Let’s see once more this saying graved in gold
“Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.”
Why, that’s the lady; all the world desires her;
From the four corners of the earth they come,
to kiss this shrine, this mortal-breathing saint:
The hyrcanian deserts and the vasty wilds
Of wide Arabia are as thouroughfares now
For princes to come view fair Portia:
i) Who is Morocco speaking to? What is the occasion? [3]
ii) What does he think while reading the inscription on the gold casket? [3]
iii) How does he praise Portia? [3]
iv) “The Hyrcanian deserts and the vasty wilds… thoroughfares now”. Explain. [3]
v) What makes hime= choose gold casket? What does he find in golden casket? How does he react
on losing the game
Answers
The answers to the given questions are as follows:-
i) Who is Morocco speaking to? What is the occasion? [3]
The Prince of Morocco is speaking to himself as a monologue in the scene from which the excerpt has been taken.
The occasion portrayed here is a game of choosing the correct casket, which holds a portrait of Portia. This was arranged by the late King of Belmont in order to get his daughter married. Suitors from across the world came seeking Portia's hand in marriage.
ii) What does he think while reading the inscription on the gold casket? [3]
When the Prince of Morocco reads the inscription on the gold casket "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire", he thinks that that has to be Lady Portia. Everyone "desires" for her, and they would come from all four corners of the world to see this living, "breathing" saint and kiss her shrine. Therefore she was definitely worth the most precious metal, gold.
iii) How does he praise Portia? [3]
He calls her a living. breathing saint-like figure, for whom people from all four corners of the earth would travel, just to kiss her shrine. Her beauty was worth coming overcoming any dangerous or perilous road on the journey. She was an immensely precious gem that could only be kept in the least base metal, gold.
iv) “The Hyrcanian deserts and the vasty wilds… thoroughfares now”. Explain. [3]
Princes travel across the harshest deserts like "The Hyrcanian desert" and vast wilderness which are all across the wide land of Arabia, infested with life threatening perils. All these hurdles can be overcome for the sake of Portia.
v) What makes him choose gold casket? What does he find in golden casket? How does he react on losing the game?
He thinks that the inscription in the gold casket definitely refers to the beautiful Portia. He says that a precious gem like Portia can only be seated in the least base metal compared to her, which could only be gold. The gold coin of England has an angel engraved on it, but that is just a superficial symbolism The true angel, which is the portrait of Portia here, lies in a bed of gold, which of the gold casket. Therefore he believes that the gold casket is the correct one.
Inside the casket, the prince found a skull with a scroll in its empty socket. The scroll read that the choice of the Prince was based on superficial judgement, it did not see the true value of the person or the situation. If he had been as wise as he was bold, he would not have been reading this scroll, and thus failed to accomplish the task.
The Prince loses all the spark he had, having lost the game, and the chance to have Portia's hand in marriage. Dejected, he bids farewell to Portia quickly since he was remorseful and says losers should take their leave as soon as possible.