Othello's Failing is that he is too trusting.

In William Shakespeare's play "Othello", we witness the fall of a once powerful and authoritative leader crumble into a disheveled form of his old self. This collapse occurs mainly because of the fact that Othello is too trusting. As a great leader, he has inspired fear into the hearts of his men at what will happen if they do not obey him. Thus, Othello has become used to expecting his own men to do as he wishes. He is an extremely powerful man, yet he would trust his life on those less capable than himself, such as Iago and Roderigo. Despite this trust in his military associates, he is less competent in trusting those he loves, Desdemona. One could make of this that he more unquestioning of those he knows only as associates than those who he loves. He considers the severity of the military more trustable than the one person who he loves the most.

From the Library of Congress: TITLE: Thos. W. Keen...

English: Photographic full-length portrait of Edwi...

Illustration of Othello and Iago

Othello's hamatia is that he has double standards in that he trusts his minions more than his own wife.

Iago is the man that Othello is most trusting in, and the one person who is mostly responsible for his downfall. Iago is duplicitous in nature, and Machiavellian in his approach to the breakdown of the 'Moor'. Othello trusts Iago because of his close relation to him in the military, and when it comes to his love life he still has the same amount of faith in Iago. This is a fatal problem which comes to bring about the Othello's downfall. Othello should not have trusted Iago as much when it came to his love life, for Iago was not there for advice on this subject. Despite this, Othello trusts Iago so much because of his military connections as Ancient, that...