his (much
more severe) actions on the other. While he is pushed it is difficult to see
how an idyllic human being, pure and virtuous, trusting and good, can be
pushed to such an extent, even if he be, wrought in the extreme
(Othello, Act V, Sc. 2, 363-364)
It is this contrary perspective in Othellos character, stemming from his
actions and behaviour throughout the play, that is taken up by F. R.
Leavis, who focuses on a deeply flawed human being, whose ugliness is
exposed with very little effort. Leavis analysis which contradicts
Bradleys idyllic assessment, also reflects the view taken by T. S. Eliot,
who saw Othello as a terrible exposure of human weakness (Eliot,
1927) and Iagos manipulations as a mere corollary action to this tragic
display. Leavis sees Bradley as pertinacious in his views, stating the
plain fact is that Othello is the chief personage in such a sense that
the tragedy may fairly be said to be Othellos character in action,
(Leavis,1952), blatantly opposing Bradleys assessment of Iago, saying
Iago is a subordinate and merely ancillary who brings forth the true
nature of Othello. The motiveless malignity (Leavis, 1952) of Iago is
what brings out the egotism within the fatally self-centred Othello and
Shakespeares characterisation is the key factor leading to the limitless
interpretations of Othellos nature. This allows the audience to place
their own level of importance on the actions of Iago, and this level of
importance placed on Iago determines from which view Othello is seen the naturalistic or different. Although Bradley believes there is not a
syllable to be said against Othello (Bradley, 1950), this view seems
fairly ignorant when the play and Shakespeares dialogue is looked at

from the perspectives of the likes of Eliot and Levis. It is evident from
the quote she loved me for the dangers I had passed/and I loved her that
she did pity them (Othello, Act 1, Sc. 3, 171-172) that Othellos
egotistical nature, which Leavis holds so strongly, is present within the
early stages of the play. In this line, he claims himself that he loves
Desdemona for loving him, suggesting the idea that he is marrying
Desdemona not out of love for her, but out of love for himself. Although
Othello is described as a valiant Moor who is true of mind, it is this
praise that leads the questioning of how strongly Othello holds this
opinion of himself. T. S. Eliots writings on Othellos final speech
describe Othello as feeling sorry for himself, which is evident after close
analysis of his dialogue. After committing murder of his sweet
Desdemona, Othello asks, Soft you, a word or two before you go.
Eliot sees this as evidence for his fatally self-centered nature as he is
asking for the attention on himself, whereas Bradley regards this line as
poetic and a start to many of Othellos many famous speeches.
Bradley sees this final speech with overwhelming truth and beauty
(Lewis, 1927) and, as described by Wyndham Lewis, the clearest
expression of the favour of Shakespeares heart and mind. However,
Eliot believes Othello is cheering himself up in this final apologetic.
Othello has a strong desire to think well of himself and Eliot defines
this defect as bovarysme, the human will to see things as they are not
(Harding, 1984) and essentially is calling Othello delusional, indicating
the end of Othellos self-destruction in the plays denouement. In his
final speech, Othello desperately pleads, speak of me as I am (Act 5,
Scene 2, 338), echoing the chilling admission of dishonest Iago, I am
not what I am (Act 1, Scene 1, 65). However, Eliot criticises the finer
points in this final speech in order to dislodge the halo Bradley placed
on the noble Moor (Harding, 1984) and this hypersensitivity to the
smaller details is evident in his critical analysis of the plays words. Eliot

demonstrates that Othello mitigates his crime, avoiding responsibility by

taking the time to elaborate on his pride in his services to the state.
Bradley gives more literal and naturalistic interpretation of Othellos
final speech: "As he speaks those final words in which all the glory and
agony of his life--long ago in India and Arabia and Aleppo, and
afterwards in Venice, and now in Cyprus seem to pass before us, like the
pictures that flash before the eyes of a drowning man, a triumphant scorn
for the fetters of the flesh and the littleness of all lives that must survive
him sweeps our grief away, and when he dies upon a kiss the most
painful of all tragedies leaves us for the moment free from pain, and
exulting in the power of 'love and man's unconquerable mind. (Bradley,
1950)

