Othello: Deceiving Reputation In Shakespeare's O

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Recommended: Comment on the importance of reputation in the play (othello)

What is reputation? Reputation is the joint of beliefs and opinions that are created because of certain actions or situations about someone or something. It is something that has greatly impacted society, it determines how you are viewed to those around you, reputation comes with connections, promotions, rewards and more. Reputation has been a huge impact on society for a long period of time, it has been from Shakespeare’s time in the play “Othello”; a play about a black man going through deceived betrayal, to all the way in modern time in the “O” film; a young black teen facing through the same deceiving betrayal in modern time. While comparing both the play and film, there are many similarities but one comparison that stood out was how much …show more content…

Along with that, everyone's reputation has changed throughout the play at one point in time making some feel confident and others vulnerable. In some cases the change has had a positive outcome, while some were not. Cassio was one of the characters, who had their reputation go from being admirable and exemplary to completely unacceptable back to how it was previously. Cassio was Othello’s right hand, but it all changed when Cassio decided to overly drink alcohol, impairing his state of mind creating a brawl between himself and Roderigo, until Othello came into it and deciding to demote Cassio, creating Cassio’s first negative opinion that affected his reputation. Cassio then cries to Iago, “ Reputation, reputation, Iha’ lost my reputation! Iha’ lost ho immortal part, sir of myself and what remains is bestial; my reputation Iago my reputation” (Othello, Shakespeare II.iii.254-6). The use of repetition with the word reputation, shows how much Cassio valued the importance maintaining a good reputation, he exaggerates that without his reputation he feels bestial.

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