“I asked her to wear something revealing, so she showed up in a prophet's toga. » (QUOTED) Jarod Kintz's words are an example of poor communication or failure to understand meaning. In this case, it is implied that one person misunderstood another's message, but misunderstanding also applies to issues other than misinterpreted requests. Misunderstanding can occur when people misinterpret the words or intentions of others, or when a person misinterprets situations or events. The result described in Kintz's quote is unexpected and unintentional, but there are cases of misunderstanding that have more serious consequences. Perhaps a classic tragedy with a high death toll falls within these parameters. Nick Potter says: “Othello is a tragedy of incomprehension, not at the level of plot but at the deepest level of human relationships. No one in Othello can understand himself or anyone. In Shakespeare's Othello, no character fully understands each other. This is especially true in human relationships, where characters' intentions and how others interpret them are often misaligned. Conflict, and ultimately tragedy, arise in Othello due to misunderstanding between the characters, as well as within the characters themselves. From the reader's point of view, it is tragic to understand the reality behind all this misunderstanding, because the characters are unaware of what the readers are aware of. The characters in the play fail to understand Iago's true nature until it is too late. Those who interact with Iago believe that Iago is loyal to his superiors, when Iago is actually focused on their downfall (Cassio and Othello). Iago constructs a false impression of his loyalty to Othello through ...... middle of paper ...... as it unfolds. It's sad to watch these characters fail again and again to understand each other and themselves. However, in our own lives we are not so different from the characters in the play. Many things are beyond our understanding, and it is easy to suffer when people don't understand. Alas, Shakespeare well warned us of the tragedy that could arise from incomprehension. It would be unwise to take this warning for granted; perhaps a search for greater understanding will correlate with fewer tragedies in our lives. Works Cited Crawford, Alexander W. Hamlet, an Ideal Prince and Other Essays on Shakespearean Interpretation: Hamlet; Merchant of Venice; Othello; King Lear. Boston RG Badger, 1916. Shakespeare Online. August 20, 2009. (April 30, 2014) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/othello/othelloessay2.html >.