The focus of the play shifts back to Belmont, where the Prince of Morocco is about to make his decision on what casket to pick. This is the first time we have seen the lottery in action and the prince spends a lot of time deliberating on each of the caskets.
The prince tells us that the caskets all have an inscription with them. They are:
- Gold- “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.”
- Silver- “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.”
- Lead- “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.”
Portia tells the Prince that if he finds her portrait in his chosen casket that she is his.
The prince begins his deliberations and gives little thought to lead, as “A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross,” meaning that someone as noble as him would never pick something as worthless as lead.
He is thinking carefully about silver, as it tells him that in this casket he will get as much as he deserves. He thinks about whether or not he is worthy of Portia and chastises himself for thinking like this. “I do in birth deserve her, and, in fortunes,/ In graces, and in qualities of breeding.” He wonders if he just picked silver and didn’t consider the other casket.
However, he is drawn to the gold casket and reads the inscription again, which says, “Who chooseth me will have what men desire.” He is convinced that men from all over the world desire Portia, therefore, it must be the gold casket.
He goes over his thoughts again, saying that it would be disrespectful to pick lead, that silver is too undervalued and that it must be gold that holds the picture of her. He asks for the key to unlock the gold casket and when he opens it, an empty skull with a scroll awaits him. The first line of the scroll is a message from Portia’s father. It reads, “all that glisters is not gold.” Here we see that Portia’s father wanted to ensure that she didn’t marry a man that was focused on looks and riches.
Before he leaves, Portia reveals that she is glad that he failed in his quest to marry her. She also expresses a racist remark, as he leaves, “Let all of his complexion choose me so,” meaning that she hopes no one of his skin colour can succeed in choosing the right casket.
Questions:
- Describe the inscriptions on the three caskets.
- Why does he automatically dismiss lead? What does this show about the prince?
- How does he come to the conclusion that gold is the correct casket?
- What message did Portia’s father send to anyone who opened the gold casket?
- How is Portia racist in this scene? Does this show a different side to her? Explain.
- Imagine you are Portia, write the diary entry you would write after the prince leaves. (Format, Facts, Feelings)
Key Quotes:
- Gold- “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.”
- Silver- “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.”
- Lead- “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.”
“A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross,” Morocco
“I do in birth deserve her, and, in fortunes,/ In graces, and in qualities of breeding.” Morocco
“all that glisters is not gold.”Scroll from Portia’s father
Let all of his complexion choose me so,” Portia