‘The Merchant of Venice’ Act 2 – “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.”

‘The Merchant of Venice’ Act 2 – “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.”

‘The Merchant of Venice’ is a wonderfully esoteric play in some ways. It switches between places and people little known to Shakespeare that one can’t but ponder about what was Shakespeare reading at the time and who and what did he see in the streets of London. The source for the money lending and the seeking of ‘a pound of flesh’ payment plot is Giovanni Fiorentino’s 1378 story (published in Italian in 1595) ‘Il Pecorone’ (‘The Simpleton’). Shakespeare either had this translated into English privately, or he read it in the original Italian or he heard a retelling of the plot from one of his new university educated friends and he noted carefully aspects of the story. While the Portia casket choosing sequence’s source is probably from a medieval short story from ‘Gesta Romanorum’ which was reprinted in 1577. Aspects of the Jessica and Jewish aspects of the plot could come from various sources such as a lost Elizabethan play called ‘The Jew’ or a novel entitled ‘Schoole of Abuse’ but the obvious success of Marlowe’s ‘The Jew of Malta’ must have convinced Shakespeare of the popularity of putting an intelligent, cunning but slightly unlikable Jewish character on stage.

Act 2 starts in Belmont. The Prince of Morocco in attempting to win Portia’s hand in marriage asks not to be judged by his skin colour but by the trueness of his heart and love. If he had left it there he might have won her heart but then he gives a long speech about his bravery and the more he praises himself the less praiseworthy he seems. Portia reminds him that the choice is not hers but is dependant on him choosing the right casket and if he chooses incorrectly, he doesn’t only not get her, but he must then be sworn to remain forever unmarried. Morocco agrees to the task but then we leave this scene and subplot suspended as they all go off to dinner.

Meanwhile back in Venice, we now see the world of servants and comic undercurrents finally appear. A good dose of slapstick and crass humour is dished out. It starts with Shylock’s servant Launcelot Gobbo contemplating running away from his master. Old Gobbo, who is blind, enters and asks direction to find his son Launcelot who works for the Jew. After initially pretending not to be Launcelot and claiming that Launcelot is fact dead, Launcelot reveals himself to his father and states his intention to leave Shylock’s service. Fortunously, Bassanio then enters and Launcelot and his father plead for Bassanio to take Launcelot into his service. Bassanio accepts. Bassanio then also tells Gratiano that he will allow Gratiano to come with him to Belmont on the condition that he behaves. Gratiano swears to “put on a sober habit” and stop his wild behaviour for the visit. “Nay, but I bar to-night: you shall not gauge me

By what we do to-night.”

Jessica, Shylock’s daughter tells how her life will be unbearable now Launcelot is leaving. She gives Launcelot a letter to give to Bassanio’s friend Lorenzo, who she loves and intends to run away and marry. Her intention and enthusiasm to convert to Christianity might seem strange to us now, but it would have fed straight into the prejudices and sense of Christian superiority of the majority of the Elizabethan audience. Elsewhere in Venice, Gratiano, Salarino, and Solanio discuss with Lorenzo how he can be with Jessica and then Launcelot arrives with Jessica’s letter. The elopement plans are teased out and Launcelot carries a message back to Jessica.

Although Shylock has agreed to letting Launcelot go, he warns Launcelot that Bassanio will not tolerate the laziness that Shylock has from him. Shylock calls for his daughter Jessica. He says he is going out, and he gives her keys and says that while he is out she is to keep the house locked and that she is not to even look at the celebrations taking place outside. Launcelot secretly tells Jessica Lorenzo’s message. Shylock leaves and Jessica laments as she plans her new future:

“Alack, what heinous sin is it in me

To be ashamed to be my father's child!

But though I am a daughter to his blood,

I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo,

If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife,

Become a Christian and thy loving wife.”

Later, Gratiano and Salarino are in front of Shylock’s house waiting to help Lorenzo, but Lorenzo is late. Analogies are drawn between love and lateness when finally Lorenzo arrives. Lorenzo calls to Jessica, she appears on the balcony dressed as a pageboy and tosses a casket of jewels and gold down and then comes down herself. They exit. Antonio appears and announces that Bassanio is leaving immediately for Belmont, so Gratiano must leave to and miss out on the festivities, although, strangely, he doesn’t seem too upset about this.

It is now after dinner in Belmont and the Prince of Morocco is about to choose a casket which he thinks will give him Portia’s hand in marriage. It is interesting to note the parallels between Jessica, who brings many riches and jewels to her elopement and Portia who also has quite a dowry. The casket inscriptions are read. The first, made of gold, has the enticing inscription “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire” while the silver second reads “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves” and the third and final one is made of lead and is inscribed with what sounds more like a warning, “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath”. The Prince of Morocco chooses the gold casket, of course, and a skull with a scroll in its eye socket is found and a poem is revealed, which he reads before he leaves:

“All that glitters is not gold;

Often have you heard that told:

Many a man his life hath sold

But my outside to behold…

Fare you well; your suit is cold.

Cold, indeed; and labour lost:

Then, farewell, heat, and welcome, frost!

Portia, adieu. I have too grieved a heart

To take a tedious leave: thus losers part.”

Back in Venice, we hear of Shylock’s rage at Jessica’s elopement, through Solanio. It is obvious that Shylock seems as much upset or more upset by the loss of his jewels and ducats as he is by the loss of his daughter. Solanio states that he also hopes Antonio can repay his debt to Shylock, since he has heard that some of Antonio’s ships may have sunk.

We switch back to Belmont, where it is the Prince of Arragon’s turn to try his hand at the casket game where he, having such a sense of his own self-worth, selects the silver casket which bears the elusive title, “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves…” He is quite upset when he finds a portrait of a blinking idiot inside, and a poem which states:

“With one fool's head I came to woo,

But I go away with two.”

This act ends with Arragon leaving but with Portia hearing that a young Venetian has come to announce the arrival of his lord who brings great gifts. Portia is so over her father’s casket quests and she leaves in hope that the Venetian lord is Bassanio since she believes he has come to win her father’s quest since he has already won her heart.