The Merchant of Venice Final Essay

   The play, The Merchant of Venice, starts with a man named Bassanio, and his friends Antonio. Bassanio needs money to seem rich so that he can impress Portia, a rich woman he wants to marry. In order to marry Portia, Bassanio has to pick the right casket that has her portrait in it. There are three caskets. One gold, one silver, and one lead. Bassanio and two other men go into Portia's house and are told to pick a casket. The two other men are both rich with money and valuables unlike Bassanio. When having to choose a casket, the outside appearance might have played a larger role than it should have. The two richer men chose the wrong casket, the gold and the silver. The saw the appealing outside of the casket and assumed there was good inside. Bassanio saw the three caskets but didn't let the appearance play a role in his decision. He chose the lead casket and was shown good inside (Portia's portrait). He was the man chosen to marry Portia. The Merchant of Venice shows that the appearance of something doesn't declare the value of it.
   The way someone looks shouldn't determine how much they are worth. Some of the men thought the way they looked would determine their chances of marring Portia. The first man to choose a casket is the Prince of Morocco. He was the richest out of the three but he had a different colored skin. He let his outside appearance make him think that Portia wouldn't choose him. "Do not dislike me because of my color. My dark skin is the uniform of those who live under the burning coppery sun." (2.1.1-2). Although his skin may be darker than other men, he is still just like them on the inside. He is not worth more or less than the lighter colored skin men. Bassanio, the least rich out of the three also thought that the way he presented himself to Portia was important. He wanted to impress Portia and to do so, he needed money. So he asked his friend Antonio if he could borrow some money. "Oh Antonio- I feel convinced I'd be successful if only I had the money to make myself a rival!" (1.1.173-176). He thought the way he looked was important when going to see Portia. He did not know that Portia didn't take looks into consideration because she didn't want to and she couldn't if she could. The way someone looks shouldn't matter as much as their personality and the words they speak.
   Even if something looks nice and appealing, that doesn't mean what's inside will be nice and appealing also. The Prince of Morocco was the first to choose a casket. When he was given the choice between gold, silver, and lead, he chose the gold casket. The Prince of Morocco learned that the appearance of something doesn't determine its value. When he opened the casket, he found a scroll that said "All that glitters is not gold" (2.7.65.). He chose the wrong casket and was not the one who would marry Portia. When Bassanio went in the choose a casket, he was given the same choices. Gold, silver, or lead. Bassanio chose lead, the one that looked the least appealing. But when he opened the casket, he was happy with what he found. In the casket was Portia's portrait and a scroll that said "You who choose not by the view take a fair chance, and choose quite true" (3.2.131-132). The gold, being the most appealing to the eye, had what the men didn't want. But the lead casket, the least appealing, had what all three men wanted.
   In conclusion, the way something looks, shouldn't play a role when making decisions. If one lets appearance play a role, one may end up unhappy with the outcome. The Prince of Morocco cared too much about the color of his skin. Bassanio cared too much about how much money he had and what he looked like. But Portia didn't care about what any of them wore or looked like. She cared about what's inside (personality). When The Prince of Morocco chose the gold casket, he was fooled by the appearance and was unhappy with what he was shown inside the casket. But when Bassanio didn't let appearance affect his decision and chose the lead casket, he was overjoyed with what he was shown. Don't let the appearance of something declare the value of it.