Melissa Tyndall ENG 3150 Merchant of Venice March 1, 2004

Layers Below the Surface: The Prince of Morocco, Bassanio, and Casket Selection

Many scholars would cringe if the cliché, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” was uttered

within the walls of a college classroom. However, the misleading belief that beauty equates to

goodness or godliness is a prominent aspect in literature that is frequently dissected. A major

theme in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, is that outward appearances (of all

kinds) are deceptive. The Prince of Morocco and Bassanio’s respective casket selections further

the theme of outward appearances by illustrating the difference between arrogant self-worth and

the altruistic nature of true love and acceptance. The casket selections also act as foils to the

surface-based prejudices regarding race, religion, and gender within the play (demonstrated

through Shylock’s religion, the Prince of Morocco’s race, and Portia’s gender).

Prior to the Prince of Morocco’s erroneous selection of the gold casket, he is plainspoken

about his opinions, “Men that hazard all / Do it in hope of fair advantages” (2.7.18-19). It is

painstakingly obvious in lines that the Prince of Morocco seeks Portia to benefit his pocket rather

than his heart. To the Moor, Portia is a place of pilgrimage, an inanimate object to plunder in

order to fulfil his insatiable appetite for the monetary and the superficial. Shakespeare utilizes

the Prince of Morocco preferring the gold casket and wanting to acquire what “many men

desire” to exemplify that the Moor is not unique and cannot offer anything substantial to Portia

in comparison to any other man who might arrive from the “four corners of the earth” (2.7.37-

39).

On the other hand, Bassanio’s selection of the lead casket is pre-empted by his profound

and dauntless love for Portia. Bassanio’s first few lines in Act 3, Scene 2,

Melissa Tyndall ENG 3150 Merchant of Venice March 1, 2004 denote his commitment and sincerity by revealing to Portia that he would be willing to undergo a

“happy torment” in order to convey his sentiments (3.2.37). Bassanio is aware that beauty

extends outward from an internal place and that, “The world is still deciev’d with ornament”

(3.2.74). Bassanio states that beauty is “purchas’d by the weight”, alluding to the philosophy

that like weight, beauty comes from within (3.2.89). It is the awareness that those who seek an

asset (rather than an emotion) desire something of little validity that provides Bassanio with the

correct choice in respect to the casket made of lead (an element of a higher atomic weight than

gold). Shakespeare employs this as a literary and moral tactic to drive home the inscription on

the scroll that lies within the golden casket—“All that glisters is not gold” (2.7.65). The two

casket selections prove that love has worth and the artificial is simply an entrapment that caters

to the greed embedded within the nature of human beings.

The Prince of Morocco and Bassanio’s individual casket selections also act as foils to

other aspects of the play in order to emphasize the surface-based prejudices regarding race,

religion, and gender within The Merchant of Venice. Shakespeare uses the caskets as a metaphor

to represent the mainstream perspective of that particular time period in relation to Shylock, the

Prince of Morocco, and Portia’s place within society.

The first instance pertains to Shylock’s Jewish faith as well as the Prince of Morocco’s

race and religion. Considering the play was inspired by the real-life events surrounding the

banishment of the Jewish people from England when Edward the I

reigned the throne, it is plausible that Shakespeare used the gold and lead caskets to imply that

the people of London were only scratching the surface of what Jewish people were and not who

they were. Similarly, the Prince of Morocco would have been from Africa during a time which

Melissa Tyndall ENG 3150 Merchant of Venice March 1, 2004 the capital of Morocco, Fez, would have been a religious and cultural Mecca for those of the

Islamic faith. Though Africa (which is reflected in the foolish casket choice of the Moroccan

prince) has been a prime provider of gold, the race and religion of the prince would have been

unacceptable during a time in which Europe was attempting to convert its inhabitants to

Christianity and Catholicism—this being the reason why Bassanio, the Christian, “won” Portia.

In addition, the progression of suitors choosing caskets refers back to the situation in

regard to Portia’s limited amount of rights as a Venetian woman during that time period. This

method of acquiring a husband illustrates that it is a man that paves Portia’s future. In addition,

the theme that appearances can be deceiving is ultimately personified and foiled by the choice of

the three caskets when Portia and Nerissa disguise themselves as men. The suitors based their

“love” and desire for Portia on her physical attributes. It is only when the two women conceal

their outward beauty and appearance that they are appreciated for their intellect—an internal

quality.

The Merchant of Venice clearly indicates that the perception “beauty is perfection” is an

intrinsically flawed philosophy. The outward appearance of the caskets, as well as the characters

in the Shakespearean play, demonstrate the mistakes which are often made when one is

dependent upon external design. The subtext of the play suggests that if the judgmental and

superficial aspects of human nature are pushed aside, if one is willing to sacrifice “all he hath”,

then it will be possible to obtain what is desired.