According to the tradition of tragedy as stated by Aristotle in his Poetics, the tragic hero must not be an entirely good man, or one who is completely evil, but, rather, a man who on the whole is good but contributes to his own destruction by some moral weakness (the "fatal flaw").
             Othello is initially portrayed as a consummate military leader whose thoughts are governed by logic and reason. However, Othello has a tragic flaw- he has a tendency to take everything he sees and everything he is told at face value without questioning the circumstances. Iago's realization of this imperfection and his incessant deception and lies cause Othello's wisdom and judgment to be overthrown by anger and jealousy. It is solely Iago's exploitation of Othello's otherwise absent defect that leads to the tragic outcome of the play and that causes Othello to be driven by jealousy to the point that it consumes his entire existence.
             Othello is a general in the army of Venice. He is a Moor, a dark-skinned man of African descent, and has risen through the ranks of the Venetian army through hard work and success in battle. Othello is a cultural and racial outsider in the predominantly White population of Italy, but despite this his skill as a soldier and leader is nevertheless valuable and necessary to the state. The Venetian senate unanimously approves of him and they choose to send him to Cyprus to lead the opposition against the Turks. This decision shows how highly regarded and well respected he is. "...And though we have there a substitute of most allowed sufficiency, yet opinion, a sovereign mistress of effects, throws a more safer voice on you." (Act 1, Scene III, Lines 256-259)
             Throughout the course of the book, the other characters refer to Othello in slightly different ways. However, with the exception of Iago and Brabantio, these references usually emphasize Othello's nobility and goodness.
             • Cassio:...