Shakespeare's tragedies all end in a tragic death for the protagonist making the play tragic, but there are other themes that Shakespeare's tragedies must also include. One of them is the protagonist in Shakespeare's tragedies often have a personality flaw that leads to their demise. The main characters in the plays are all rich and of high status so that when they meet their end it has a greater impact and is more tragic. There is also an external force that drives the character to act on the issue in the play that leads them to their downfall. The hero also has many opportunities to changes his course of action but he never does.
The play Othello fits in very well with these characteristics. Othello’s flaw is that he has a bad temper and can be hot headed. This causes him to be quick with rage and kill Desdemona. He is a nobleman held in high status that married a Venetian senator’s daughter bringing a lot of same to the family when he committed the murder-suicide. Iago was constantly manipulating Othello and encouraging him to kill Desdemona throughout the play. If it had not been for Iago the events of the play would have never happened. Throughout the play, Othello is given reasons to trust Desdemona by many people but he refuses to believe that she is not cheating on him until it is too late. Finally at the end of the play the protagonist Othello died and many of those close to him.
