Inscriptions on the three caskets

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Flourish cornets Enter PORTIA with the Prince of MOROCCO, and both their trains

Trumpets play. PORTIA enters with the prince of MOROCCO and both their entourages.

PORTIA (to servant) Go draw aside the curtains and discover The several caskets to this noble prince.—

PORTIA (to servant) Go open the curtains and show the different boxes to the prince.

A curtain is drawn showing a gold, silver, and lead casket

A curtain is drawn revealing showing three caskets: one gold, one silver, and one lead.

(to MOROCCO) Now make your choice. (to MOROCCO) Now make your choice.

MOROCCO 5The first, of gold, who this inscription bears: “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: 10“Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.” How shall I know if I do choose the right?

MOROCCO The first one, the gold one, has an inscription that says, “He who chooses me will get what many men want.” The second one, the silver one, says, “He who chooses me will get what he deserves.” And this third one is made of dull lead. It has a blunt warning that says, “He who chooses me must give and risk all he has.” How will I know if I chose the right one?

PORTIA The one of them contains my picture, Prince. If you choose that, then I am yours withal.

PORTIA One of them contains my picture. If you choose that one, I’m yours, along with the picture.

MOROCCO Some god direct my judgment! Let me see. 15I will survey th' inscriptions back again. What says this leaden casket? “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.” Must give—for what? For lead? Hazard for lead? This casket threatens. Men that hazard all 20Do it in hope of fair advantages. A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross. I’ll then nor give nor hazard aught for lead. What says the silver with her virgin hue?

MOROCCO I wish some god could help me choose! Let me see. I’ll look over the inscriptions again. What does the lead box say? “He who chooses me must give and risk all he has.” Must give everything—for what? For lead? Risk everything for lead? This box is too threatening. Men who risk everything hope to make profits. A golden mind doesn’t bend down to choose something worthless. So I won’t give or risk anything for lead. What does the silver one say?

“Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.” 25“As much as he deserves!”—pause there, Morocco, And weigh thy value with an even hand. If thou beest rated by thy estimation, Thou dost deserve enough, and yet enough May not extend so far as to the lady, 30And yet to be afeard of my deserving Were but a weak disabling of myself. As much as I deserve! Why, that’s the lady. I do in birth deserve her, and in fortunes, In graces, and in qualities of breeding. 35But more than these, in love I do deserve. What if I strayed no further, but chose here? 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. 40From 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 thoroughfares now For princes to come view fair Portia. 45The watery kingdom, whose ambitious head Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar

He who chooses me will get as much as he deserves.” As much as he deserves—wait a minute there, Morocco, and consider your own value with a level head. If your reputation is trustworthy, you deserve a lot—though maybe not enough to include this lady. But fearing I don’t deserve her is a way of underestimating myself. As much as I deserve—I deserve Portia! By birth I deserve her. In terms of wealth, talents, and upbringing, and especially love, I deserve her. What if I went no further and chose this one? But let’s see once more what the gold one says: “He who chooses me will get what many men want.” That’s Portia! The whole world wants her. They come from the four corners of the earth to kiss this shrine and see this living, breathing saint. Princes travel across deserts and the vast wilderness of Arabia to come see the beautiful Portia. The wide ocean doesn’t prevent them from coming to see her—they travel across it as if it were a little stream. One of these three boxes contains her lovely picture. Could the lead one contain it? No, it’d be a sin to think such a low thought. Lead’s too crass to hold her. Is she enclosed in silver, which is ten times less valuable than gold? Oh, what a sinful thought! Nobody ever set a gem like her in a

To stop the foreign spirits, but they come As o'er a brook to see fair Portia. One of these three contains her heavenly picture. 50Is ’t like that lead contains her? 'Twere damnation To think so base a thought. It were too gross To rib her cerecloth in the obscure grave. Or shall I think in silver she’s immured, Being ten times undervalued to tried gold? 55O sinful thought! Never so rich a gem Was set in worse than gold. They have in England A coin that bears the figure of an angel Stamped in gold, but that’s insculpted upon. But here an angel in a golden bed

worse setting than gold. They have a coin in England stamped with the figure of an angel, but that’s just engraved on the surface.

