Othello is a tragedy. But what qualities does he possess to qualify him as such? The main difference between comedy and tragedy lies in the ability to reconcile and tolerate the inevitable weaknesses of the human condition. In Othello, nothing is tolerated and nothing is reconciled. Instead, Iago provides the spark and fuel needed to ignite a fire that will ultimately consume all of the characters. Although Iago's responsibility for what happens is undeniable, the events that followed would not have been possible if a social structure allowing for such an all-consuming fire had not already been established. The tragedy of Othello occurs when the main characters' supposed virtue turns to evil, allowing Iago's plan to flourish. But this virtue was already unstable before Iago's intervention. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Immediately before committing suicide, Othello compares himself to the “basic Indian” who threw a pearl (5.2.356). This is significant because in this moment, Othello recognizes himself as the ignorant barbarian that Venetian society always believed him to be. Another potential formulation of the verse, based on the folio, is "Judean", replacing Indian. In comparing himself to a Jew rather than a barbarian, there is a greater sense of wickedness---perhaps alluding to Judas' betrayal of Jesus. However, however worded, Othello condemns himself, whether as a barbarian or simply as a debased human being. Both formulations serve as confirmation of what, one might assume, mainstream society has always suspected. Othello has always been a stranger. However, despite this status and the fog of suspicion it engendered, Othello had constructed an image of himself as a man of virtue. A brave, noble and courageous warrior and protector of Venice. The question of whether virtue was real or imagined is peripheral to the discussion, because whatever Othello's true nature, his outward appearance was certainly a construct necessitated by the attitudes of Venetian society of the time. As evidenced by Brabanzio's reaction to learning that his daughter had been kidnapped by Othello, and the frequency with which Othello is called "The Moor", people expected what a Moor must be: a barbarian, a beast ignorant. In order for Othello to overcome this expectation, he had to create an almost superhuman construct of himself. Even a truly virtuous man, if faced with the same cultural obstacles as Othello, would need to create a particularly extraordinary outward projection to compensate for the inherent disadvantages he faced. In short, Othello's virtue was, at least in part, imagined – a fact of which he was painfully aware. Likewise, Desdemona's virtue was something that had to be maintained at all costs. As Desdemona herself laments after hearing of Cassio's presumed fate, shortly before Othello kills her, "Alas, he is betrayed and I am lost. (5.2.83)." Desdemona is “defeated” because her virtue has been destroyed (of course, she is also about to die). But it is important to note that Desdemona never did anything to destroy this virtue. Instead, in this case, virtue is something external; more a perception than a reality. Her husband Othello no longer believes that Desdemona is virtuous and so, this virtue has been destroyed, she has been “defeated” and death follows. The key to discovering the virtue of Desdemona and Othello lies entirely, in fact, in the realm of perceptions and their lack of,.