Act I, Scene 2

Set in Belmont, this scene introduces the reader to

Portia, a central character of the story, and her maid-in-
waiting, Nerissa, who also plays the role of a guide and
friend. Portia, too, is introduced in a melancholic mood.
She expresses her unhappiness at the will devised by her
father, the conditions of which curb her choice. Deprived
by her father of the freedom to choose her own husband,
she is upset and anxious that she will be compelled to
marry a man she does not like.
The scene introduces the reader to the will of her father
and the lottery of caskets devised by him. Nerissa
reassures Portia that the lottery was devised to test the
character of the suitor such that only someone who truly
loves her would win the lottery.
Portia shares her opinion of the suitors who had arrived
to try the lottery of caskets. On learning of the conditions
of the lottery, the suitors decide to leave without making
the choice of caskets. Instead of being disappointed,
Portia is glad that the suitors are leaving.

1. Who does Nerissa say are the happiest? Why?

Nerissa tells Portia that those who have just enough
are the happiest and they live longer. She says that those
who have too much are just as miserable as those
who starve with nothing. Those who have abundant
good fortunes are worried that they will lose it and that
makes them miserable, whereas there are others who
have nothing and are miserable because they are
wanting. Nerissa says it is not bad fortune to be placed
between the two extremes. The man who has too much
becomes grey-haired while he who has just enough
wealth lives longer.

2. What does Portia say about giving and following

advice?
Portia says that it is easy to know what is the right thing
to do but doing good is not as easy. If everyone followed
 the advice they gave others, then chapels would be
churches and poor men’s houses would be royal palaces.
She adds that a good priest is one who follows his own
teachings. Portia confesses that it is easier for her to give
advice and tell twenty people what is good to follow than
be one among the twenty to follow her own teachings.

3. What does Portia say about youth?

Portia says that the mind devises laws for the body,
but in youth, the heat of desire disobeys these laws.
In youth, individuals are high-spirited and like a hare
which leaps over the nets laid to trap it, youth leap
over the good advice given to them.

4. Why is Portia upset? What is Nerissa’s opinion of

the will and the lottery Portia’s father devised?
Portia is upset about her father’s will as it does not
let her choose her own husband. She can neither
choose whom she likes nor refuse whom she dislikes. Her
will is curbed by the will of her dead father.
Nerissa tells her that her father was a virtuous man and
such holy men get divine inspiration before their
deaths. She adds that the will devised by Portia’s father
is fool-proof; it will test the character of the suitor
and only the one who truly loves her will choose the
right casket.

5. Name and describe each of the suitors

1. The Neapolitan Prince
 A colt – young and inexperienced
 Talks only of his horse
 Considers it a great merit that he can shoe his horse
himself

Portia refers to the Neapolitan prince as a young colt, an

inexperienced man who speaks only about his horse and
considers it a great merit that he can shoe his horse himself.
Portia dislikes him and does not share his interest in horses.

2. The County Palatine or the Count of Palatinate

 Always frowning, never smiles
  May become like the weeping philosopher Heraclitus
when he grows old
 Portia would rather marry a skull than him

The County Palatine is always frowning as if conveying that

he does not care whom Portia chooses. He hears happy
stories but never smiles. She compares him to Heraclitus
who was known as the weeping philosopher. She feels
certain that when the Count becomes old, he will become
like Heraclitus as he has such a gloomy personality in his
youth. Portia says she would rather marry a grinning skull
with a bone in its mouth than marry the Neapolitan prince
or the Count of Palatinate.

3. The French Lord, Monsieur Le Bon

 No personality of his own
 Marrying him would be like marrying twenty
husbands
 More attached to his horse than the Neapolitan
prince
 Frowns more than the County Palatine
 If a throstle/thrush sings, he starts dancing
 Fences with his own shadow
 Portia says he is not a man and she dislikes him
 If he were to hate her, she would forgive him
 But, if he loves her madly, she will not reciprocate
his love
Portia is least impressed with the lively Frenchman,
Monsieur Le Bon. She has little regard for him as he does
not have a striking personality but instead appears to have
borrowed traits from other men. Portia tells Nerissa that Le
Bon speaks more about his horse than the Neapolitan prince
and frowns a lot more than the Count Palatine.
When he hears the thrush sing, he starts dancing and he
fences with his own shadow. He has the qualities of so many
men that marrying him would be like marrying twenty
husbands. She tells Portia that if he hates her, she will
forgive him, but if he loves her passionately, she will not
reciprocate his love.

