Describe the Casket Scene in 'The Marchant of Venice' and bring

Describe the Casket Scene in ‘The Marchant of Venice’ and bring out its significance.

Ans.

The Casket Scene (or rather the scenes) form an integral part of the play ‘The Merchant of Venice‘. the wise, virtuous, rich and beautiful young Portia is to be won through the lottery of caskets. Rich and royal suitors flock to Belmont, the place where Portia lives, in the hope of winning her hand.

According to the will of Portia’s dead father any candidate for Portia’s hand has to choose one from the three caskets of gold, silver and lead. The right casket has Portia’s portrait in it. The three caskets have inscriptions over them commenting on the contents of the caskets. The gold-casket promises to yield “what many men desire,” the silver-casket promises to give “as much as he deserves,” and the lead-casket asks the chooser “to give and hazard all he hath.” This provision was made by the father of Portia to test and select a husband for Portia who was as wise, virtuous and noble as the lady (Portia). One of the oaths which one has to take before making the choice is that in case of failure the chooser shall never talk to any lady in his life with a view to marry.

The handsome and valiant Prince of Morocco has a very inflated opinion about his worth. He proceeds very systematically. He reads the inscriptions on the caskets very carefully and analyses them, naturally, according to his own mental make-up, he spends much time in discussing with himself the possible interpretations and ultimately chooses the golden casket. He is shocked to find that he is wrong. The scroll inside placed in the eyehole of a skull tells him that he is carried away by the show and appearance and is consequently cheated of the prize he sought.

Next, the Prince of Arragon. He too thinks too much of himself. He also reads the inscriptions on the three caskets and like the Prince of Morocco restricts his choice between the caskets of gold and silver, rejecting the lead casket outright as unworthy of Portia, But he chooses the silver casket thinking that he will get Portia as he deserves her in birth and virtue. But he too fails. On opening the casket he finds the portrait of a blinking idiot presenting him a schedule telling him that as he was casting a shadow, he was bound to be rewarded with a shadow.

Lastly, Bassanio comes to try his luck. There are many points of dissimilarity between him and the previous royal suitors (Morocco and Arragon). the two princes had very inflated egos and so thought too much of themselves. They claimed Portia as a matter of right and approached the ordeal with a disdainful confidence. Naturally their failure resulted in shocks in proportion to their hopes. In either case Portia was unwilling to accept them.

But Bassanio form the very outset impresses Portia with his cultured and courteous ways. He is very humble and modest. He proceeds with diffidence and his choice reflect his character-in love he is prepared to risk and lose all he has.

In this scene Portia is also in a very tense condition. She is in love with Bassanio and makes no secret of it from him. She wishes that she should pass some time in Bassanio’s company before he proceeds to make the choice fearing that he will leave immediately in case he makes a wrong choice like his predecessor, the two princes of Morocco and Arragon. The Bassanio is also in a very tense situation and feels that he cannot endure this suspense any longer and so decides to proceed with the choice immediately. Like his predecessors he too studies and analyses the inscription very carefully. His choice falls on the lead casket because he is prepared to risk and lose all he as got for his love. He succeeds and is landed by the document in the casket along with Portia’s portrait.

This scene has a great dramatic significance. It fills time. It furthers the Bond Story-it is an outcome of the Bond Story. It also reveals the characters of Portia and Bassanio. Portia is a noble and virtuous lady; very human. She has a very strong sense of duty and honour. She is in love with Bassanio. She knows, from the choice of Morocco and Arragon, the right casket but she does not impart her knowledge to Bassanio. Thus she stakes the happiness of her entire life to uphold the honour and dignity of an upright life in deference to the memory of her deceased father.

Thus this scene has great dramatic significance.