Draft of Ther Merchant of Venice Essay

Outward appearances are important to many people nowadays in this generation. The rise of plastic surgery, makeup, and clothing styles are at a peek. Making more and more people get sucked in the latest trends and follow them. Making people to be more judgmental on appearances, instead of what's on the inside. "The Merchant of Venice" by Shakespeare, is a play about revenge, love, and greed. It follows Bassanio and Antonio, asking a loan from the main antagonist, Shylock the "evil" Jewish man. Bassanio hoping to win the heart of Portia, a fair lady in waiting who's father has left her with three chest for her suitors to pick from, asks Antonio for a loan, however he must ask Shylock for the loan. Portia, who has no decision to her suitor what so ever, chooses to ignore the fact of outward appearances, but prefers what people are on the inside. In "The Merchant of Venice", written by Shakespeare, the message behind the play is that it doesn't matter what an appearance is, but what the value is on the inside.

The play announces that appearances didn't matter was when the Prince of Morocco decides to come see Portia, right before he vows to his promise to never marry a woman if he doesn't chose the right casket. He asks her not to mind his dark skin, obviously insecure about his appearance, how ever Portia doesn't care. She states, "As far as choice is concerned, I don't go by looks," (Shakespeare, 55). Completely disregarding what the prince had said. Not caring about how he looked like, but how he was valued on the inside. With that impression on himself, Portia herself wasn't a bit too excited to marry a man who wasn't happy with what he had. When the Prince of Morocco finally does chose his casket of the gold, silver, or lead, When he does choose, he chooses wrong. He states, "Or shall I imagine her entombed in silver, which is ten times less valuable than gold? A sinful thought! No gem so rich was ever set in anything less than gold," (Shakespeare, 93). How he chose is that he thought that the most valuable chest would hold the portrait of Portia, relying on the appearance of gold to lead his thought and choice. Gold may be very valuable, but in the sense of the scenario it wasn't. It was a fool's choice, thinking that just because Portia was of high status, that she was only worthy of gold is very unwise. Obviously, the appearance of gold was not an important aspect in how much value she held on the inside. In the end, the choosing of the caskets were based on the value of how the thought of greed, than it was on the actual appearance.

Secondly, when Bassanio finally arrives to chose the chest that will determine his fate, he chooses correctly. Shown in the quote, "Therefore, gaudy gold, food for Midas, I want none of you. Nor of you, silver, stuff of common currency. But you, worthless lead, which threatens rather than promises, your plain speaking appeals more than the eloquence of your rivals" (Shakespeare, 121).Bassiano believed that not just because of the "worthless lead" appearance, didn't mean that the lead wasn't just as worthy as the other choices. It wasn't a competition of value, but a competition of high thinking and to wind over Portia. To make sure that Portia didn't just go to any brute who thinks that appearances of money could win over what the value of love on the inside. When finally everything had settled down between the dispute between Antonio and Shylock, Bassnio returns home to Portia, giving away his ring to the lawyer, who was really Portia the whole time. Portia asks for the ring back, She states, "You were to blame - I must be frank with you - in parting so lightly with your wife's first gift. It was put on your finger with vows, and riveted to your flesh with trust," (Shakespeare, 201). She only gave him the ring to see if he was trustworthy to be her husband, not that she had any choice. Portia wanted to make sure that the man she married had a good heart and would never betray her, by parting with something that he had promised to never remove. In the end, outward appearances didn't matter, but the value of what was inside did.

In conclusion, the theme of the play, "Of Merchant of Venice", by Shakespeare, was that, appearances don't matter but what the value of the inside that counts. The play started off by having Portia's suitors line up and chose their caskets, picking the wrong one. They understand that the lead would be incorrect because of the value of appearance.  But it is revealed that just because it's lead, it doesn't matter, because lead can be just as worthy as gold. Portia then checks out Bassanio, to make sure that his heart was trustworthy. To make sure she didn't marry a man without a good personality, someone who wouldn't break a vow to her. Making the theme be; appearances don't matter, but the value of what's inside is what counts. Unlike a lot of people nowadays, where appearances do matter, Shakespeare points out it doesn't.