The Role of Iago as a Reporter in Othello, a Book by William Shakespeare

What is a man spoken of, but not seen? He is a name, a memory, a surface of a deep pool of water. After all, history is written by the historian, and reports are made by the reporter. In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is Othello’s reporteri Othello eats up Iago’s lies and rumors about other people and acts to safeguard his reputation, or what others would see him as. Shakespeare uses Othello to show how reputation is the driving force of man’s actions.

Othello begins with a high standing as a reputable and brilliant general. When Iago warns him of oncoming trouble from Brabantio, Othello replies: “Not I, I must be found./ My parts, my title, and my perfect soul/ Shall manifest me rightly. Is it they”? He is not afraid of the possible accusations that might be made against him because of his good reputation among others. At the end of the scene, the people examine his status and decide to condone his actions Othello also explicitly states that he would not relinquish his duties for the purpose of pursuing happiness because it would ruin his reputation: “And all indign and base adversities/ Make head against my estimation”.

As Iago begins to hint at a fake affair between Desdemona and Cassio, Othello worries for his reputation and tries to find out first if it is actually true: “I’ll see before I doubt, when I doubt, prove,/ And on the proof there is no more but this:/ Away at once with love or jealousy! After he states that he will seek the truth, he adds that if Desdemona is actually unfaithful to him, he will get rid of his wife (love) and Cassio (jealousy).

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Unfortunately for him, Iago is the puppet master of the affair, and he plants the handkerchief (a symbol of Othello and Desdemona’s love) in Cassio‘s bedroom. Upon finding out about this, Othello remarks that “A horned man’s a monster and a beast” This means that a man who has been cheated on has lost his reputation, and that is exactly the state that Othello believes he is in at the time. Now, Othello seeks to mend his reputation through either violence or diplomacy Iago makes sure that Othello acts off of his bitter feelings towards violence.

For example, Iago and Cassio have a conversation with Othello hidden away, and Cassio admits that he is going to marry “her” and that “she” truly loves him Othello does not know that they are talking about Bianca instead of Desdemona> and he asks: “How shall I murder him, Iago” (41136)? This shows the extent to which Othello will go to protect his reputation, especially that concerning his relationship with his wife. Shakespeare’s analysis of reputation in Othello illustrates its importance in decision» making. While someone‘s outward image is seemingly sincere, as in the case of “Honest Iago,” does it mean he/she can be Lrusted? What does hatred and jealousy do to love? How do racism and sexism affect one’s reputation? After all, one’s reputation is spoken of by others to be judged by many, but one does not appear to many in his/her true self, Does a man really live through his reputation?