In the final scene of Act 2, we are brought back to Belmont, where the Prince of Arragon has come to try his luck with the lottery for Portia’s hand.
Portia tells the Prince to make his pick and that if he picks the right casket, they will be married immediately, but if he chooses the wrong casket, he must, “without speech, my lord, / You must be gone from hence immediately,” meaning that without another word, he must leave.
Arragon reveals the three things he must observe by taking part in the lottery. The first is that he can never reveal what casket he picked, the second is that if he fails, he may never “woo a maid in way of marriage,” and the last thing is that he must immediately leave, if he picks the wrong casket.
It is clear that the prince is quite arrogant and in picking the caskets, he describes lead as ‘base lead,’ again, concentrating on the appearance of the casket. He says that it would need to look much better for him to risk so much. “You shall look fairer ere I give or hazard.”
He looks at the inscription on the gold casket and says that it is the obvious choice of the “barbarous multitudes,’ who judge based on appearances. We know that it is not in the gold casket and this is also what Portia’s father said in the scroll when Morocco opened it.
After dismissing lead and gold, he looks to the silver casket and reads the inscription, “who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.” He thinks about how there are many people in the world who do not always get what they deserve but is confident that he will get what he deserves, meaning, he thinks that Portia’s portrait is locked in the silver casket. He asks for the key.
Portia breaks the silence, by commenting, “Too long a pause for that which you find there.” She thinks that the long pause indicates that he has not unlocked the correct casket.
Arragon is shocked and reveals that there is a portrait of a ‘blinking idiot,’ with a scroll. The scroll, like the one in the gold casket, criticises the man who picked it, saying that he is foolish. Upon reading the scroll, he immediately leaves, vowing to keep his oath.
The scene ends with news of a messenger who has come from Venice with his lord, and Nerissa is hopeful that it is Bassanio.
Now that the audience is aware that the lead casket is the one with Portia’s portrait, the audience would be hopeful that Bassanio will pick the right casket. This adds tension to the play and it also gets the audience involved and emotionally invested in the story.
- Why does Arragon not pick the lead casket?
- What reason does he give for not picking the gold casket? Find the quote.
- Do you think Portia was disappointed with the outcome? Explain.
- Imagine you are Portia, write a diary entry after Arragon leaves and you have just heard that Bassanio is possibly coming to take part in the lottery. (Format, Facts, Feelings)
Key Quotes:
“without speech, my lord, / You must be gone from hence immediately,” Portia to Arragon
“woo a maid in way of marriage,” Arragon
You shall look fairer ere I give or hazard.” Arragon on lead
Too long a pause for that which you find there.” Portia