Othello: #3

“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 an idle and/ most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost/ without deserving” (II. iii. 285-289)

            Iago is Shakespeare’s perfect villain. Iago is a puppet master of sorts. He comes across as a good guy, but his purpose is to ultimately screw over Othello. He is such a good liar that not one person suspects any foul play. Iago blatantly states, “I am an honest man” (II. iii. 285), when the audience knows for certain that that cannot be farther from the truth. Everything that comes out of Iago’s mouth is a lie. He lies to Roderigo, Cassio, Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, and everyone else except the audience. No one will know that Iago is behind all of the mischief until it is over. In this passage Iago tells Cassio that his reputation does not matter. That is not only a lie, but it is quite ironic as well. Iago’s masterful plan came about because of his jealousy of Cassio. Iago wanted Cassio’s position and for everyone to see him as noble and important; Iago wanted a better reputation, yet tells Cassio that reputation does not matter. Iago has gotten himself strung up in so many lies that I predict it will eventually hurt him. This play is a tragedy, so obviously someone or multiple people will die. I think that Iago will no longer be able to distinguish from the truth and his skewed hopes for the future will only hurt himself.