The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare -- Act 3, Scene 2 -- Summary and Analysis

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Summary

We are in Belmont. Portia is fond of Bassanio and asks him not to choose caskets so she doesn't risk losing his company. He professes his love. She doubts him and he reassures her. He begs to choose because he feels tortured not knowing his future. He muses on the falseness of appearances, and on the misleading quality of ornaments. For this reason, he rejects the gold and silver caskets. He is moved by the lead casket and chooses it. Portia feels overwhelmed with happiness. Bassanio finds Portia's portrait in the casket, which means he gets her. They are both ecstatic. She says she wishes she were better for him, and also that he had better not leave her. He replies that he never will.

Nerissa and Gratiano both congratulate the happy couple. Gratiano and Nerissa announce their intention to marry too.

Lorenzo, Jessica and Salerio enter. Portia welcomes them. Salerio brings Bassanio a letter from Antonio. The letter reads that Antonio has lost all of his ships. Salenio reports that he is intent on claiming his bond. Portia offers 36,000 ducats to cancel the bond. She says that they will marry and then Bassanio will immediately depart for Venice.


Main events

  • Bassanio chooses the right casket
  • Nerissa and Gratiano announce their engagement
  • Salerio officially announces Antonio's poverty
  • Bassanio announces that he will return to Venice to handle the bond


Participating Characters

  • Bassanio
  • Portia
  • Gratiano
  • Nerissa
  • Lorenzo
  • Jessica
  • Salerio (the messenger from Venice)


Themes

  • Appearance vs reality

BASSANIO
Tell me where is fancy bred,
Or in the heart, or in the head?
How begot, how nourished?
… 

So may the outward shows be least themselves:
The world is still deceived with ornament.
In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt,
But, being seasoned with a gracious voice,
Obscures the show of evil? In religion,
What damned error, but some sober brow
Will bless it and approve it with a text,
Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?
There is no vice so simple but assumes
Some mark of virtue on his outward parts:
How many cowards, whose hearts are all as false
As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins
The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars;


Analysis and Discussion

PORTIA

Away, then! I am lock'd in one of them:
If you do love me, you will find me out.
Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof.
Let music sound while he doth make his choice;
Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,
Fading in music: that the comparison
May stand more proper, my eye shall be the stream
And watery death-bed for him. He may win;
And what is music then? Then music is
Even as the flourish when true subjects bow
To a new-crowned monarch

Possibly a metaliterary reference to the value or effect of music in theater. Otherwise, just an observation on the power of music.


Fair Portia's counterfeit! …. Yet look, how far
The substance of my praise doth wrong this shadow
In underprizing it, so far this shadow
Doth limp behind the substance. 


Evokes Plato's shadows on the cave and the platonic ideal (like sonnet 53: 53):  

What is your substance, whereof are you made,

That millions of strange shadows on you tend?

Since every one hath, every one, one shade,

And you, but one, can every shadow lend;

Describe Adonis, and the counterfeit

Is poorly imitated after you;

On Helen's cheek all art of beauty set

And you in Grecian tires are painted new; *Grecian tires: Greek costume

Speak of the spring, and foison of the year; *foison: natural bounty or abundance

The one doth shadow of your beauty show,

The other as your bounty doth appear,

And you in every blessed shape we know.

In all external grace you have some part,

But you like none, none you, for constant heart.


--


PORTIA I give them with this ring,

Which when you part from, lose, or give away,

Let it presage the ruin of your love,

And be my vantage to exclaim on you.


She is insecure. 


PORTIA Is an unlessoned girl, unschooled, unpractised;

Happy in this, she is not yet so old 160

But she may learn; happier than this,

She is not bred so dull but she can learn


She is insecure.


GRATIANO We'll play with them the first boy for a thousand

ducats.


Addicted to gambling much?


P O R T I A Ay, but I fear you speak upon the rack

Where men enforced do speak anything.

BASSANIO Promise me life and I'll confess the truth.

P O R T I A Well then, confess and live.


Politics enter into love



Table of Contents: The Merchant of Venice -- Summary and Analysis



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