Nevertheless, although Portia’s fears are partially suppressed, her desire to be released from her father’s will is apparent. “I am locked in one of them (casket), if you do love me, you will find me out” (Line 40). As we discover, a portrait of Portia is locked within the casket, but Portia’s words demonstrate the entrapment that her father’s challenge has placed on her. Shakespeare also demonstrates Bassanio’s love for Portia, as he understands that Portia is the only one who can relieve him from this torture and anxiety. “O happy torment, when my torturer doth teach me answers for deliverance. But let me to my fortune and the caskets’ (Line 37). The “fortune” that Bassanio wants Portia can be seen as representing many different aspects of winning the casket challenge. His “fortune” my represent what he deserves, or the riches he will receive once he marries Portia, and more likely, the fortune he will possess for being married to the one he loves. However, Shakespeare leaves the meaning of this word as ambiguous, allowing Bassanio’s methods to be open to interpretations by the audience.
Portia’s desire for Bassanio to succeed in the challenge is furthermore expressed by the stipulations she adds to the challenge. Unlike in the other challenges with the previous men, Portia expresses her desire for Bassanio to have music playing whilst before and whilst he makes his choice. “Let music sound while he doth make his choice…if he lose he makes swan-like end…he may win, then music is even as the flourish, when true subjects bow to a new-crowned monarch” (Line 43). This may present Portia’s huge desire for Bassanio to choose correctly, but equally, Portia’s belief that Bassanio, like the previous men, will choose incorrectly. Ironically, this presents Portia as being unsure that her true love will choose correctly, and therefore by her father’s terms, would be unsuitable as a husband. Nevertheless, for Shakespeare, music adds a more dramatic aspect to the event, but is a huge hint for Bassanio from Portia that lead is the correct casket. “Tell me where is fancy bred, or in the heart or in the head? How begot, how nourished?” (Line 63). Most apparent from this song is that both “bred” and “head” rhyme with the correct casket; lead. Also, the song’s lyrics encourage or warn Bassanio not to judge by external appearances, and therefore reject the silver and gold caskets. Additionally, the second verse of the song includes lyrics such as “it is engendered in the eyes, with gazing fed, and fancy dies”. This also encourages Bassanio that love in the eyes is not ever lasting, which again, implies the correct choice is lead. Shakespeare uses the words in the song to show Bassanio as well as his audience, that lead is the correct choice, which also expresses the Portia’s desire for Bassanio to choose correctly.
Instantly, Shakespeare presents Bassanio as fully understanding Portia’s message from the song, by stating, “so may the outward shows be least themselves” (Line 73). In the following speech, Bassanio emphasises this point by showing that in many aspects of life, external experiences can hide something much less attractive. “In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt but being seasoned with a gracious voice obscures the show of evil?” (Line 75). By doing this, Shakespeare presents Bassanio as both smart for identifying Portia’s message, but also aware of the message that the casket challenge brings. Bassanio presents himself as the man that Portia’s father is looking for, but ironically, was and potentially still is the complete opposite. In the opening scene of the play, Bassanio presents his methods for pursuing Portia as being because she is “a lady richly left, and she is fair, and fairer than that world”. (Line 161, Act 1, Scene 1). This yet again, allows the audience to interpret whether Bassanio’s methods have changed, as shown by his language previously in the scene expressing his love, or if that was a show in order to gain his fortune and Portia’s money.
However, Portia’s true love for Bassanio is unquestionable, as shown when Bassanio chooses the correct casket, and therefore her self. “How all the other passions fleet to air, as doubtful thoughts, and rash-embraced despair, and shuddering fear, and green-eyed jealousy” (Line 118). Portia poetically describes her fear of Bassanio’s motives evaporating as Bassanio correctly chooses the lead casket. Portia also prays in the aside for help in containing her emotions. “O love be moderate, allay thy ecstasy, in measure rain thy joy, scant this excess” (Line 111). Nevertheless, Bassanio also presents his delight at choosing the lead casket, and also displays his admiration and love for the portrait of Portia within the casket. “What demi-god hath come so near creation” (Line 116). Bassanio’s love is also presented as, even though he admits that the portrait is beautifully painted, it fails to do her justice. “Yet look how far the substance of my praise doth wrong this shadow in underprizing it, so far this shadow doth limp behind the substance” (Line 127). At this point of the scene, Shakespeare presents nothing but the love between Bassanio and Portia, as the play has reached its romantic peak, presenting the long awaited union of Bassanio and Portia.
Following the kiss between Bassanio and Portia, Portia commits herself to Bassanio and all she owns to her new husband. She also presents him with a ring, the symbol of their union. Following this symbol, Portia claims that Bassanio is to never “part from, lose, or give away” (Line 173). Bassanio then romantically promises that “when this ring parts from this finger, then parts life from hence: O then be bold to say Bassanio’s dead” (Line 183). Both these promises from both Portia and Bassanio present the true love they feel, and are used as symbols by Shakespeare to represent the climax of the love story in the play.
At this point of the play, Shakespeare presents the true love between Bassanio and Portia, as well as the love that is expressed in Belmont, the scene of the love story within the play. Shakespeare allows both Portia and Bassanio to express their linguistic skills using deep and descriptive imagery expressing their love and heightening the suspense that the casket challenge brings to the scene.
