The Greek philosopher Aristotle set forth the guidelines for a tragedy in his work Poetics. According to Aristotle, the tragic character in a tragedy is a person, not all good or bad, who begins in a rank of high degree and importance and then experiences a downfall due to a tragic flaw. In the end of most tragedies, the character comes to a realization of his flaw after enduring a great deal of suffering. William …showed first 75 words of 1853 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1853 total…commit suicide but rather dies of a broken heart. In conclusion, although Shakespeare's two characters have similar flaws, the actions played out in these two tragedies are not identical. Both characters follow the guidelines Aristotle set for a tragic character, yet the specific ways they meet criteria differ. William Shakespeare is arguably one of the greatest playwrights in history, and the complex tragedies of Othello and King Lear are exemplary of his mastery of writing.