The Importance Of Reputation In Othello

In Shakespeare’s 1603 tragedy Othello, Iago states that ‘Reputation is . . . . oft got without merit and lost without deserving’, a phrase which not only rings true for the characters in this play but also for people in the 21st century with mass media giving false impressions of celebrities, criminals and just normal people. Despite being named ‘Othello’ it is widely considered by literary scholars that Iago is, in fact, the main character so it is unsurprising that truths are delivered through him. Reputation is a recurrent theme throughout the play, Desdemona and Othello’s reputation to the Venetians proceeds them giving the false impression of them being an inappropriate and dirty couple, Othello also shows the theme of public versus private …show more content…
For example, Roderigo describes Othello using a racial slur ‘thick lips’ which would have felt very derogatory at the time. Othello is then referred to as a ‘stranger’ a very strong statement, suggesting he is estranged. This is a point in history where a lot of exploration is occurring, people of different descent are coming to England and there is a lot of scepticism around them. Roderigo uses also words which paint Desdemona a young innocent girl and Othello as a preying older man when he tells Brabantio of their marriage, this, in turn, shapes the expectations of the audience of the two characters whom they have not yet met and alludes to the reputation they have within society. He refers to Desdemona as the ‘fair’ daughter, a stark contrast to ‘unnatural’ Othello, and then describes the ‘gross claps of a lascivious moor’ giving the impression he is lustful and incentivised sexually. Despite the graphic imaginations in which the other characters have indulged, Othello and Desdemona did not have sex before marriage and may in fact not have had sex at all as there is no solid evidence to support this. Before Othello and Desdemona run off to be married, Brabantio was actually close to Othello which we know though his describing of how he met Desdemona in Act 1 Scene 3, this is very different to now he how feels he does ‘hate him as I do hell’s pains.’ This hellish imagery recurrent through the play and especially develops with Iago’s villainy, ‘devils will the blackest sins’. Although through the 60s in a time of racial unrest it was claimed that Othello’s race was an incidental issue and did not have a significant role, today it is clear that Othello’s race certainly contributes to his