60Lies all within.—Deliver me the key. Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may!

Here an angel’s lying in a golden bed.—Give me the key. I will choose this one and try my chances.

PORTIA (giving MOROCCO a key) There, take it, Prince. And if my form lie there Then I am yours.

PORTIA (she hands him a key) There, take it, prince. And if my picture’s in there, then I’m yours.

MOROCCO opens the golden casket MOROCCO opens the gold casket.

MOROCCO 65O hell, what have we here? A carrion death, within whose empty eye There is a written scroll. I’ll read the writing. (reads) “All that glisters is not gold— 70Often have you heard that told. Many a man his life hath sold But my outside to behold. Gilded tombs do worms enfold. Had you been as wise as bold, 75Young in limbs, in judgment old,

MOROCCO Damn it! What’s this? It’s a skull with a scroll in its empty eye socket. I’ll read it aloud. (he reads) “All that glitters is not gold— You’ve often heard that said. Many men have sold their souls Just to view my shiny surface. But gilded tombs contain worms. If you’d been as wise as you were bold, With an old man’s mature judgment, You wouldn’t have had to read this scroll.

Your answer had not been inscrolled. Fare you well. Your suit is cold— Cold, indeed, and labor lost.” Then, farewell, heat, and welcome, frost! 80Portia, adieu. I have too grieved a heart To take a tedious leave. Thus losers part.

So goodbye—you lost your chance.” Lost my chance indeed! So goodbye hope, and hello despair. Portia, goodbye to you. My heart’s too sad for long goodbyes. Losers always leave quickly.

Exit MOROCCO with his train MOROCCO exits with his entourage.

Act 2, scene 9 (the Prince of Aragon undergoes the test of the 3 chests) Here, he has already rejected the lead chest and his speech starts with his analysis of the

message on the gold chest and then moves on to his consideration of the silver chest.

ARAGON ARAGON

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“What many men desire”—that “many” may be meant 25By the fool multitude that choose by show, Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach; Which pries not to th' interior, but like the martlet Builds in the weather on the outward wall, Even in the force and road of casualty. 30I will not choose what many men desire Because I will not jump with common spirits And rank me with the barbarous multitudes. Why then, to thee, thou silver treasure house. Tell me once more what title thou dost bear. 35“Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.” And well said too—for who shall go about To cozen fortune and be honorable Without the stamp of merit? Let none presume To wear an undeservèd dignity. 40Oh, that estates, degrees and offices Were not derived corruptly, and that clear honor Were purchased by the merit of the wearer!

“He who chooses me will get what many men want.” What many men want—that “many” could mean that most people are fools and choose by whatever is flashy. They don’t go beyond what their eyes see. They don’t bother to find out what’s on the inside. Just like those birds called martins who build their nests on the outside of walls, people pay too much attention to what’s on the outside. So I won’t choose what many men desire, because I won’t jump on the bandwagon and include myself with the whole crude population. So I guess it’s you, you silver treasure house. Tell me once more what you say. “He who chooses me will get what he deserves.” That’s nicely put—because who’s going to cheat luck and get more than he deserves? No one should have an honor he doesn’t deserve. Oh, wouldn’t it be great if property, rank, official positions, and other honors were earned only by merit, not by corruption? There wouldn’t be too many important men then. How many people who are humble now would be great then? How many people who give orders now would have to

How many then should cover that stand bare! How many be commanded that command! 45How much low peasantry would then be gleaned From the true seed of honor! And how much honor Picked from the chaff and ruin of the times To be new varnished! Well, but to my choice. “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.” 50I will assume desert.—Give me a key for this, And instantly unlock my fortunes here.

take orders? How many noblemen would be weeded out and would become peasants? And how many common people would suddenly shine with nobility? Well, let me get back to my choice. “He who chooses me will get what he deserves.” I’ll assume I deserve the very best.— Give me a key for this one. I’ll unlock my fate here in a second.

ARAGON opens the silver casket ARAGON opens the silver casket.