It is clearly evident that Bradley is supportive of Othellos reclamation

attempts of his noble and virtuous nature in his final words. He accepts
that Othello was not easily jealous and portrays him as a great figure
that has been brought down by the work of a manipulative villain (Iago).
Contradictory to the views of Eliot and Leavis, Bradley believes that
Othello is one whom the audience are to sympathise for, and not one
who is sympathizing for himself, but rather making a rehabilitative effort
in order to retain his dignity after being wrong done by. It is for this
reason that it is questionable whether or not Othello followed the path of
a tragic hero.

In The Tragedy of Othello ones passion can lead to their demise.

Passion changes the most of the characters at the end of the play and
reveals their true selves. Othello by far in the play is the most passionate
Twere now to be most happy for I fear. My soul hath her content so
absolute. That not another comfort like to this succeeds in unknown
fate. But that same passion is quickly turned to wrath after he duped by
Iag That Desdemona was unfaithful with Cassio It only takes Iago
convincing that Desdemona gave him his handkerchief Did I today see
Cassio wipe his beard with. O that the slave had forty thousand lives!
one is too poor, too weak for my revenge. Iago was making a mere
claim insinuating it all and yet he falls for the ploy and is enraged at this
discovery. O blood blood blood! His love for his wife died
automatically he swore vengeance for this injustice to his pride. This is
where Othello starts to falls from Nobility that with and it only worsen
after he falls into the trance. Othello awakens as a brutish beast a
shadow of his former gentile self. He is no longer the Noble Moor
Othello but A horned mans a monster and a beast. Othello denounced
his noble title and dawns the mantle of beast. He becomes the Barbary
horse and the Black ram he was thought to be. Othello submitted to his
hubris and jealousy. Othello is more upset that his pride was trampled
upon. Othello would have been content if he had no knowledge of
Desdemonas infidelity after all he had been happy if the general
camp Pioners and all had tasted her sweet body Othello is more hurt
that some else is tupping your white ewe instead of him of course. To
correct this wronged he decided to chop her into messes. out of love of
course and to rectify the order of things before else she betrays more
men. Othello hubris has lead him to believe what he is doing is just and
holy act that cleanings the earth of this Impudent strumpet. That have
the office opposite to Saint Peter and keeps the gate of hell! In the end
Othello plays keen to his sooty bosom and becomes the veritable

negro the audience viewed to be in the first place. Othello own

insecurities were his undoing. In the Final Act of the play he admitted he
was wrong and took his own life for kill his wife in jealous fit.

Due to Shakespeares language and method of characterisation, there

are limitless interpretations of the character of Othello, stretching from
those of A. C. Bradley to those of F. R. Leavis and T. S. Eliot and then
there are those in between, such as the interpretation of William Hazlitt
who describes the nature of Othello as noble, but his blood is of the
most inflammable kind, incorporating both the natural and stylized
sides of the play. Shakespeare writes with a degree of ambiguity which
is in a sense, empowering. He allows the audience to put themselves in
Othellos shoes so to speak, allowing them to develop their own
perspectives as to whether they would succumb to the devilish work of
Iago or they would be consumed by their own fatally self-centred
nature. In conclusion, it is impossible to assess whether Othello is the
egotistical person Eliot claims he is or whether he is the noble and
romantic figure Bradley sees as Shakespeare has written is such a way
that the characters are open to different interpretations with the sending
of mixed messages from their characterisation through dialogue and
dramatic devices.

Bibliography:


F. R. Leavis, Diabolic Intellect and the Noble Hero, The
Common Pursuit (Harmondsworth, 1962), pp. 259-283

A. C. Bradley, Shakespearean Tragedy (London, 1950), p. 175-207

T. S. Eliot, Shakespeare and the Stoicism of Seneca, Shakespeare

Association, (London, 1927)
Shakespeare, William, and Norman Sanders. Othello. Cambridge
[Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1984. Print.