How does Othellos tragic nature lead to his downfall?
You will wind up with different reads on this. For my bet, part of why I think this drama is one of Shakespeare’s most underrated is because it reflects the challenges of being an outsider. I think that this helps to feed Othello’s tragic flaw of insecurity and his downfall. Being a person of color, a military leader in a setting of the politically established, and falling in love with a woman who is of this elite status all help to contribute to Othello’s feelings of insecurity about who he is and whether or not he “belongs” in such a configuration. The idea that one can fully overcome their outsider status with good works and deeds is put on its head in this setting. Othello’s insecurity about who he is in such a social design is where Iago strikes. It works well because Othello’s inability to reign in his own self- doubt and perpetual insecurity in both political and emotional realms is what leads him down the path of personal and political destruction.
