Analyse the scene where Bassanio chooses the casket. (200 words)
Answers
In Belmont, Portia begs Bassanio to delay choosing between the caskets for a day or two. If Bassanio chooses incorrectly, Portia reasons, she will lose his company. Bassanio insists that he make his choice now, to avoid prolonging the torment of living without Portia as his wife.
Bassanio rejects the gold casket because he is aware that European moral iconographies repudiate earthly wealth (though, ironically, Bassanio is a poor illustration of the principle). ... Key words: Shakespeare, caskets, iconography, gold, fortune, Bassanio, Morocco, Portia.
Portia can't teach Bassanio to choose the correct casket as she has promised her father not to reveal the secret of the casket to anyone. If Bassanio were to make wrong choice, Portia would have wished that she had broken her promise.