Shakespeare's title character, Othello, is a stark contrast to the typical venetian. He is cultural and racial ( described as the "moor", "the thick-lips", and "a barbary horse" alluding to his dark skin color) outsider to the city of Venice, yet integral to the state as a soldier. Of the course of the play he is called on numerous times to deal with important state/security matters. His confidence and self assuredness in his abilities and adventures as a warrior serve him well at the beginning of the play. He is able to convince the Duke that Brabanzio is wrong, and that both Brabanzio and his daughter Desdemona loved him and invited him into their home to tell his stories. However, by the end of the play we see an unraveling of Othello's self assuredness as he bemoans Desdemona's perceived infidelities. He claims that his moorish heritage was of no appeal to Desdemona and she loves him no more.

I think that this shift in Othello's gives him more complexity as a tragic character. Not purely vengeful because of his wife's perceived wrongs, we see an undercurrent of emotional distress about his place in the Venetian society. I feel that adding this dimension to Othello's personality makes us more sympathetic to him. We are especially sympathetic when he learns that this was all a big mistake and manipulation by Iago, this is the element of recognition that Aristotle praises in a tragedy.

Before Othello takes his own life, his farewell speech reaffirms his position as both a valued member of Venetian society but also an outsider. Its particularly sad because although Othello's position in Venice came from his own prowess, he is still equally recognized for his racial heritage.