Shakespeare's Othello is indeed a story of tragedy. Iago's evil schemes throughout the play cause much grief and pity on the side of Othello. Iago manipulates Othello's innocence, naivety and trust to cause Othello to become jealous over the thought of his newly wedded wife cheating on him. Othello's fall from grace leads him to eventually murder his own wife, and once Iago's plan has been exposed by Emilia, Iago murders his own wife and Othello commits suicide. It is the deaths of the innocent, bold, daring women Emilia and Desdemona, along with our beloved tragic hero, Othello which causes a "catharsis of emotions" because of our first impressions of these characters as "pure and …show more content…
Aristotle defines a "complex plot" as a plot which has "both a recognition' (anagnorisis) and a reversal of intention' (perpeteia) ". The "recognition" can be seen through Othello's changing trust in Iago at the end of the play. In the beginning of the play, Othello places a lot of trust in Iago "O brave Iago, honest and just, Thou hast such noble sense" (Act Five, Scene One, Lines 33-34). Yet towards the end, once Emilia has exposed Iago's evil deeds, his trust in Iago diminishes instantly "I look down towards his feet;but that's a fable If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee. Are there not stones in heaven...But what serve for thunder? - Precious villain !". (Act Five, Scene One, Lines 329-30,