The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare | Act 2, Scene 7

Summary

In 'The Merchant of Venice,' the Prince of Morocco faces a challenge to win Portia's hand in marriage. He must choose between three caskets: gold, silver, and lead, each with a riddle. The gold casket's riddle suggests it holds what many men desire. The prince, valuing Portia highly, selects gold but finds a skull, symbolizing the danger of judging by appearances. His failure reveals that Portia's father's riddles are not mere chance but tests of character. Portia's relief at his departure hints at her own superficial judgment based on his 'complexion,' mirroring the prince's mistake.

Takeaways

• 📖 In Act 2 Scene 7 of 'The Merchant of Venice', the Prince of Morocco faces a challenge to win Portia's hand in marriage by choosing the correct casket.
• 📖 There are three caskets: gold, silver, and lead, each with a different inscription that serves as a clue to its contents.
• 📖 The gold casket promises what many men desire, the silver casket suggests receiving what one deserves, and the lead casket warns of giving and risking all.
• 📖 The Prince of Morocco dismisses the lead casket due to its threatening inscription and considers his own worth in relation to the silver casket.
• 📖 He chooses the gold casket, believing it to be the most fitting container for Portia's portrait, reflecting his own attraction to outward appearances.
• 📖 Upon opening the gold casket, the Prince finds a skull and a message that warns against being deceived by appearances, revealing his mistake.
• 📖 Portia is relieved by the Prince's failure, indicating that her father's choice of suitor involves more than mere chance.
• 📖 The caskets' inscriptions are designed to test a suitor's character and ability to interpret clues, rather than relying on luck.
• 📖 The Prince of Morocco's choice reflects his own preoccupation with appearances, which is the very trap the casket's inscription warns against.
• 📖 Portia judges the Prince based on his appearance and ethnicity, showing her own prejudice, which mirrors the Prince's initial assessment of the caskets.
• 📖 The Prince's departure is marked by Portia's comment on his complexion, highlighting the theme of superficial judgment in the play.

Q & A

What is the big challenge left by Portia's father in The Merchant of Venice?

The challenge is to choose the correct casket among three: gold, silver, and lead, each containing a different message and only one contains Portia's portrait.

What are the inscriptions on the gold, silver, and lead caskets?

The gold casket reads 'Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire', the silver casket 'Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves', and the lead casket 'Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath'.

Why does the Prince of Morocco eliminate the lead casket from consideration?

He finds the inscription on the lead casket threatening and decides to eliminate it right away.

What does the Prince of Morocco believe he deserves and why does he choose the golden casket?

He believes he deserves much and chooses the golden casket because he thinks Portia is something many men desire and it is symbolically worthy to contain her image.

What does the Prince of Morocco find inside the golden casket and what message does it convey?

He finds a skull and a message cautioning against being seduced by outward appearances, stating 'All that glisters is not gold'.

How does Portia feel about the Prince of Morocco's failure to choose the correct casket?

Portia expresses relief at his failure.

What does the selection of the caskets reveal about Portia's father's intentions?

It reveals that Portia's father did not leave her fate to pure chance but provided clues in the inscriptions to guide the suitor to the correct choice.

How does the Prince of Morocco's choice of the casket reflect his own character?

His choice reflects his preoccupation with outward appearances, as he is seduced by the outward appearance of the gold casket.

What does Portia's reaction to the Prince of Morocco's departure indicate about her?

Portia judges the Prince by his appearance and is unable to look beyond his complexion, showing her own prejudice.

What is the significance of Portia's last line in relation to the Prince of Morocco's first line?

Her last line mirrors his first, indicating her prejudice and inability to see beyond his appearance, which is a form of blindness to his actual qualities.

What is the moral lesson conveyed by the caskets' inscriptions and the Prince of Morocco's choice?

The moral lesson is not to be seduced by outward appearances and to look beyond the surface to understand true value and character.