Question

Discuss how their love story brought a new dimension in the marchent of venice

Answer 1

True Love in The Merchant of Venice 


Among the various themes presented in the Merchant of Venice the 

most important is the nature of true love. The casket plot helps 

illustrate the theme. Through a variety of suitors the descriptions of the 

caskets, Shakespeare shows the reader how different people view true love. 

He also shows what is most important to the suitors and in some cases it is 

not true love, but material things and outward appearance. 



The first suitor who tries to win Portia's hand is the Prince of 

Morocco. When he first arrives in Belmont, the reader can see how arrogant 

the prince is, He says, "The best regarded virgins of our clilme/ hath 

loved it too..."  Prince, having shallow reasoning only wanted to marry Portia because of her 

wealth. He leaves, having promised, as all the suitors had, to remain 

celibate if he should pick the wrong casket. Portia then awaits the next 

suitor who will try to win her hand in marriage. 



The Prince of Arragon, the next suitor to try his hand at choosing 

the correct casket, is not much better than the previous. As his name 

suggests, the Prince is quite arrogant and vain. When he reads the 

inscription on the gold casket, he comments that the 'many' men are most 

likely those who "...choose by showe..."He says he will not choose 

the gold casket because he is not like everyone else; he is better than the 

others are. He looks at he inscription on the silver casket: "'who 

chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves'" After reading 

this he assumes that he deserves the best and chooses the silver casket