English Notes

We are back in Belmont, where Bassanio is about to pick his casket. Portia is asking him to take his time, as she could lose him, if he picks the wrong casket. It is clear that Portia wants Bassanio to pick the right casket.

Bassanio ignores her pleas to wait and says that waiting like this is a form of torture and that he wants to know his fate.

Portia puts on some music, while he is thinking about which casket to open. The lyrics of the song convey the message of not judging things by appearance and the last words of the first few lines all rhyme with lead, which could indicate that Portia is giving Bassanio subtle hints about which casket to pick.

There is dramatic irony at play in this scene as the audience know that the correct casket is the lead one and they would feel like telling Bassanio. Bassanio says, “the world is still deceived with ornament, ” which shows that he is not someone who judges based on appearance and this suggests that he will choose the lead casket.

He finally chooses the lead casket and sees the image of Portia, which tells him that he has ‘won’ the lottery that Portia’s father created. He is unsure about approaching Portia, but Portia is equally unsure and her confident nature seems to disappear and she tells Bassanio that she will do all she can to please him. She describes herself as, “an unlessoned girl, unschooled, unpractised,” which is not the Portia we have seen in the previous scenes. This may be a sign of the times, when women were expected to be subservient to men.

Portia gives Bassanio a ring, which she tells him is a symbol of their love. She also warns him, “I give them with this ring, which when you part from, lose or give away, Let it presage the ruin of your love.” She is basically saying that if he loses this ring, their relationship is ruined. This is important later in the play.

In a twist in the scene, it becomes apparent that the casket not only won Bassanio the right to marry Portia, but it also won Gratiano the right to marry Nerissa, who he says he fell in love with instantly. “You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid./You loved, I loved.” It is abundantly clear from this scene that love in Shakespearean times was based on looks and not personality. This is ironic, given the significance of the lead casket.

The scene is broken up with news from Venice, which is given by Lorenzon and Jessica. There is a change in the mood as the characters learn of Antonio’s fate. Salerio gives Bassanio a letter and as he reads it, Portia notices the colour is drained from his face. “There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper/that steals the colour from Bassanio’s cheek.”

Bassanio explains to Portia that all of Antonio’s ships have been lost at sea and he also explains how much he owes Antonio and how he is bound by a bond that was taken out to help Bassanio win the lottery. Portia offers to pay double the amount of the loan and then treble the amount of the loan, showing Bassanio that what is hers is his. “Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond. Double six thousand, and then treble that.” She tells him, “You shall have gold to pay the petty debt twenty times over.”

Bassanio reads the letter from Antonio, which confirms that all the ships have been lost at sea. Portia tells Bassanio that he must go and deal with this situation in Venice.

Questions:

1. Why does Bassanio not want to delay making his decision with the caskets?
2. Do you think Portia influenced his choice? Explain your answer with reference to the text.
3. What warning does Portia give Bassanio along with the ring?
4. What news do Jessica and Lorenzo give?
5. How does Portia react?
6. If you were the director, what decisions would you make to heighten the tension in the scene?