Public Image And Reputation In Shakespeare's Othello

The public image and reputation of a person is directly related to their status in a society. Society determines a person’s worth based on whether a person manages to satisfy the expectations and obligations attached with a public image. The public image of a person projected through behavior, professions, and speech will determine how society mentally views that person, even when they are not present. Shame of a tarnished reputation results from a person’s public image becoming exposed as incongruent with reality. Reputation becomes the main driving force behind the characters in Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, which motivates them to not only act in accordance with societal expectation but also with internal expectations. Professions

After being accused of seducing Desdemona with black magic, Othello proclaims he has spent most of his days in battle and Brabantio, prior to charging him with using charms, invited him to enquire ardently about “the battles, sieges, fortunes that I (Othello) have passed” where Desdemona also fell in love with him by hearing his adventures (Act 1, Scene 3 130-131). Othello derives honor and respect from society by facing adversity for the Venetian state as a soldier not as a poet, so he feels no shame in lacking of oratory skills. Even after Venetians recognize how surprisingly elaborate his tale was, he still doesn’t take pride in his speech because Othello’s identity is not directly based off his eloquence. His reputation as a brave warrior led Desdemona to fall in love with him, as Desdemona “loved me (Othello) for the dangers I had passed,” and Othello reciprocated her love for “that she did pity them” (Act 1, Scene 3, 167-168). Othello is no longer only a general, but also a husband to Desdemona. Othello’s excessive concern for his reputation grows because the love in his marriage bases itself on his public image, so Othello would become more passionate about his love for Desdemona. Through misinterpretation of seeing Cassio offer Desdemona’s handkerchief to Bianca, Othello goes from being the composed warrior to a jealous, enraged fool

Ludovico bemoans how Othello was “once so good, fall’n” (Act 5, Scene 2, 291-292). In the final speech when it is revealed Desdemona was never unfaithful, Othello continues to try to preserve his reputation by trying to convince everyone he was a victim of manipulation more than a vicious criminal. Othello refers to smothering Desdemona as an “honorable murder” to deny the act of murder was hateful, and he did it to preserve his own honor (Act 5, Scene 2, 294-295). Othello’s reputation, like anyone else’s, depends on how well a person fits into a society. After committing a heinous crime Othello curses out Iago for manipulating him into committing a transgression against Desdemona and society, so he recognizes his actions as shameful in the eyes of society he was trying so arduously to be approved by. Othello deviates from murdering Desdemona in his final words to describe how saw a turbaned Turk beating a Venetian and “I took by the throat the circumcisèd dog, and smote him, thus.” (Act 5, Scene 2, 355-35). Othello as a Moor, would be expected to have helped the Turk since his north African culture is closer to the Turkish culture, but his final words reveal Othello views himself closer to the Venetians. Othello tells the story to convince the Venetians he was one of