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The Merchant of Venice: Act II, Scene 7

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The Merchant of Venice
Act II, Scene 7

Belmont. A room in Portia’s house.

Costume design for the Prince of Morocco and his attendants

Costume design for the Prince of Morocco and his attendants

From Charles Kean's scrapbook

19th century

  1. Flourish cornets. Enter Portia with the Prince of Morocco
  2. and both their Trains.

Portia

1 - 3
  1. Go, draw aside the curtains and discover
  2. The several caskets to this noble prince.
  3. Now make your choice.

Morocco

4 - 10
  1. This first, of gold, who this inscription bears,
  2. “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire”;
  3. The second, silver, which this promise carries,
  4. “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves”;
  5. This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt,
  6. “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.”
  7. How shall I know if I do choose the right?
    Aug 2, 2021 Miko
    This line is repeated twice in the First Folio. That is generally regarded as a printer's error. The line is only printed once in modern editions.

Portia

11 - 12
  1. The one of them contains my picture, Prince:
  2. If you choose that, then I am yours withal.

Morocco

13 - 60
  1. Some god direct my judgment! Let me see,
  2. I will survey th’ inscriptions back again.
  3. What says this leaden casket?
  4. “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.”
  5. Must give—for what? For lead, hazard for lead?
  6. This casket threatens. Men that hazard all
  7. Do it in hope of fair advantages;
  8. A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross.
  9. I’ll then nor give nor hazard aught for lead.
  10. What says the silver with her virgin hue?
  11. “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.”
  12. As much as he deserves! Pause there, Morocco,
  13. And weigh thy value with an even hand.
  14. If thou beest rated by thy estimation,
  15. Thou dost deserve enough, and yet enough
  16. May not extend so far as to the lady;
  17. And yet to be afeard of my deserving
  18. Were but a weak disabling of myself.
  19. As much as I deserve! Why, that’s the lady.
  20. I do in birth deserve her, and in fortunes,
  21. In graces, and in qualities of breeding;
  22. But more than these, in love I do deserve.
  23. What if I stray’d no farther, but chose here?
  24. Let’s see once more this saying grav’d in gold:
  25. “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.”
  26. Why, that’s the lady, all the world desires her.
  27. From the four corners of the earth they come
  28. To kiss this shrine, this mortal breathing saint.
  29. The Hyrcanian deserts and the vasty wilds
  30. Of wide Arabia are as throughfares now
  31. For princes to come view fair Portia.
  32. The watery kingdom, whose ambitious head
  33. Spets in the face of heaven, is no bar
  34. To stop the foreign spirits, but they come
  35. As o’er a brook to see fair Portia.
  36. One of these three contains her heavenly picture.
  37. Is’t like that lead contains her? ’Twere damnation
  38. To think so base a thought; it were too gross
  39. To rib her cerecloth in the obscure grave.
  40. Or shall I think in silver she’s immur’d,
  41. Being ten times undervalued to tried gold?
  42. O sinful thought! Never so rich a gem
  43. Was set in worse than gold. They have in England
  44. A coin that bears the figure of an angel
  45. Stamp’d in gold, but that’s insculp’d upon;
  46. But here an angel in a golden bed
  47. Lies all within. Deliver me the key.
  48. Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may!

Portia

61 - 62
  1. There take it, Prince, and if my form lie there,
  2. Then I am yours.
  1. He unlocks the golden casket.

Morocco

63 - 78
  1.                  O hell! What have we here?
  2. A carrion Death, within whose empty eye
  3. There is a written scroll! I’ll read the writing.
  4. Reads.
  5. “All that glisters is not gold,
  6. Often have you heard that told;
  7. Many a man his life hath sold
  8. But my outside to behold.
  9. Gilded tombs do worms infold.
  10. Had you been as wise as bold,
  11. Young in limbs, in judgment old,
  12. Your answer had not been inscroll’d.
  13. Fare you well, your suit is cold.”
  14. Cold indeed, and labor lost:
  15. Then farewell heat, and welcome frost!
  16. Portia, adieu. I have too griev’d a heart
  17. To take a tedious leave; thus losers part.
  1. Exit with his Train.

Portia

79 - 80
  1. A gentle riddance. Draw the curtains, go.
  2. Let all of his complexion choose me so.
  1. Exeunt.

All that glisters is not gold, often have you heard that told

Gerard Van der Gucht, printmaker; Hubert François Gravelot, printmaker; 1740

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