Othello, the Moor of Venice is one of the major tragedies written by William Shakespeare that follows the main character, Othello, through his trials and tribulations. Othello, the Moor of Venice is similar to William Shakespeare's other tragedies and follows a specific set of dramatic rules. The requirements include, following the definition of a tragedy, the definition of a tragic hero, containing a reversal of fortune and a descent from happiness. William Shakespeare fulfills Aristotle's requirements in this famous play. Aristotle, the famous philosopher, defined several requirements that a play or piece of drama must meet. The first rule respected in Shakespeare's play is that Othello is considered a tragic hero, which all tragedy must respect. contain. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero must be a man in a position of power, a good person, and who makes a mistake during the timeline of the play due to a tragic flaw. Othello's major flaw can be considered to be jealousy: "Othello has often been described as a tragedy of character, as the protagonist of the play quickly descends into a rage of jealousy which completely destroys his life" ("Othello"). Othello shows that he is a good man in the first scenes of the play: “She wished she had not heard him; yet she wished that heaven had made her such a man” (1.3.162-163). This Act I phrase spoken by Othello indicates that he is a good person, even though it may seem like he stole Desdemona from his father. Othello says that although he took Desdemona as his wife without Brabantio's consent, he is a good person to state the reasons for his actions and to stand his ground. After Othello's marriage to Desdemona, conflict arises when Iago insinuates the...... middle of paper ...... Works Cited Catherine Bates, "Weaving and Writing in Othello", in Shakespeare Survey, Vol. 46, edited by Stanley Wells, Cambridge University Press, 1994, pp. 51-60. Dreher, Diane. “Shakespeare’s Cordelia and the Power of Character.” The world and me, April 1998: 287+. Fine Arts and Music Collection. Internet. December 11, 2011.Newton, KM “Othello: Overview.” Reference guide to English literature. Ed. DL Kirkpatrick. 2nd ed. Chicago: St. James Press, 1991. Literary Resource Center. Internet. December 11, 2011. “Othello.” Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations of Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry. Ed. Anne-Marie Hacht. 2nd ed. Flight. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 649-687. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Internet. December 11, 2011.Shakespeare, William. Othello, the Moor of Venice.Literature. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. 368-455. Print.