Who can tell what Shakespeare would have made of our digital age? It brings with it the joys of accessing and sharing information, as we do here! — but we all know too well its accompanying dangers. One of these is the ability to deceive, to misguide: a theme that Shakespeare himself explored in Othello.
Here, Othello is driven mad by jealousy and kills his wife, Desdemona, because he believes her to have been unfaithful. Or rather, because he was led to believe this, thanks to lies told by the wicked Iago. He is no ordinary antagonist: Iago declares friendship and loyalty to Othello, all while plotting his destruction. In fact, it is through Iago that one of the finest commentaries on reputation emerges: “Good name in man and woman […] is the immediate jewel of their souls.”
If and when you teach Iago’s monologue to young actors, be sure to remind them of the enduring truth of these words — even if spoken by a villain! At a time when personal authenticity can be exchanged for digital immediacy, and identities can be constructed with only a mouse-click, the most valuable thing of all is one’s own character.
©2018