As Othello attempts to find out what started all the quarreling, he hears a confused story. Montano does not really know what made Cassio angry, and Cassio is still drunk. The impatient Othello himself starts to become angry that the problem is not cleared up immediately:
Here again Shakespeare is revealing the essential internal conflict of many of his plays: judgment vs. passion or, as usually stated, reason vs. emotion. In this passage, the word blood also refers to emotions and the expression “safer guides” also means reason. Christian leaders of the Renaissance taught that reason rules over the emotions. With reason, any individual is capable of controlling his emotions. But here Othello (and Shakespeare) is contradicting that teaching. Othello is saying that his blood or emotions (in this case, his anger) are beginning to rule over his reason. He is saying that his passion is in control.
This passage is important for two reasons: first, the audience becomes aware that in Cyprus Othello is becoming a different man. In Venice, Othello was cool and calm and logical. He was a man of reason. But in Cyprus his reason is starting to weaken. Othello could become a man of passion. Second, the passage is also important because it foreshadows Othello’s central conflict in the play. An emotion will lead the way and be in complete control over his reason in a very short time. But that emotion will not be anger. It will be jealousy.
Iago, in a lengthy passage (lines 203-229), explains to Othello what happened between Cassio, Roderigo, and Montano. Although Iago pretends that he cares for Cassio, his phrasing is careful so that Cassio appears to be extremely guilty. Othello accepts Iago’s explanation without hearing any further comments, and he immediately fires
(dismisses) Cassio. Cassio is no longer his lieutenant.
Cassio is immediately upset and unhappy about what he did and the results. He realizes that he has done serious harm to his reputation and his sense of honor (lines 246-48). He feels that he has ruined “the immortal part” of himself. That expression usually refers to his soul, and Cassio is suggesting that reputation is connected to personal honor and virtue. Iago, however, tells Cassio that a loss of reputation is nothing. A serious physical wound to the body would be something to moan about and to complain about. But a wounded reputation can be recovered and completely healed. There’s a double way of interpreting this dialogue, and Shakespeare probably intends both meanings. First, the connection of reputation to honor and virtue is an idea that would be meaningless to Iago because Iago is completely lacking in honor and virtue. Therefore, Iago would view a loss of honor and virtue as unimportant. But, second, the word reputation also suggests fame. And fame, as many writers have expressed (see, for example, Geoffrey Chaucer’s The House of Fame), is like a shadow. Fame is unsubstantial, meaningless, and often undeserved.
Thus, even though Iago is manipulating Cassio to put his own evil scheme in motion, there is truth in Iago’s words. That is why Iago is so successful. He uses the truth to accomplish evil. A lost reputation can be easily regained. Reputation relies on what others think, and what others think can be quickly changed and altered. The opinion of others can alter with the wind (that is, their opinions can change at any moment).