When discussing the characteristics of Othello one finds he has more than one side. Othello is a tragic hero in this drama. Also, he portrays a man with much greatness. Consequently, Othello has many weaknesses. In order to truly understand the character of Othello, one must understand him as a tragic hero with both greatness and weakness. A tragic hero is the main character in a play that takes a downfall or is ruined during the play. Undoubtedly, Othello is ruined during the course of this Shakespearean drama. In the beginning of the play his life is in order, as...
with Othello.

Subsequently, Iago convinced Othello that Cassio, his devoted and loyal lieutenant, was stealing his wife. Upon hearing this account from Iago, Othello immediately ordered Cassio massacred. This also showed a lacking in his decision making process. Othello's weaknesses centered around Iago's plot to bring him down.

Without question, Othello is one of the more interesting and multidimensional personas we have studied to date. Othello was a perfect example of a tragic hero, he had an abundance of greatness, and he coupled that with twice as much weakness. Othello was a great character in this Shakespearean dramatic tragedy.