Final answer:
The similarities between Othello and Oedipus Rex include high-status protagonists with tragic downfalls due to personal flaws, themes of fate and accountability, and alignment with Aristotle's view of tragedy with noble characters and subjects of community relevance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The similarities between the plays Othello and Oedipus Rex can be seen in their thematic elements and narrative structures. Both plays centralize around protagonists of high social status who face tragic downfalls due to personal flaws or errors in judgment. In addition, each protagonist's destruction is a result of their own actions rather than purely external forces, conveying themes of fate and accountability.
In Othello, the titular character falls from grace due to his susceptibility to jealousy and manipulation, which leads to the tragic end. Similarly, in Oedipus Rex, Oedipus' determination to seek the truth about his past leads him to uncover a web of personal and familial sins, ultimately resulting in his ruin.
The concept of tragic flaw or hamartia is present in both plays; Othello's jealousy and Oedipus' pride and quest for knowledge lead to their respective downfalls. This aligns with Aristotle's view of tragedy, where the protagonist often falls due to a character flaw. Moreover, both works follow Aristotle's definition of tragedy, featuring noble characters grappling with a subject of relevance to the community, not merely personal matters.