Othello is certainly an overlay of the features th Essays

Othello is certainly an overlay of the features that define tragedy as explained by Aristotle, Hegel, Nietzsche and Eagleton. Hence, to say that the play is Hegelian does not necessarily mean it is not Aristotelian. While Aristotle focused on tragedy Hegel focused on the tragic. Both features of tragedy and the tragic are to a great extent available in the Shakespearean tragedy of Othello. Hegel's theory on the tragic helps us to a great extent analyze the tragic conflict in this play. He focuses on the tragic vis--vis tragedy. And for me, Hegel is the best whom can we depend upon analyzing Shakespeare's Othello. Not only that but also he uses other supportive techniques of increasing the tragic conflict. Hegel, neither judges nor indicates that the Greek tragedy is better than the Shakespearean , or the Shakespearean is better than the Greek as Professor Carl Friedrich states that it is not Greek tragedy, ultimately, but the Shakespearean dramatic world which Hegel exalts as the ver y pinnacle of aesthetic achievement.' To Hegel suffering does not mean tragedy. The cause of suffering is more important than suffering itself. In this way Hegel gives stress not on the suffering of a person but on the cause of suffering. He relates it to "a special kind of action which born out of the conflict of the spirit". In Hegel's view the suffering of a tragic hero is due to the conflict of the spirit. The reason why the tragic conflict thus appeals to the spirit is that it is itself a conflict of the spirit. It is a conflict, that is to say, between powers that rule the world of man's will and action - his "ethical substance". Hegel says that discordant of two forces always produces a tragic conflict. It is not essential that conflict always be between good and evil but it can be between good and good. One tries to prove the rejection of other and the result is collision. "The essentially tragic fact is the self - division and intestinal warfare of the ethical substance , not so much the war of good with evil as the war of good with good." Hegel describes tragedy not merely a story of suffering but that of inexorability of law of fate of necessity'. The tragic hero involves in every action without knowing it good or bad or differentiating between them. Therefore, he is followed by the wrong action, makes a sacrifice of his entire life and ultimately reaches to his room. All the main characters of Shakespearean tragedies meet their end by following the same theory. Hegel gives the idea of reconciliation'. It means the realization of follies or mistakes done by the character on each and every step. Although he wants to improve it, he is too late to escape from the consequences. Ultimately, he prepares himself both physically and mentally to accept his defeat and destruction. Thus, according to Hegelian theory, the incompatibility between two forces _ good and evil or good and good, produces a tragic conflict. Othello may be interpreted on the basis of this theory. In the play we find that both Othello' and Desdemona' are good characters. But Iago's personal jealousy involves them in the evil game. He feels jealous for Othello and Cassio professionally and suspects his wife Emilia has illegal relationship with them. The combination of this professional and sexual jealousy leads Iago to ruin the life of the poor characters. He provokes Othello against his wife Desdemona and makes him to suspect on her chastity. He convinces him that Cassio and Desdemona have an affair: O beware, my lord, of jealous!/ It is green eyes monster; which doth mock./The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss/ Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger?/ Provoked by him without trying to find out the reason Othello involved in every wrong action and loses the balance of his mind and emotion. Othello, who has a deep faith in sexual purity, becomes excited to know about his wife's unfaithfulness and violation of her chastity. On the other hand, Iago continuously persuades his rage: "Lie with her? Lie on her? We say lie on her when