describe how the prince of morocco and the prince of arragon interpret the inscriptions on the caskets to draw their conclusions
Answers
MOROCCO, Arragon and Bassanio choose the gold, silver and lead caskets respectively. Today we would like to find out why these suitors choose as they do, and what aspects of their characters these choices reveal.
Morocco reads the inscriptions on the three caskets. The first of gold bears the inscription: “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.” The second silver, which this promise carries: “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.” This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt, “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.”
From this reading we are made aware of all the inscriptions on the three caskets chosen and rejected by the suitors.
Morocco surveys the inscriptions back again trying to understand each one of them. Analysing the leaden casket again he asks, “Must give — for what? For lead, hazard for lead!” Then he goes on to say that the leaden casket threatens — men that hazard all do it in hope for good profits. A golden mind does not stoop for displays of what is worthless. He decides that he will neither give nor hazard all for lead. To him lead is too threatening and not worth risking anything for.
Moving on Morocco considers the silver casket which bears the inscription, “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.” He pauses on the expression , “as much as he deserves,” to weigh himself with a fair hand. He exposes his own fear that he does not deserve Portia. “Thou dost deserve enough, and yet enough may not extend so far as to the lady.” But to believe that his own worth, even as he values it himself, would not be enough to win the lady seems to bring discredit on his person.
However, Morocco is convinced that he truly deserves Portia. He says he deserves her in birth, maybe because of his royalty of nature. He deserves in fortunes, in graces, and in qualities of breeding. Above all, more than these he claims he deserves her because he loves her. For the second time he considers the saying engraved in gold. He concludes that what many men desire is the lady, Portia. All the world desires her and many suitors come from all over the world to woo her. He is filled with passionate love such that he begins to use religious language in talking of Portia.