The Three Caskets

A Look at the picture and discuss it in pairs.

B Read the text and answer the questions that follow.

Bassanio went to Belmont to visit Portia grandly dressed, with many servants. Portia’s father had died lately. Before his death he had thought of an unusual plan to find a good husband for his daughter. He wanted a man to marry Portia for herself and not for her wealth. He had three caskets made, one of gold, one of silver and one of lead. One of the caskets had Portia’s portrait in it. The suitor who would first choose the casket with the portrait would marry her.

The first one to try was the prince of Morocco. Не thought that silver and lead are poor metals. It is the casket made of precious metal that can hold the precious picture. So he chose the gold casket. But all he found was a picture of a skull with a message that said, “All that glitters is not gold.” The prince was very sad and went back home. Then came the prince of Spain. He looked at the silver casket for a long time. On it was written, “He who chooses me will get what he deserves.” The prince had a very high opinion about himself. He thought that he deserved the best. He therefore chose the silver casket and opened it. Inside the casket he found the picture of a blinking fool. He was very disappointed and offended. He immediately rode away.

Then it was Bassanio’s tum. He looked at the caskets for a long time. He thought, “Appearances are often misleading. Bad men appear good and they hide their inner ugliness under fine clothes.” So he chose the plain looking lead casket. On opening the casket, he found the portrait of Portia inside.

Bassanio and Portia got married. There was great joy at Belmont and the newly married couple were spending their time happily.

But soon their happiness turned into sorrow by a piece of news. A messenger came with a letter from Antonio. The letter said, “Dear friend Bassanio, all my ships have been lost at sea. I cannot pay the money I owe to Shylock. So I have to pay the penalty. Dear friend, come and see me if possible. I would like to see you once before I die.” Bassanio quickly left for Venice.

