Mini-Essay on the Three Caskets

Prompt:

In Act 1, scene 2, Nerissa says, “Your father was ever virtuous, and holy men at their death have good inspirations; therefore, the lott’ry that he hath devis’d in these three chests of gold, silver, and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning chooses you, will no doubt never be chosen by any rightly but one who you shall rightly love.” By the end of Act 3, scene 2, you’ve seen that Nerissa’s words have indeed proven true. In a mini essay of three paragraphs or less, explain the significance of the genius plan behind the caskets and how this lottery managed to land the perfect husband for Portia.

The idea of the three caskets devised by Portia’s father is a clever idea which in Nerissa’s words will “no doubt be chosen by any rightly but one who you shall rightly love”. Albeit it doesn’t guarantee Portia the man she chooses, in many ways this lottery singles out a suitor whose values and meanings are fit for Portia to “rightfully love”. 

First, this lottery immediately excludes anyone who is cowardly and unfit for Portia’s hand. The harsh consequence of being unable to marry someone else after the selection of the caskets works to disqualify any suitors who are too afraid to take risks. Only people who truly admire Portia would be willing to take on such an uncertain and dastardly attempt to win over her. In Act 1 Scene 2, we are introduced to characters such as Neapolitan prince, the County Palatine, the young baron of England, the Moroccon Prince, and other possible suitors. However, only the Moroccon prince opted to open a casket, as he was the sole man within those characters willing to sacrifice his future for Portia.

The three caskets acted as disguises, with each one revealing the nature of its selector. The golden casket is designed for someone who favors appearance over the content (kind of ironic, considering the Moroccon Prince chose this casket). A shallow man who admires Portia only for her appearance and wealth. It fools men who are easily swayed by decoration. The silver casket is designed for the common folk, people who are not fooled by the cosmetics of the gold but are too prideful to select the low-level lead casket. Finally, the lead casket is designed for the humble suitor, the one deemed suitable for Portia by her father. According to Bassanio, he was touched by the sight of the lead. The one who selects the lead casket is someone who is not fooled by appearances, who is not too common and prideful, but someone who truly appreciates Portia for both her appearance and presence. The selection lottery may on paper seem simple, yet it singles out a suitor for Portia who is courageous, determined, and humble.

Reflection:

The Merchant of Venice is an insightful piece of Shakespeare’s work that I enjoyed. I was intrigued by how Shakespeare used details such as the caskets to symbolize a deeper concept. Before I started my mini-essay on the Three Caskets, I went to Sparknotes to develop a better understanding of what each casket represented. I had a basic understanding of what the gold and lead caskets stood for, but I needed extra help to decipher the meaning behind the silver casket. After a wee bit of Sparknotes research, I started writing about the representations of each casket. In my final draft, I explained the significance of the casket selection process by mentioning the symbolism of the three caskets and how this selection singled out the best suitor for Portia.