Reputation plays a very important role in the play Othello. The character of Iago uses his reputation as an honest man to deceive Othello and other characters in the play. Although, the bond that was erected with Othello, was most important to the tragic end of the Moor and the plot of Shakespeare"s play.

             To Cassio, reputation meant everything. Othello"s reputation played an important role in the play. Iago"s reputation played a very key role in the play. Everyone thought of Iago as an honest man. "A man he is of honesty and trust", ".Honest Iago, My Desdemona must I leave to thee." (ACT I, Scene III, Lines 283, 291-3) Iago has everyone fooled into believing that he is a noble honest man. Without this reputation of being honest, he could never get Othello to believe that Desdemona was cheating on him. Othello would have probably killed him if it weren"t for the trusted bond he had with Iago. Iago knew that an important man like Othello couldn"t ignore the possibility that his wife was cheating on him. Nobody suspects that Iago is a deceitful operative and would plot and plan to destroy Othello, Cassio and Desdemona in such a cunning way. Iago used his reputation, and the insecurities of Othello being a Moor, and married to the most beautiful girl in the land, to allow him to!.

             manipulate Othello. Othello had a reputation of being a military man, and a courageous leader. "It is Othello"s pleasure, our noble and valiant general," (Act II, Scene II, Line 1) Othello has been a soldier since he was seven years of age, and has experience on the battlefield. Othello was chosen when they went to fight the Turkish fleet. Because of his honorable representation along with his devoted backing by his so-called friend Iago, it wasn"t hard for other people to accept the relationship between him and Desdemona. As Iago started putting ideas in Othello"s head about Cassio and Desdemona being together, another side of Othello"s personality started to surface.