Introduction

- In both texts, fame (what is said or reported) holds more gravitas than reputation - what
the individual is known as and for.
- However, it is the way in which the disparity between these two things grows which
differs and which reveals differences about the human condition: Iago seeks vengeance
in the form of Othello’s downfall as the end-point of his jealousy-fuelled machiavellian
plot, driven by a wounded pride. In contrast, Moriarty is a postmodern, psychopathic
villain, motivated by the thrill of playing a ‘game’ with Sherlock, the outcome of which is
the destruction of Sherlock.

Paragraph One: Reputation is closely associated with (male?) status, builds esteem and can
define self-perception.
- Lives in the mind of those around you - a social ‘perception’
- As it lives in the mind of others (what do people say, positively, about Othello and
Sherlock?) you could say it is their perception
- Very important in Othello's time (Othello as husband and warrior (his speech to the
senate in Venice); Brabantio as father; Iago, losing the promotion and thus sparking his
Machiavellian machinations), but not something that Sherlock particularly cares for
(EVIDENCE)
- Sherlock’s reputation as a ‘boffin’ (define more closely) is crafted by the media, who are
enthralled by his ability to quickly solve crimes (refer to the opening sequence’s
techniques where he is seen to solve a series of crimes in quick succession) - Watson
foreshadows the media’s fickle nature and their thirst for sensationalism when he says
to Sherlock ‘they will turn on you...they always do…’
- However, TRF subverts one key aspect of reputation and jealousy when compared to
Othello; Donovan, in the contemporary text, stands out as the character most obviously
jealous of Sherlock’s fame, (he does not care for his reputation) as he (Sherlock) stymies
the development of their professional reputations; in TRF, it is a female character most
obviously seething with jealousy - a nod to changing gender roles in society/CONTEXT

Paragraph Two: The WHY - motivation of the villains

- Iago jealous of Cassio getting the promotion: loss of status, develops into jealousy and
pure hatred...I hate the Moor...
- Iago demonstrates Machiavellian qualities - CONTEXT
- In contrast, Moriarty’s motivations are less clear: he sees Sherlock as a rival and he
enjoys ‘the game’/putting on a show - POSTMODERN QUALITIES

Paragraph Three: HOW (the ‘technique’ of) manipulation, driven by jealousy, functions to undo a
public reputation
- Both antagonists use manipulative devices relevant to their contexts to further their
schemes.
- Proverbs, innuendo, the pause all employed by Iago - the philosophy of the people
- TRF sees Sherlock undone by Moriarty’s performance in the eyes of the media
 - A resonance between the texts is that their antagonists prove the malleable nature of
truth; ‘a lie is preferable to the truth - small truth can be subverted by a larger set of lies. ’
+ equivalent quote from Othello.. An individual’s reputation is formed by their social
narrative - and it is this storytelling which can be used to bring an individual undone.
- Both texts explore how lies are always preferable to the truth and how a
- In Sherlock, the lie is propagated by the tabloid media’s pervasiveness and its ability to
sculpt social narratives by playing to each individual’s tendency to transcend the public
realm to infest the private: scene where Moycroft Holmes has a copy of ‘The Sun’ and
Sherlock calling into question Watson’s loyalty

Paragraph Four: The consequences of the jealous plots of manipulation

- To destroy the identity of their quarry - to change the ‘social’ perceptions of the
protagonists (IV.i - Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate call all in all sufficient?)
- Othello: succumbs to his jealous and emotional tendencies - the stereotype - and loses
‘face’ in the eyes of the Venetians; goes through with the murder of Desdemona - Othello
‘becomes’ the false reputation crafted by Iago and never achieves the ‘comes good’ in
the end like Shakespeare’s tragic heroes are expected to do; in the end, Iago’s
manipulative plot, driven by jealousy, shows Othello perishing by his own hand,
responsible for his own demise.
- Sherlock is constructed/set up as a ‘fraud’ by the media (Kitty Riley) - Richard Brook ‘the
storyteller’.
- In contrast, Sherlock Holmes develops into a more sympathetic character as audiences
see his humanity blossom; the pressure Holmes is exposed to because of Moriarty’s
plot to destroy his reputation makes him realise that human connections/relationships
(‘I need you’ to Molly in St Barts) are more important than ‘staying alive’ and so, he
develops a more ‘humane’ reputation in the eyes of his friends.
- In contrast, Sherlock overcomes his fatal weakness (arrogance) and humbly accepts
help from his friends, thus positioning audiences to view him more empathetically than
one would Othello.
- Contrast in texts: while Othello dies, in plain sight, Holmes adds a 21st Century twist by
using science/tech to fake his own death...thus further cementing the moral difference
between him and Othello.