MERCHANT OF VENICE ACT 2 SCENE 7

                                       ACT II SCENE 7

                                             CONTEXT QUESTIONS

 1. (1) Portia asks one of her attendants to pull apart the curtains so that the different caskets are made visible. The Prince of Morocco is asked to make the choice
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 (ii) After reading the inscription on the three caskets, Morocco asks Portia how he will know if he chooses the correct casket. Portia replies that her portrait will be in the right casket. If he selects that one, then she will be his wife.

 (iii) The prince of Morocco finally chooses the golden casket. Morocco argues that base lead cannot contain such a saintly person like Portia. Silver which is ten times inferior to gold also cannot hold Portia as she is such a rich gem. So he concludes that Portia, whom many men desire and is most precious must be contained in the golden casket. Besides, the English have a gold coin with the figure of an angel engraved on it. Portia is an angel and hence her portrait may be in the golden casket.

(iv) The prince rejects the base lead arguing that it cannot contain such a noble person like Portia and silver which is ten times inferior to gold cannot contain Portia as she is such a rich gem.

 (v) When the prince opens the casket he finds a skull and in its eyeless socket a scroll.

 (vi) Morocco bids farewell to Portia with the warm-heartedness of a lover and says he must accept the cold comfort of the rejected. He says that his sorrow is too great for many words. Those who have lost their hearts' desire depart thus sadly. When the prince leaves the place, Portia calls it a good riddance and wishes that every suitor like him should make a similar choice.

 2. (i) The given words appear on the silver casket.

(ii) Morocco initially doubts his worth to deserve the lady because he thinks that though by his own standard, his merits may be very high, yet those merits may not be sufficient enough to deserve Portia, as her reputation is greater than his.

 (iii) Morocco, after having doubts about his worth to win Portia, later on changes his mind. He feels that he deserves Portia because of his royal birth, his wealth, his virtues and his upbringing. Above all, he is worthy of her because of his deep affection for her.

 (iv) (a) And compare your personal worth impartially.

 (b) A sign of weakness which would bring discredit on myself.

(v) Morocco read the inscription on the lead casket which stated that whosoever selects it must be prepared to give all and to risk everything Morocco declares that no one except a fool will be prepared to risk. everything for the sake of dull lead. He argues that lead cannot contain such a noble person like Portia.

 3. (i) The Prince of Morocco speaks these words. He is in a room in Portia's house getting ready to make his choice of caskets. In an earlier scene Morocco said that with his sword he had slain the emperor of Persia' and a Persian Prince, who had defeated Solyman of Turkey thrice. He boasted that he was courageous enough to confront a hungry lion, defy the most valiant warrior on earth and face the wrath of a mother-bear by separating its young ones from her.

 (ii) Shrine is a place where any sacred relic of a holy person or the image of a saint is kept. In this context, the saint is Portia and the shrine is Belmont. The Breathing Saint is a reference to Portia. Morocco says that people came from every part of the globe to worship at the holy place which enshrines this living object of adoration — Portia. 

(iii) Before he makes the choice, the speaker is told by Portia that the correct casket contains her picture and if he chooses it, she will be his wife. 

(iv) The word 'they' refers to the many suitors who come to Belmont from all parts of the globe to woo Portia. While coming they travel through Persian deserts, immense wilderness of Arabia and even cross the oceans. 

(v) (a) Hyrcanian deserts: Hyrcania was a province of the ancient Persian empire. Hyrcanian deserts were deserts lying in the south of Caspian sea.

 (b) The watery kingdom: The oceans and its fierce waves do not stop suitors from abroad. 

(vi) The speaker rejects the lead casket since on it was written that whoever selects it must be prepared to give all and to risk everything. Morocco declares that only a fool will risk everything for the dull lead. He thinks lead too crude a metal even to enclose the winding sheet when she is buried in the grave. He asserts that the lead casket cannot hold Portia's picture and so he rejects it.

 4. (i) The Prince thinks that Portia's picture is not in the silver casket because silver is ten times undervalued as compared to gold and such a rich gem can never be set in anything less than gold.

(ii) 'Sinful thought' is the thought that Portia is contained in the silver casket because silver has only a tenth of the value of gold and a rich gem like Portia can never be set in anything less than gold.

 (iii) The 'coin' referred to in the extract is the gold coin in England on which the figure of Archangel Michael standing and piercing a dragon was engraved on one side. The coin was called an angel 

and its value was about ten shillings. Morocco says that the figure of the angel on the coin is engraved on the surface of the coin. It is outside, whereas Portia is an angel, who lies on a golden bed within the casket entirely hidden from view.

 (iv) On the scroll it is written that things which make the most brilliant show are not always the truest metal. For the sake of mere gold, hundreds have risked and sacrificed their lives. Costly gold-plated tombs may be erected, but they have no real value. Decay and death are all they contain. The message tells the Prince that if he had been as wise as his courage and if he had united youthfulness of body to the wisdom of riper years, the answer would have been a living woman, not a written scroll. 

(v) The theme of appearance and reality is shown in the choice made by the prince. In spite of his good qualities, the prince is materialistic. He only sees the outward appearance and value of the caskets. He thinks that in birth, in fortune and outward graces, he deserves Portia. However, he says nothing about his inner worth, that is, of his good deeds, character and education. He chooses the gold casket for its bright and glittering appearance. The prince is motivated by pride and admiration, not true love. If he loved her, he would have been ready to risk everything for her.