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Antigone And Othello: Tragic Hero

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Argumentative essay What makes someone a tragic hero? A tragic hero is someone who makes judgement error that inevitably lead to their own destruction. A hero’s downfall comes from specific traits that cause their destruction. Between the two major characters Antigone and Othello, Othello exemplifies a tragic hero the most from the following reasons error of judgment, reversal of fortune and recognition of change in fate.
The tragic hero trait that Othello displays is recognition of reversal was brought by his own actions. The general of the Venetian army, Othello married to wife Desdemona was friends with a trustable man named Iago. Othello made the decision to make Cassio his lieutenant instead of Iago. …show more content…
In the story Othello constantly has trouble with making the right decisions. Throughout the story Othello battles with emotion and reasoning. He tends to relate to his emotion to solve his problems. In the text it states “(to himself) why did I ever get married? I’m sure this good and honest man see and knows more, much more, than he’s telling me.”(Act 3 Scene, page 149) This quote means that Othello is beginning to doubt his marriage. Othello error in his judgment shows him being a tragic hero because he is poorly judging his wife who he knows would never cheat on him. Othello begins to believe that Iago is the only one who he can trust which is actually not the case resulting his ultimate …show more content…
During the story Antigone battles with her uncle Creon over the burial of her brother Polyneices. The decree made by Creon stated that if anyone was to bury Polyneices would be killed by stoning. Throughout the story there was several moments where Antigone could've not been headstrong about the burial of her brother, but Antigone kept going allowing her excessive pride to push her all the way to her own death. However, Antigone is not a tragic hero because she knew that burying her brother would result in her own death. In the text it states “But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down With him in death, and I shall be as dear To him as he to me.“ This quote shows that during a conversation with her sister Ismene, Antigone knew the outcome to her burying her brother polyneices. She only was trying to show her loyalty to her brother by properly burying him. This shows Antigone is not a tragic hero

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