‘Explore the significance of reputation in the tragedy of Othello’
Reputation holds much significance within the tragedy of Othello.
Ultimately, the characters in Othello place a high value on reputation;
Cassio and Othello work hard to maintain their notable reputations,
whereas Iago intends to use his ‘honest’ reputation as an instrument for
manipulation. Consequently, as the play progresses, we see how these
characters become desperate to defend their reputations, leading to the
downfalls of each character, as-well as the deaths of Desdemona, Emilia
and Othello. This underscores the destructive power of reputation, as-well
as the tragic aspect of it as it can be lost in an instant; as one person
climbs up the social ladder, another falls down.
A prominent character who showcases this theme of reputation is the foil
character, Cassio; a well-educated man from Florence, said to be ‘a great
arithmetician’, who had recently been given the ‘election’, making him
Othello’s second in command. Shakespeare specifically portrays Cassio to
be a symbol of traditional white male dominance through his military
position and his treatment towards women. This is particularly evident in
his relationship with Bianca, which he hides due to him not wanting
Othello to ‘see [him] womaned’. Therefore, just from the first few acts, it
becomes clear how important reputation is to Cassio. Moreover, as the
play develops, Iago takes advantage of his ‘unhappy brains for drinking’,
leading him into a drunken brawl with Roderigo and Montano, resulting in
Cassio’s demotion by Othello, revealing him to be a coward. This loss of
power and reputation in this scene is heightened when Cassio replies to
Othello’s questioning with, ‘I pray you pardon me, I cannot speak’,
showing how embarrassed he is from losing his honour, which eventually
leads him into a crisis of identity: ‘Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I
have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what
remains is bestial’. Furthermore, after the incident, Cassio turns to Iago, to
which Iago advises him to ask Desdemona to speak to Othello- a
desperate attempt to save his reputation. The way Cassio blindly trusts
Iago; ‘You advise me well’, showcases how important reputation is, not
just for Cassio, but for each character as they all fall victim to Iago’s
‘advice’ to save their reputations. Nevertheless, as Cassio attempts to
regain his reputation purely through speech, without proving his own
merit, Shakespeare depicts reputation to be a hollow thing. Ultimately,
Cassio’s fixation on regaining his title becomes a catalyst for the play’s
tragic trajectory.
Furthermore, we may also argue that the significance of reputation is
shown through Shakespeare’s portrayal of Iago. While some may contend
that Iago is purely a ‘motiveless malignity’, we may argue that he desires
a stronger reputation, despite already possessing the expected qualities of
Venetian society, such as being a white male with a respectable military
role. Nevertheless, Iago believes he deserves Cassio’s role, as he believes
he is ‘worth no worse a place’, and so to better his reputation he aims to
Reputation holds much significance within the tragedy of Othello.
Ultimately, the characters in Othello place a high value on reputation;
Cassio and Othello work hard to maintain their notable reputations,
whereas Iago intends to use his ‘honest’ reputation as an instrument for
manipulation. Consequently, as the play progresses, we see how these
characters become desperate to defend their reputations, leading to the
downfalls of each character, as-well as the deaths of Desdemona, Emilia
and Othello. This underscores the destructive power of reputation, as-well
as the tragic aspect of it as it can be lost in an instant; as one person
climbs up the social ladder, another falls down.
A prominent character who showcases this theme of reputation is the foil
character, Cassio; a well-educated man from Florence, said to be ‘a great
arithmetician’, who had recently been given the ‘election’, making him
Othello’s second in command. Shakespeare specifically portrays Cassio to
be a symbol of traditional white male dominance through his military
position and his treatment towards women. This is particularly evident in
his relationship with Bianca, which he hides due to him not wanting
Othello to ‘see [him] womaned’. Therefore, just from the first few acts, it
becomes clear how important reputation is to Cassio. Moreover, as the
play develops, Iago takes advantage of his ‘unhappy brains for drinking’,
leading him into a drunken brawl with Roderigo and Montano, resulting in
Cassio’s demotion by Othello, revealing him to be a coward. This loss of
power and reputation in this scene is heightened when Cassio replies to
Othello’s questioning with, ‘I pray you pardon me, I cannot speak’,
showing how embarrassed he is from losing his honour, which eventually
leads him into a crisis of identity: ‘Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I
have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what
remains is bestial’. Furthermore, after the incident, Cassio turns to Iago, to
which Iago advises him to ask Desdemona to speak to Othello- a
desperate attempt to save his reputation. The way Cassio blindly trusts
Iago; ‘You advise me well’, showcases how important reputation is, not
just for Cassio, but for each character as they all fall victim to Iago’s
‘advice’ to save their reputations. Nevertheless, as Cassio attempts to
regain his reputation purely through speech, without proving his own
merit, Shakespeare depicts reputation to be a hollow thing. Ultimately,
Cassio’s fixation on regaining his title becomes a catalyst for the play’s
tragic trajectory.
Furthermore, we may also argue that the significance of reputation is
shown through Shakespeare’s portrayal of Iago. While some may contend
that Iago is purely a ‘motiveless malignity’, we may argue that he desires
a stronger reputation, despite already possessing the expected qualities of
Venetian society, such as being a white male with a respectable military
role. Nevertheless, Iago believes he deserves Cassio’s role, as he believes
he is ‘worth no worse a place’, and so to better his reputation he aims to
