Reputation is what conceals one’s identity. It does not matter whether it is born out of truth or lie, it is people’s perception is what becomes of reality. Othello is a play where the main antagonist, Iago, was able to twist people’s reputations due to the perceived realities of masculinity, femininity, and class. 

 

In Act 3:3, Iago talks about the reputation of a cuckold, a man who has been cheated on by his wife and is dammed to suspect yet love her. The statement about a cuckold’s reputation is what planted seeds of jealousy and doubt in Othello’s mind. Even without proof of his wife Desdemona’s adultery, he claimed that his marriage is a curse for he considers Desdemona as his, yet is able to lust for another. The reputation of Othello being a cuckold bothered him that he proclaimed that great men like himself as destined to be cheated upon and asserted that he would rather have the knowledge that he is a cuckold than to blindly love Desdemona. The reputation of a cuckold is a threat to Othello’s identity as a man of honor and strategy. As a general, he is expected to outwit his enemies. And if he were to be a cuckold, it would attack his reputation as a man and of a general since a woman is able to deceive him. To be a cuckold is a direct attack on Othello’s masculinity that he was not able to control his wife. Othello’s idea of masculinity based on how well he can control his wife is based on Jacobean society which legalizes and normalizes women to be bought and sold as property. 

 

Iago further feeds the monster of jealousy by illustrating the point that Othello is an outsider and he must be aware of the type of woman he married. Othello married Desdemona, a Venetian woman. Iago then illustrates that the reputation of Venetian women are those who let heaven see them commit adultery and hides this offense from their husbands. Iago furthers his point by implying that women are not to be trusted by reminding Othello on how Desdemona was able to deceive her father to marry Othello, a moor and outsider to Venetian society, that her father believed that it was caused by witchcraft. The fact that Desdemona married an outsider against her father’s wishes painted a reputation in Othello’s head that women defy what is expected of them in society, which is to remain obedient, dutiful, and loyal to their husbands and fathers. 

 

Iago then seals Othello’s curse to jealousy by stating how it is unnatural for Desdemona, the only daughter of a senator, to marry Othello, someone who is not of the same social class as her. Desdemona’s own decision to marry Othello is considered to be an unnatural thought since the idea of marrying someone of another social class is seen as damage to one’s reputation. Iago supports this by implying that through time, Desdemona would have gained a better judgment of her mistake of marrying someone who is not with her clime, degree, and complexion. Iago implies to Othello that Desdemona and his Lieutenant, Cassio are having an affair. Since Cassio is a Florentine and has a way with words, Iago uses Cassio’s reputation as someone who is of closer complexion and a better understanding of social norms as a natural choice for Desdemona to marry. 

 

In order to understand how Iago was able to make Othello suspicious of his wife even without evidence is by inspecting his manner of speech. Iago is someone who uses pauses in his speech, an implication that someone is hesitant to say something. Iago has a pattern that whenever he implies something, he gains Othello’s trust to believe him by representing himself as a loyal confidant. Iago uses short sentence responses, and this gave Iago the reputation of someone who is honest. And he uses this technique to imply meaning into his words and make people’s perception of a situation be their downfall. 

 

Act 3:3 is acted out in a play where only Othello and Iago are on stage, in a confined and private space. This further illustrates the intimacy of Othello and Iago’s friendship. Act 3 also shows how much Othello trusts Iago by calling him someone who is honest and is someone who sees more than he says. This proves how Iago’s manipulative speaking technique works.

Reputation has the power to make and destroy someone. Othello is a word of caution on how reputation paints the way we view a situation. Further from reality and closer to fantasy. Iago’s words of implication about other people’s reputation affect how others react. What makes Iago a powerful character is how easily people are manipulated to plan their own tragedy.