Othellow

Reputation is a part of life. Nobody can doubt this fact whether they like it or not. To some, their reputation is a blessing because of the positive attitudes towards them. To others, it can be a sickness that they can not cure. In William Shakespeare's Othello, the characters Othello and Desdemona, Iago, and Cassio show how important one's reputation can be. To some people, such as reputation was everything to them; so much so that their credit was worth more than their life. In today’s modern context, a bad reputation can be hard to rebuild because of the judgements.

In William Shakespeare's play "Othello," Iago blurs the idea of keeping a good reputation. Thanks to his own reputation as being honest and loyal, Iago has the power to persuade and manipulate people, to ruin their reputations, and to build up his own. Iago is so two-faced and compelling that others believe him exceptionally easily, and his true thoughts on "reputation" keep the tragedy of Othello going in its twisted plot

The Role of Reputation in Shakespeare's Othello
The characters within the play struggle to keep their reputation for various reasons such as punishment or to keep a good name for themselves.
Reputation impedes good judgment - both in the decisions the characters make, and in the decisions made about them.
Iago is the "two-faced" character in the story. His reputation is the exact opposite of his true nature. This becomes evident with his relationship with Othello. Othello describes Iago as "Honest Iago," and says to others "Iago is most honest," (II, iii, 7). Othello is under the impression that Iago is an honest man, because of Iago's reputation. Othello allows himself to be influenced because he believes Iago is trustworthy. When Iago introduces the thought that Desdemona is being unfaithful, Othello says "No, not much moved. / I do not think but Desdemona's honest," (III, iii, 224-225). Othello has been influenced by Iago's lies. Because Iago is seen as "Most honest"...