As far as the last words of tragic heroes go, Shakespeare's Othellos are decidedly honorable. He says to Lodovico, a nobleman who returns to Venice: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay When you recount these unfortunate deeds, Speak of me as I am. Nothing attenuates, nor diminishes anything with malice. Then you must speak…Of one not easily jealous, but, being high, perplexed in the extreme… (V, ii: 342-346)Othello begs Lodovico to tell the “unfortunate deeds” truthfully, without mitigating or exaggerating his crimes . This truthful narrative will presumably ensure Othello's honor in the future, for it will capture him "just as [he] is": a victim of cunning who was "extremely perplexed", and therefore an "honorable murderer, if you will" (V, ii: 295). What a Moro indeed, so honorable to care about his reputation in a world where he will die! The sensitive reader might perceive a subtle strangeness in these last words of Othello: is it not strange that Othello's last utterances address only his future reputation? ? Are these the words one expects from a man about to commit suicide? Perhaps it is Othello's obsession with honor that strikes a funny chord: like a miser who takes his money to the grave, Othello embraces his respectable name until death. Why would a man, or for that matter, any man, do that? To better answer this question, let's first consider the importance of reputation to Othello. As a foreigner who rose to the rank of general, Othello is a man “made” by his reputation. The setting of the play is clear: the society is Venice and Othello is a Moor. It is not necessary to focus on Othello's race, but rather on his foreign origins. How does a foreigner, even one from “royal siegemen,” become so trusted as to command the entire Venetian army (I, ii: 22)? The answer, surely, is that it has proven its worth in combat. In this respect Shakespeare draws more or less directly from his source, "The Moor of Venice" by Cinthio: Having given war proofs of great skill and prudence, [the Moor] was highly esteemed by the Lordship of the Republic, who in rewarding the feats of valor advanced the interest of the State (online). Indeed, Othello established himself as a “brave” and “valiant” man whose name became “highly esteemed.” If we note that valor is closely related to the French valeur, or worth, this makes even more sense: Othello's name is his valor (OED). His relationship with Desdemona has similar implications. In Desdemona's profession of love, we observe that she has fallen in love not with Othello proper, so to speak, but with Othello's features: she has seen "Othello's face in her mind" and devotes herself to his "honors and valiant parts” (I, iii: 252-254). Othello's speech before the Senate merely confirms this: “[Desdemona] loved me,” he says, “for the dangers I had run” (I, iii: 167-168). In the sense that Othello has captured Desdemona through his virtues and his tales, Desdemona has fallen in love with what Othello represents. And, as we will see later, Othello is gifted with poetry: in telling “the story of [his] life” he has certainly – if not unconsciously – exalted the glory that captures Desdemona's heart (I, iii: 129). . In this sense, Othello's love story is also “made” by the same virtues that made his name honorable. We do not mean to suggest that Othello and Desdemona share an empty or false love. Nor do we claim that Othello's great name is a misrepresentation. Rather, what we should learn from the above is the importance of honor to Othello. He established himself in Venice with a name of everythingrespect, which not only rewarded him with a wife, but also signifies his entire reason for being. Rightly, it is not only in the last scene that Othello shows concern for his reputation. Desdemona's infidelity increases due to Iago's intrigues, Othello complains: I would have been happy if the general camp. The pioneers and all, had tasted her sweet body, so I knew nothing. (III, iii: 345-347) These words contain understandable logic; Othello anticipates the proverb “ignorance is bliss”. But can't we perhaps also understand his words in the sense that he puts honor before the very fact of being cuckolded? Perhaps such a statement would be too rash without first considering the dramatic progression that follows. “Goodbye,” declares Othello, and we see a true crescendo from “Goodbye tranquil mind” to “Goodbye… The royal standard and every quality, / Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war!” (III, iii: 348-354). In just six lines, Othello moves from the register of the betrayed lover to the lexicon of war; and here we perceive a sign of Othello's active concern for his reputation. Why, we ask, this turbulent rise in the register? What relationship is there between the war and Desdemona's perfidy? Othello's climactic exclamation “Goodbye! Othello's occupation is over!" brings understanding to the matter (III, iii: 357). We generally understand that “Othello's occupation” is that of a warrior leading the “glorious wars” of the Venetian army. It is possible that this warlike occupation depends on Desdemona's loyalty? The answer, precisely, is that it should not, but according to Othello it does. Why does Othello believe that his occupation is not simply to lead the army; By immediately associating Desdemona's perfidy with his own "occupation", Othello betrays his true concern: that "[her] name, which was fresh / like Diana's face" has been "dirty and black / like the