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License Agreement on scientific materials use.
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Othello and his “tragic flaw”
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Tatyana Vyacheslavovna Kovalevskaya
Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow
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Submitted:
March 1, 2024
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Abstract.
The aim of the research is to further develop the previously proposed interpretations of “Othello” as the tragedy of a person who attempts to take the kind of place in the universe that is not rightfully theirs and they cannot handle because of their finite created nature. The research is novel in that it presents “Othello” as a tragedy of the Fall, a clash between human will and God’s providential Design; a human being attempts to place themself above the Design, and that results in destroying not the Design, which is impossible, but the human being themself. The article proposes wrath as Othello’s tragic flaw; wrath is a cardinal sin and at the same time the state that can be common to both God and human beings, the state that leads a person to judge their neighbor and to act as jury, judge, and executioner. Our findings show that “Othello” is part of what we called Shakespeare’s overarching plot and is closely tied with the problematics of other tragedies, particularly “Hamlet” and “Romeo and Juliet”. Consequently, “Othello” emerges as part of Shakespeare’s “overarching plot” that tells stories of the Bard’s characters seeking self-deification, that is, seeking to impose their will on the universe and ultimately to overcome their created human nature.
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Key words and phrases:
смертные грехи
гнев
самообожение
сквозной сюжет Шекспира
культура чести
cardinal sins
wrath
self-deification
Shakespeare’s overarching plot
culture of honor
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