WH Questions with Two-Sentence Answers

1. Who did Bassanio visit in Belmont?
   Bassanio visited Portia in Belmont. He wanted to win her love and marry her.
2. What kind of dress did Bassanio wear to visit Portia?
   Bassanio dressed grandly with fine clothes. He also brought many servants along.
3. Why had Portia’s father made the three caskets?
   Portia’s father wanted to find a husband for his daughter who loved her for herself. The caskets were part of a test to ensure this.
4. Which metals were the caskets made of?
   They were made of gold, silver, and lead. Each casket held a different surprise.
5. What was inside one of the caskets?
   One of the caskets held a portrait of Portia. The suitor who chose it correctly would marry her.
6. Who was the first suitor to choose a casket?
   The first suitor was the Prince of Morocco. He was impressed by the gold casket.
7. Why did the Prince of Morocco choose the gold casket?
   He thought that only a precious metal like gold could hold something so precious. He believed wealth equaled worth.
8. What did the gold casket contain?
   It contained a picture of a skull and a message. The message said, “All that glitters is not gold.”
9. How did the Prince of Morocco react after opening the gold casket?
   He was very sad. He returned home in disappointment.
10. Who came after the Prince of Morocco?
    The Prince of Spain came next. He tried his luck with the silver casket.
11. Why did the Prince of Spain choose the silver casket?
    He thought he deserved the best. The inscription appealed to his pride.
12. What was inside the silver casket?
    It contained the picture of a blinking fool. It symbolized false pride.
13. How did the Prince of Spain react after opening the silver casket?
    He was disappointed and offended. He left immediately.
14. Who was the third suitor to choose a casket?
    Bassanio was the third suitor. He thought deeply before choosing.
15. Which casket did Bassanio choose?
    He chose the lead casket. It looked the plainest of the three.
16. Why did Bassanio choose the lead casket?
    He believed appearances are often deceptive. He chose based on wisdom, not looks.
17. What did Bassanio find in the lead casket?
    He found Portia’s portrait inside. That meant he had passed the test.
18. What happened after Bassanio found the portrait?
    Bassanio and Portia got married. There was great joy in Belmont.
19. How did Portia’s father ensure a wise suitor for her?
    He designed the casket test. It was meant to reveal the suitor’s true character.
20. What message was in the gold casket?
    The message was “All that glitters is not gold.” It warned against judging by appearance.
21. Why did the Prince of Spain think he deserved the best?
    He had a very high opinion of himself. He misinterpreted the silver casket’s message.
22. What lesson does the lead casket convey?
    It shows that inner value matters more than outward appearance. True love looks beyond wealth.
23. How was Bassanio different from the other suitors?
    He thought carefully and chose humbly. He didn’t let appearances fool him.
24. What quality did Bassanio demonstrate by choosing the lead casket?
    He showed wisdom and humility. He valued substance over show.
25. Why did Portia’s father include a test in choosing her husband?
    He wanted to protect her from greedy suitors. The test would reveal a man’s true intentions.
26. What was the purpose of the casket test?
    Portia’s father wanted to ensure that only a wise and sincere man would marry his daughter. The test helped to reveal the suitor’s true nature.
27. Why didn’t the Prince of Morocco choose the lead or silver casket?
    He believed lead and silver were inferior metals. He assumed that something as valuable as Portia’s portrait must be in the gold casket.
28. What did the skull in the gold casket symbolize?
    It symbolized death and the false value of appearance. It served as a warning that outer beauty can be deceptive.
29. Why did the Prince of Spain feel offended?
    He thought he deserved the best, but found a fool’s picture instead. This bruised his ego and pride.
30. What does the blinking fool in the silver casket represent?
    It represents self-deception and vanity. It mocked the suitor’s inflated sense of self-worth.
31. How did Bassanio interpret the casket test differently from others?
    He believed true value lies beneath the surface. He avoided being misled by external beauty.
32. What was written on the lead casket?
    The inscription implied risk and sacrifice. It challenged the suitor to give and not merely to gain.
33. What message did Portia’s father want to convey through the test?
    He wanted to emphasize wisdom, humility, and sincerity. Wealth and appearance should not determine a husband’s worth.
34. How did Portia feel about the casket test?
    She respected her father’s will. Though she may have had preferences, she agreed to follow the rules.
35. How did Portia react when Bassanio chose correctly?
    She was overjoyed. She happily agreed to marry him.
36. What does Bassanio’s success in the test say about his character?
    It shows he is thoughtful and perceptive. He does not judge by appearance.
37. Why did the suitors fail to marry Portia?
    They were misled by vanity and pride. They judged the caskets based on outer value.
38. How did Bassanio’s marriage affect the atmosphere at Belmont?
    It brought great joy and celebration. Everyone was happy for the couple.
39. What news disrupted the joy at Belmont?
    A letter from Antonio arrived with sad news. All his ships had been lost at sea.
40. What did Antonio’s letter say?
    He informed Bassanio that he couldn’t repay Shylock. He expected to face the penalty and wished to see Bassanio one last time.
41. How did Bassanio respond to Antonio’s letter?
    He immediately prepared to leave for Venice. He was determined to help his friend.
42. What kind of friend was Antonio to Bassanio?
    He was generous and selfless. He risked his life to help Bassanio visit Portia.
43. Why was Antonio in danger?
    He had failed to repay Shylock’s loan. The bond required a pound of his flesh as penalty.
44. What qualities does Bassanio show by going to Venice?
    He shows loyalty and courage. He didn’t abandon his friend in trouble.
45. What does the story suggest about appearances?
    It warns that appearances can be misleading. True value often lies beneath the surface.
46. How does the story portray pride?
    Pride leads to failure, as seen with the prince of Spain. He overestimated his worth and made the wrong choice.
47. How is humility rewarded in the story?
    Bassanio’s humble thinking helped him win Portia. He succeeded where others failed.
48. Why did the other suitors leave after failing the test?
    They were ashamed and disappointed. The test revealed their true nature.
49. What lesson can we learn from Portia’s father’s plan?
    We learn to value wisdom over wealth. The right choices often require deep thinking.
50. How does the casket test reflect real-life decisions?                                It shows that important decisions shouldn’t be based on appearances alone. Thoughtfulness and sincerity lead to better outcomes.