30 Days of Shakespeare - Day 3

Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls.

Who steals my purse steals trash. 'Tis something, nothing:

'Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands.

But he that filches from me my good name

Robs me of that which not enriches him

And makes me poor indeed.

Othello, Act III, Scene III

My Take - At our core, all we really have is our good name.  Someone who defames us and steals that good name from us is the worst kind of thief.  We are watching the use of defamation, slander, and hyperbole convict a man in the public square rather than have his actions judged in a court of law.  Regardless of his guilt or innocence, this is an unkind cut, even more so than any prison term or civil judgement.  We should always be prepared to defend our good name from those who would destroy it.

Thanks to Kathy over at Cornered Cat for the suggestion!