Othello is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is obvious that it is a tragedy because the protagonist, along with several other characters, dies in the end, but it also has several other elements of a Shakespearean Tragedy. Othello, the protagonist is a high ranking general in Venice, but he has several flaws. The one which eventually leads to his downfall is a combination of anger, rashness, gullibility, and reckless and premature actions. Othello also falls victim to the external pressure of the antagonist, Iago. Othello believes he is doing what's best for him, so he blindly follows Iago's advice, and believes him when he creates huge lies about some of the other characters. In the end, a combination of Othello's reckless anger, and Iago's lies cause him to kill his wife, and then himself.
Othello fit very well into the structure of a typical tragedy, but I think there was one aspect that did not quite fit. Most Shakespearean plays are supposed to take place in an ordered society, but I think that when the play started, the society was already getting a little chaotic. The play started with a secret meeting between Roderigo and Iago. Iago is angry because Cassio got the spot as lieutenant instead of him. Almost immediately after that, Roderigo and Iago go and try to convince Desdemona's father that Othello has stolen her. It seems to me like chaos is full swung by then, but even at the beginning, the society is not quite ordered.
