Question

State and Explain the way in which the theme of appearance and reality is presented in the extract about the French lord Monsieur Le Bon in Merchant of Venice Act 1 Scene 2.

Answer 1

Answer:

Initially, Portia appears to be anxious over the prospect of choosing her husband through a lottery devised according to her father’s will. She feels sad as she can neither choose the one she likes nor refuse the one she dislikes as her husband. But later on she accepts her father’s will. Nerissa’s reaction to the lottery was positive. She calls Portia’s father pious and asserts that good men do have inspirations at the time of death. She consoles Portia by saying that she will be chosen correctly by a person whom she truly loves.