Can somebody tell me why Othello is one of Shakespeares most flawed heroes?
Of Shakespeare’s great tragic heroes, he’s possibly the least flawed; only when someone specifically tries to bring about his downfall does he succumb to jealousy. He describes himself as “one that loved not wisely but too well”, which is hardly a mortal sin. Compare with Macbeth’s selfish ambition, or Lear’s arrogant insensitivity, and Othello looks like one of the good guys.
I don’t know that he is the “most flawed,” but you’re right that his sins are egregious. The thing that gets me about “Othello” is that the tragedy could have been avoided so easily. Othello’s mistake was in trusting the wrong person. And instead of confronting the woman he loved openly, he made assumptions, believed lies, and let himself be convinced that she was unfaithful. It’s so terribly sad because you know that the outcome is ultimately of his own doing – even though Iago orchestrated the deception, Othello is truly culpable in his own destruction. People always bring up his jealousy, but there’s more to it than that – the jealousy is rooted in deep insecurities about his worthiness to be Desdemona’s husband and a part of upper-class society. This insecurity is what Iago manipulates.
