Othello and Death Knocks: Two Characters Who Do Not Know Themselves

The definition of a tragic hero is a great man who is brought low by a single, yet fatal flaw within his character. Shakespeare's Othello can be said to have many flaws as well as virtues -- he is a great general, but he is also a poor judge of character, extremely credulous, and jealous. But all of these flaws spring from a single, larger tragic flaw. Othello does not see himself clearly, and so he does not see the world clearly. Although many people esteem Othello, Othello instead focuses on the people who look down upon him, like Brabantio, his racist father-in-law who makes many disparaging statements about Othello's skin color, even though most of Venice has nothing but praise for Othello. "To fall in love with what she fear'd to look on!" Brabantio marvels of his daughter...
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