MERCHANT OF VENICE ACT 1 SCENE 2

Belmont. A Room in Portia's House.

Portia: "I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy praise."

Portia laments that she has yet to find her special someone. She famously complains about the faults of all her past suitors and her father's will which chooses her husband for her.

Portia's father's will chooses Portia's husband for her by means of three caskets, one gold, one silver and one lead. A suitor must choose one of the three caskets, a picture of Portia being contained in the correct casket.

When a suitor chooses a casket, he makes his worthiness to Portia clear, this devise ensuring that only the right man for Portia will marry his daughter. Though Portia does not like any of her past suitors, she does however, remember one man fondly, Bassanio...

Within a room in Portia's house at Belmont, a tired and weary Portia laments her situation, "By my troth, Nerissa [Portia's Waiting-maid], my little body is aweary [tired] of this great world" (Lines 1-2). Portia is tired of her continuous stream of suitors, mocking each in comedic fashion. Nor is she happy about her father's will denying her the right to choose for herself her future husband.

Nerissa tells Portia that her father was wise:


Your father was ever virtuous, and holy men at their death have good inspirations; therefore, the lottery that he hath [has] devised in these three chests of gold, silver, and lead, whereof [whereby] who chooses his meaning chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any rightly but one who you shall rightly love. (Lines 30-36)

(Your father was ever virtuous and holy men near their deaths often have good inspirations. Thus the lottery your father has devised whereby a man must choose between three caskets, one gold, one silver and one lead, each proving his true desire, will no doubt ensure that the man you will marry will be the one who you will rightly love), (Lines 30-36).

Of her "Neapolitan prince", the "County Palatine", "The French lord, Monsieur Le Bon", a young English baron (Falconbridge), "the Scottish lord," and the "young German, the Duke of Saxony's nephew", Portia disliked them all. Though Portia does not like her late father's casket challenge, she is unwilling to disobey her father's last will (Lines 95-104). So far none of the suitors described have taken up the challenge for Portia (Lines 106-113). To lose, we later learn, is to agree never to marry, nor ever to see Portia again. Portia does remember Bassanio, "A Venetian, a scholar and a soldier," fondly however: "I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy [my] praise" (Line 130).