Christen FoleyM. CzarneckiMay 28, 2014Period 6Roderigo, Just a Puppet on a String: Analyzing Roderigo's Reputation in OthelloPeople like to believe that they are in complete control of their current situation. Most people need control, at least, of their own lives. If the sense of control is impaired, people can lose self-confidence, awareness and security. This can mean humans feel vulnerable to dangers and negative influences from around the world. Specifically, in William Shakespeare's play Othello, the second antagonist, Roderigo, is portrayed with little control over his life and furthermore his reputation. Reputation greatly affects Roderigo's life because he does not have complete control over it. His reputation is based solely on what others think of him, not on his few actions. Roderigo has no regulation over what others perceive of him, unlike the other characters in Othello. Readers are led to believe that Roderigo is an unintelligent, desperate, and jealous man because of the stories of two other characters, Brabantio and Iago. Perhaps there is more to Roderigo's story, but readers will never know due to the lack of evidence. Influencing Roderigo's reputation in Othello, Brabantio, Desdemona's father has negative feelings towards Roderigo. Roderigo's main source of motivation in the play is Desdemona and his desire for her. Brabantio would not be considered a supporter of Roderigo and this certainly does not work in Roderigo's favor as he aspires to marry Desdemona. Brabantio's view is very negative. He knows that his daughter has no interest in Roderigo and he has already told her the truth but Roderigo persists. In the first act, first scene of Othello, Brabanti...... middle of paper...... Iago's gossip but is influenced by Iago's rhetoric. Although it may seem like Roderigo would have control over his reputation, this is not the case and is just another of Iago's puppets, but due to his jealousy and lack of intelligence, he is easy to handle. At first, a minor character, such as Roderigo, may seem to have an insignificant role in Othello, but upon closer inspection, their role may be much more important than first thought. Roderigo's depressing reputation greatly affects his life, greatly affecting his relationship with Desdemona and his father in his daily life. It's perhaps no surprise that Roderigo has so little control over his reputation, but people around the world may never feel like they have control over what others think of them. Arguably, Othello readers around the world could become puppets for those around us who want to pull the strings..