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Honest Reputation Essay

Good Essays
The Importance of Reputation,
Othello

Everyone is responsible for their own reputation. Many people do believe that a reputation can make the best of you, while others would strongly disagree. In Shakespeare’s novel, Othello, the main antagonist, Iago, frequently express that his reputation is important to him. However, he represents just some of the many characters who care a great deed about their reputation. Other characters like Desdemona and Othello also demonstrate a high regard for their reputations. Nevertheless, it is due to the importance of reputation in the novel that Iago, who has an honest reputation, is able to manipulate others, cause the destruction of others reputation and cause several deaths. As a result of
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The most important person Iago uses his reputation to manipulate is Othello. Othello holds a significant amount of trust in Iago and when he claims Desdemona is cheating Othello believes him, which Iago justified evidence as proof. Othello allows himself to give in entirely to Iago’s lie, which he is not aware of. Ay, let her rot and perish and be damned Tonight, for she shall not live. No, my heart is turned To stone. I strike it, and it hurts my hand. O, the World hath not a sweeter creature! She might lie by An emperor’s side and command him tasks (IV, i, 200- 204).
Manipulating Othello by accusing his wife of cheating causes a catastrophic ending to the novel. With very little effort due to his honest reputation, causing others to hold a great deed of trust in him, Iago is able to manipulate several people.

Having a great reputation can allow sly actions to go unnoticed. Iago has a great reputation in the eyes of his peers and due to that many of his actions go unnoticed, such as the way he is able to cause the destruction of others reputations. He was able to ruin Cassio’s reputation without being accused of doing so. With Cassio intoxicated, due to Iago, it caused him to commence a brawl which did not sit well with Othello. “Cassio, I love thee, but
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nevermore be officer of mine” (II, iii, 264-
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