Question 1 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Morocco : The first, of gold, who this inscription bears,
“Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire;”
The second, silver, which this promise carries,
“Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves;”
This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt,
“Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.”
How shall I know if I do choose the right?
(i) Who is Morocco? What is he doing?
Answer : Morocco is the Prince of Morocco. He has come to Belmont to present his claim as an eligible suitor for Portia. Here, he is examining the three caskets that are related to the lottery that determines Portia’s husband.
(ii) Which casket does Morocco choose? What does this result in?
Answer : The Prince chose the golden casket. It contained a skull in whose eye there was a scroll which read that all that glitters is not gold. He had chosen unwisely and now had to bear its consequences. So he departed froth with, saying that all his labour had been lost.
(iii) Was Portia happy with the choice that Morocco had made?
Answer : Portia did not like any of the suitors that had come to woo her so far. She wanted to marry the one she loved and kept finding faults in all others. Hence, when the Prince of Morocco chose wrongly, she was very delighted.
(iv) What ere the other conditions pertaining to the lottery?
Answer : The other conditions of the lottery were that if a suitor failed, he must leave immediately. He cannot tell anyone which casket he chose. Moreover, he would be bound by an oath not to ask any other woman’s hand in marriage.
(v) Why is Morocco reading the inscriptions so carefully?
Answer : Portia’s hand in marriage could only be won if the suitor chose the right casket. Choosing the wrong casket will be disastrous and thus Morocco was reading the inscriptions on the casket to decipher their meaning and base his choice on it.
Question 2 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Morocco : O hell! what have we here?
A carrion Death, within whose empty eye
There is a written scroll! I’ll read the writing.
(i) Which casket had Morocco chosen? What did he find in it?
Answer : After going through the inscriptions on all the three caskets, the Prince of Morocco interpreted them in his own way and chose the golden casket. It did not contain Portia’s portrait. Instead, it contained a skull and a scroll with something written on it.
(ii) Was the choice made by Morocco the right one?
Answer : No, the choice made by the Prince of Morocco was not right. He chose the golden casket thinking that it contained Portia’s portrait. Instead, it contained a skull and a scroll which marked his failure.
(iii) What was going to happen with Morocco next?
Answer : The Moroccan Prince had made a faulty judgement and chosen the wrong casket. Now, he had to bear its consequences. He had to leave Portia, never to return or try to woo her again. Also , he could not ask for any other woman’s hand in marriage.
(iv) Was Portia happy or sad at the choice made by Morocco? Why?
Answer : Portia was certainly happy when the Prince of Morocco made the wrong choice. She did not like him because of his dark skin and said that it was good riddance.
(v) What was written on the scroll? Explain in your own words.
Answer : The inscriptions on the scroll said that, all that glitters is not gold. It referred to the men that have sold their souls just to behold its shiny surface. But gold-lined tombs ma also contain worms. If the Prince would have had as much wisdom as his bravery and having a good judgement which comes with experience, he would not have read the scroll. The scroll also mentioned that he should leave, as his only chance was over.