Sunday 24 January 2010

To be Defined

To be Defined

CASSIO
Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have
lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of
myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation,
Iago, my reputation!

IAGO
As I am an honest man, I thought you had
received some bodily wound. There is more sense
in that than in reputation. Reputation is idle and
most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost
without deserving. You have lost no reputation at
all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. What,
man, there are ways to recover the General again!
You are but now cast in the mood – a punishment
more in policy than in malice, even so as one would
beat his offenseless dog to affright an imperious
lion. Sue to him again and he’s yours.
(ACT 2. SC. 3 – /281-295/ – page 99)


Reputation, tribute, honor… unable to be separated from one’s identity, those characteristics are companions in all actions and deeds. In Shakespeare’s Othello reputation plays a vital role in the development of the whole situation. It is a driving force behind the acts of all and regulates the decisions they make. A person is no longer judged for whom he really is, but rather for whom the others think him to be. Iago uses his reputation to deceive Othello and everyone else. Having in mind the consequences that might derive from even the smallest deviation from what is accepted, Shakespeare’s characters have to watch every step of their way. The thoughts of others take over the importance of self and personality:
Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have
lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of
myself, and what remains is bestial… (Act 2. Sc 3. 281-284)
Cassio has been humiliated and hence forward the others think low of him. He realizes that whatever he has done before, he would only be remembered with what is left and what will remain – his reputation. This “immortal part” will be his legacy and once it’s destroyed, he sees no point in moving on… in this world, he is finished. There is no regard to the human part as something as important; it is “bestial” – showing lack of human sensibility. It is this principle of being defined by others that forces Cassio to be subdued under the manipulative skills of Iago.
It is he who talks some reason – as perceived from contemporary point of view – into the already confused mind of his acquaintance:
…Reputation is idle and
most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost
without deserving. You have lost no reputation at
all, unless you repute yourself such a loser…(287-290)
It is also the fear of loosing one’s reputation that drives someone into doing illogical, at first glace, actions. Casio’s view of his life is strictly based on the reputation he upholds and how the others identify him. It is this fright of being low as a person that would motivate him to do literally anything to take back what defines him – the place in the society, the honor, and reputation. Being unwillingly part of Iago’s grant scheme of manipulation and trickery, he is easily twisted to his will. It is the best villain’s ability to swell other into his plans and use them for his own benefit. The scrutiny of the public is the perfect weapon for such reasons.
Convincing Cassio that he is being used as the “offenceless dog” – the weak – beaten down by those in charge with the sole purpose of scaring the “lion” –the strong – those who might present to be a threat in the future, Iago gain the trust he needs. Moreover, it is not an isolated case. It is present throughout the whole play and is a main motif for the characters to follow and be driven by.
Nowadays, though the times are quite different, everyone is still concerned with the opinion of others and the way they see them. In doing something, people always think of how it would reflect on their image and what the common understanding is. Any deviation is still viewed as unusual and, some times, unacceptable. However, the society today is far more lenient and understanding of the individual, their thought and different perspective of what is important, and what life actually is. Shakespeare’s play makes the reader thing of what his/her position is the public is and how he contributes.

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