In Aristotle's Poetics, he details what constitutes a traditional tragic hero. Aristotle said that the tragic hero must be of high rank and admired by the community. Furthermore, the tragic hero must be “essentially good,” meaning he must not have intentionally caused the evil or catastrophic act. But even if the tragic hero didn't intentionally cause harm, that doesn't mean it wasn't their fault. Aristotle defined the tragic hero but he has a tragic flaw that is his fault. The character of Othello is considered the tragic hero in Shakespeare's play. Othello is a Moor and a general in the Venetian army. Othello is expert in battle and well-liked by the people. Since he is a highly respected military leader, people listened to him and cared about what he had to say. An example of his high esteem can be seen when one of the senators said: "Behold Barbantius and the valiant Moor", (Act I, scene 3). With Othello overcoming the racist Venice and managing to gain this high status in the community, Aristotle's attitude the first requirement for a tragic hero is fulfilled. Although Othello's nobility is only one of the reasons why he is a tragic hero, another reason is his admirable personality that the audience looked up to Othello's personality is best portrayed when Barbanzio confronts him about his daughter's secret marriage. Desdemona. In this scene Othello was accused of using witchcraft to persuade Desdemona to marry him. This showed that although Othello was well liked in the community, Barbanzio still considered him not good enough for his daughter. However, despite Barbanzio's offensive comments, Othello behaved with dignity and grace as he calmly explained the situation. If Othello refrains from raising his voice while speaking respectfully to Barbantio, the audience will begin to feel sympathy for Othello's situation. They can see that Othello's position as a Moor made it impossible for Desdemona to marry him without being disapproved of. However this did not matter to Othello and his brave and courageous actions in secretly marrying Desdemona captivate the audience allowing them to respect and admire him. Ultimately Othello's clear-headed, confident and calm nature is tested when Iago and Rodrigo conspire. against him. Rodrigo is in love with Desdemona and is heartbroken when Othello and Desdemona's marriage is approved by the Duke. Iago is Othello's secret enemy and sees Rodrigo's sadness as a way to manipulate him, eventually convincing him that he can only seduce Desdemona if they team up against Othello..