4. Falconbridge, the young baron of England

 Can only speak English
  Does not speak or understand Latin, French or
Italian
 Portia calls him a dumb show because she cannot
communicate with him
 He is handsome but dresses strangely
 His jacket/doublet is from Italy
 His hose from France
 His bonnet/cap from Germany

In Portia’s opinion, the Baron is a handsome man but she

has nothing to say to him as he cannot understand her. He
speaks only English and cannot speak any European
language like Latin, French or Italian while Portia has little
knowledge of English. As language is a barrier between
them, she refers to him as a dumb-show. She thinks he also
dresses strangely – his jacket is from Italy, his breeches are
from France, his cap from Germany and his behaviour from
everywhere.

5. The Scottish Lord

 Loves his neighbour, the Englishman
 received blow on his ear from the Englishman, but
did not return it
 A coward
 He swore to return the favour when he was able
The Scottish Lord, the Englishman’s neighbour, was given a
blow on his ear by the Englishman. The Frenchman
guaranteed that he would return the debt when he was able.
Reference is made here to the constant assistance the
French extended to the Scots in their dispute with the
English.

6. The Young German, the Duke of Saxony’s nephew

 When sober in the morning, he is very vilely
 In the afternoon when he is drunk, he is most vilely
 When at his best, he is a little worse than a man
 And when at his worst, he is a little better than a
beast
Portia dislikes the young German who she calls a sponge
because he drinks excessively. She expresses her fear that
he may choose the correct casket. She tells Nerissa that
even when he is sober in the morning, he is very vilely; in
the afternoon when he is drunk, he is most vilely. When at
his best behaviour, he is worse than any man and when at
his worst, he is just a little better than a beast. She devises
a plan to tempt him into choosing the wrong casket, so that
she will not have to marry him.

6. What plan does she make to ensure that the German

chooses the wrong casket?
Portia instructs Nerissa to put a deep glass of Rhenish
wine on the contrary casket to tempt the young German.
She is certain he will choose it and she then won’t have to
marry a sponge.

7. Why do the suitors not make the choice of caskets?

How does Portia respond to the news?
The suitors inform that they do not wish to make the
choice of caskets as they are not happy with the
conditions. They are willing to try to win Portia’s
hand in marriage by any other means besides the
lottery of caskets.
Portia says that she would rather remain unmarried if
she is not chosen according to the lottery of caskets
than go against her father’s will.
She says even if she lives to be as old as Sibylla, she
will remain chaste like Diana, unless she is obtained
according to the terms of her father’s will.
She is glad the suitors are leaving as there is none
among them whose absence she will regret. She
wishes them a happy journey.

8. What message does the forerunner bring?

The forerunner announces that the Prince of Morocco
would be arriving that night to try his luck with the
caskets.

9. What does Portia say about the Prince of Morocco?

 Portia is unhappy to learn about the arrival of the Prince
of Morocco. She says that she would rather he shrive
her, than wive her.
She knows he is dark complexioned and does not wish to
marry him either. If he has the virtues of a saint but the
complexion of the devil, she would rather have him listen
to her confessions and forgive her sins, than marry her.

10. What does Nerissa say about Bassanio? What is

Portia’s view of him?
Nerissa reminds Portia that in her father’s time, a
Venetian scholar and soldier had visited her home in the
company of the Marquis of Montferrat. She feels of all the
men that she has seen, Bassanio is the most deserving to
win Portia.
Portia agrees with Nerissa and says he is certainly worthy
of praise.

Self-Assessment

1. Portia I am glad this parcel of wooers

are so reasonable;
For there is not one among them but
I dote on his very absence.
(Campion School, Preliminary Examination, 2018-19)

a. Who is Portia speaking to? What is their

conversation about? [3]
b. What opinion does Portia hold of the Duke of
Saxony’s nephew? [3]
c. What assurance has Portia just received from the
person she is talking to? What does Portia have to
say about what she has heard? [3]
d. Portia calls her suitors reasonable. Why do you think
she calls them so? [3]
e. Who is mentioned to Portia immediately after by the
person she is speaking to? What other information is
provided to Portia? What does Portia think of this
character? [4]