What is the tragedy of the play? Who does it concern?.
I believe the death of Desdemona (through the evil manipulations of Iago and weaknesses of Othello) is the tragedy of "Othello.".
Dramatic irony makes parts of a story more interesting for the audience to know something the characters don't. The strongest piece of dramatic irony which plays out throughout the story is the fact that the reader/viewer knows that Desdemona is pure and innocent. (Cassio speaks of Desdemona with high respect and delicate, restrained language that he sees befitting Desdemona when he calls her an "exquisite lady." When Othello is about to murder Desdemona, he describes her as having "whiter skin than snow/And smooth as monumental alabaster"). .
As a woman, Desdemona more than likely spent the majority of her life being looked after and kept safe by her father and now, Othello. She probably would have been oblivious to most international and social confrontations and therefore, it is no wonder that she did not know anything that could have prevented the outcome of her death. .
I also hold great respect for Desdemona as she stands up for herself and protests her innocence that she did nothing wrong, right up to her death ("A guiltless death I die"). I also believe that by not blaming Othello for her death (Emilia - "O, who hath done this deed?" Desdemona - "Nobody; I myself. Farewell. / Commend me to my kind lord. O farewell!"), Desdemona shows the audience how loyal she is to her husband and we admire her for this. .
Othello's pride was one of his weaknesses that prevented him from staying loyal to Desdemona and the feeling of guilt, leading up to his own death, was the price he paid. We cannot however totally blame Othello for the death of Desdemona. It was Iago who had the plan to cause the downfall of Michael Cassio, by getting him fired from his job as lieutenant so he could have it instead. It was also Iago who wanted to punish Othello for promoting Cassio in the first place and by supposedly having an affair with his wife, Emilia.
