Essay About Scene Cassio And Perfect Example

Themes of Othello
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Honor, along with envy, is probably the biggest theme in Othello. It is either present
or non-existent within each character in the play. Moreover, honor versus reputation is a
prominent theme as well. Honor is having personal values and morals. Also, its doing
whats right no matter what the circumstances. Reputation is simply what others think
of you. What others think of you is not necessarily always truthful.
Iago is a perfect example that the difference between reputation and honor is like the
difference between appearance and reality. Iago has a wonderful reputation, but no true
honor. He is a monster who really could not care about his honor. In Act II, Othello says
“Iago is most honest” (2.3, p. 41, line 7). Also in that same scene Cassio calls Iago
“honest Iago” (2.3, p. 52, line 335). These two quotes show that Iagos reputation is quite
good. The other characters in the play think quite highly of him. Both Cassio and Othello
go to Iago for advice and help because they find him to be a very honest man. However,
they are being fooled because in their doing that, it is only helping Iago with his
treacherous plan. Its very ironic that they trust him so highly while all Iago is doing is
trying his best in order to deceive them. Iago is one of the characters that has absolutely
no honor. Unlike with Cassio and Othello, Iagos honor cannot be disputed. It simply
does not exist within him. He is indeed the villain.
For other characters in the play, especially Othello, it is tougher to distinguish between
honor and reputation. Cassio is another character in which it is hard to decide whether he
is really honorable or if it is just his reputation. He is personified as a loyal man and the
“honorable lieutenant” but as I said earlier, those things are not necessarily true. In my
opinion, I find Cassio to be an honorable man. Yes, he does mistreat Bianca and uses
her for his own purposes but that is the only thing I find to be dishonorable about him.
Now, I do not know if that one thing makes him dishonorable overall but I feel that
it shouldnt. He never wronged Othello, Desdemona, or Iago. It is true that Cassio
does set much store upon reputation as is said in Act II, scene iii. Cassio says
“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” (2.3, p. 50, line 261-164). He does care very much about what others
think of him, but in this case I think what people say of Cassio is true. Therefore,
I find Cassio to be an honorable character. Roderigo, on the other hand, I feel to
most certainly be dishonorable. He knew of Iagos plan, not entirely, but he still knew
it was wrong yet he went along with it anyways. He did it because of his love for
Desdemona, but that does not make it right. Honor is doing whats right no matter
what! If Roderigo had honor, he would have gone about things in a different way and
not helped Iago hurt others.