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Reputation in Othello
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A full, in-depth A* essay plan exploring the theme of Reputation in Shakespeare's "Othello", for the Pearson Edexcel A-Level English Literature.
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reputationIntroduction
o Conflict between identity and reputation drives the plot of the play: tragic
consummation = Desdemona is accused of adultery despite dying a virgin and her
blood never being spilled.
o Feminist critical perspective = male inability to understand female complexity that
leads to tragic ending
Female reputation as objects
o First intro to her is derogatory and sexual “tupping your white ewe” – “your” shows
women as possession, plus white sheep is Christian symbol for purity, juxtaposed
with sexual implications mocks her innocence
o Iago “look to your house, your daughter, and your bags” – within list of objects, and
inferior to property within descending tricolon
o R “tying her duty, beauty, wit and fortunes” – expectations of women, dead internal
rhyme shows cliché and traditional ideas (duty most important, looks more valued
than intellect)
o Possession - “ornament[s] of men” (Cornelius a Lapide) – Genesis 2, women made to
keep man company
o Can be explored through feminist critical perspective where stereotypes passed down
through history by men (Genesis from Moses)
o First introduction to Desdemona comes through the words of Iago and Roderigo
before we get the chance to form our own opinion of her (victim of the patriarchy)
Othello’s reputation as barbaric, abhorrent, lustful
o Introduced to Othello through racists’ viewpoints
1) Iago
o “an old black ram is tupping your white ewe” – implies he is corrupting the innocence
of a lamb
2) Roderigo
o “what full fortune does the thick lips owe us?” – plosive alliteration sounds like he is
spitting words out, emphasizing anger; ‘thick lips’ is derogatory slur on Othello’s race;
Othello influenced by Desdemona’s dowry (payment from father to groom in 17
century); Leo Africanus “so greedily addicted unto their filthy lucre”
3) Brabantio
o “chains of magic” – metaphor emphasizing Othello’s power over wife and how he
trapped her against her will; predatory, she is weak and helpless; “chains”
connotations of slavery; strong beliefs in witchcraft amongst Jacobean society - James
I wrote “Daemonologie” – belief that black connoted black magic and evil. Burnett
“he himself is a racially oppressed figure in an unfamiliar environment where the
attitudes of the white majority prevail”
o At first, seemingly inaccurate reputation, but animalistic identity confirmed at end:
reduced from a well-respected man considered “far more fair than black” to
“monster” shown through Othello’s speech:
o Becomes increasingly more animalistic(explored by Shakespeare through Iago’s
racist discourse “old black ram”, “foam at the mouth”, “gnaw” – eventually
internalises these and adopts animalistic behaviour (calls himself a “circumciséd dog”
and promises to “tear [Desdemona] to pieces”)
o Adheres to views of Leo Africanus who calls blacks “dogs”, “beastly”, “lives in the
forest among beasts”
Meanings of names exposing conflict between identity and reputation:
o “Desdemona” -> “disdemona”, “the unfortunate” in Greek – carefully chosen by
Shakespeare and reflective of her character: demise is due to Othello, not her own
flaws (victim of his savagery)
o Iago: Hands: name is Spanish (England’s main enemy in Tudor times, emphasising his
antagonistic nature)
o Bianca: means “white”, pure connotations despite being a prostitute/”courtezan” –
contradictory as she remains loyal to Cassio (Shakespeare points towards complexity
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