his own face” (III, iii: 386-388)! We are now able to answer the original questions of this essay: Othello takes his honor to the grave because, quite simply, his existence is honor par excellence his high reputation constitutes all his value and essence, his life must be dedicated to maintaining this name until the end. Thus, it seems, we have explained the riddle of Othello embracing his honor to the grave. But concluding the essay here would certainly be premature. Indeed, we have simply revealed a more subtle question: if Othello considers himself “An honorable murderer” who “did nothing… with hate, but everything with honor,” then why does he kill himself (V, ii: 294-295) ? the final speech - immediately followed by his suicide - concludes: ...once in Aleppo, where a malignant, turbaned Turk was beating a Venetian and defaming the state, I took the dog by the throat and hit him - like that. (V, ii: 352-356)We can consider these words as a real boast: Othello proudly demonstrates how he "hit [the dog] - like that". And herein lies the contradictory nature of his suicide. On the one hand, the dishonorable name of someone who "beats a Venetian and slanders the State" is indirectly given; on the other hand, as we have seen, he clearly and consciously dies with honor. What can we say about this strange death? At this point we highlight Othello's tragic flaw. A consultation of the Oxford English Dictionary reveals that “tragic flaw” comes from the Greek word hamartia which can mean “fault,” “mistake,” “fault,” or “shortcoming.” The invention of the term "tragic defect", however, goes hand in hand with a specific idea of ​​the word hamartia: according to Cooper, author of Aristotle on the art of poetry, hamartia "emphasizes the lack of intuition in man, but it is quite elasticto also signify the external defect that derives from it” (OED). This hamartia, as we will see, adequately illustrates Othello's death and tragedy. Othello's flaw comes into play where his other qualities fail. In terms of strengths, we know that, aside from his honor and valor, Othello possesses the gift of poetry. Think, for example, of speeches that begin “It makes me wonder” or “Never, Iago” or “Behold, I have a weapon” (II, i:182-192; III, iii: 453-462; V, ii : 261-282). Few would dispute the assertion that these speeches are anything but magnificent poetry. And if we examine his verses, we realize that, as a true poet, Othello is also gifted with great imaginative powers. It is difficult, in fact, to read the infernal images it evokes without feeling chills: “roast me in sulfur! / Wash me in steep abysses of liquid fire!” (V, ii: 278-281). On the other hand, Othello lacks intellectual reflection, and certainly cannot compete with Iago's wit. As AC Bradley observes in his lectures entitled Shakespearean Tragedy, “Othello's mind, for all his poetry, is very simple. He is not an observer. Its nature tends towards the outside. He is entirely free from introspection and is not given to reflection” (154-5). Nowhere in Othello, of course, do we find a character who comes close to rivaling Iago in terms of intellect. Iago is so intelligent that even his wife Emilia does not suspect him of any wrongdoing, because when she finally discovers Iago's lies, she repeats three times "my husband?" in total disbelief (V, ii: 134-135). In this sense we cannot accuse Othello of being particularly slow-minded. Yet, it is a flaw in the armor of the valiant Moor, and a fatal one at that. We should point out once again the discrepancy between Othello and Iago: in the words of the critic Harold Bloom, "Othello is a great soul hopelessly outclassed in intellect." and led by Iago” (438). This being the nature of the play, however, Othello is the most guilty for not seeing Iago's false nature. After all, despite having the most interactions with Iago, Othello fails to perceive even the most fundamental of Iago's lies: “I am not what I am” (I, i: 64). Othello does not realize that Iago is not what he seems; on the contrary, he calls Iago “honest” more than ten times over the course of the play. This is Othello's hamartia. A man without reflection cannot perceive the difference between what it seems and what it is. This flaw is partly related to what we might consider Othello's philosophy, or simply nature. Towards the middle of the play, Iago observes: "Men should be what they seem"; Othello, unaware of the great dramatic irony of Iago's comment, replies “Of course, men should be what they seem” (III, iii: 126-128). Just as his nature “tends outward,” so he believes that the nature of others is the same. Iago summarizes this flaw well: “The Moor is of a free and open nature / Who thinks men honest who appear to be so” (II, I: 390-391). Indeed, it is simply not in Othello's nature to doubt others, so he treads completely unfamiliar territory when he attempts to confirm Iago's lies. Iago cleverly argues that although both Cassio and Desdemona may appear innocent, they are actually guilty of adultery. He urges Othello to believe that Desdemona, “so young, could give such an appearance” as to hide her love for Othello from her father (III, iii: 206). Othello is therefore forced to contemplate an epistemological question that he is in no way equipped to answer. How to recognize the difference between what it seems and what it is? Is Desdemona really the chaste wife she appears to be, or is her “nature er[r] of itself” (III, iii: 227)? Tragedy is already predicted when…, 2001.