#episode 3

He opened it, but all he found inside was an ugly skull, and a piece of paper containing these words: All that shines is not gold. Goodbye!

So the Prince of Morocco sadly said goodbye to Portia and

returned to Africa.

The next visitor was the Prince of Arragon, and he, too, was shown the three boxes. This prince was a vain young man with a very high opinion of himself, and he chose the silver box.

"If I get as much as I deserve, he said. 'I shall certainly gain the fair Portia. But the box contained nothing but a fool's head and these

words:

Many fools are hidden behind a silver covering.

So be gone, sir!

The prince, feeling very silly, went away as sadly as the Prince of Morocco had done.

Then Bassanio and Gratiano arrived, and Bassanio begged Portia to permit him to try his luck with the three boxes. She was very much afraid that he might choose the wrong box, but she dared not tell him which was the right one. He looked at the box of gold and the box of silver, and shook his head.

"The things which are most beautiful outside are often the ugliest within,' he said. 'I choose the plain lead box"

Skull: the bones of a head

Portia was filled with joy as Bassanio opened the box and found inside a lovely picture of her. They arranged to be married at once, and Bassanio's friend, Gratiano, asked for permission to marry Nerissa at the same time.

But their happiness was soon disturbed by bad news. A ship arrived from Venice, bringing a friend of Bassanio's called Lorenzo. With Lorenzo was his wife, Jessica, the beautiful daughter of Shylock the Jew. Shylock had always been harsh and cruel to Jessica, and she knew he would never consent to her marrying Lorenzo, first, because he was not a Jew, and second because he was a friend of Antonio's. So one night she ran away from her father's house to marry Lorenzo, taking with her a great deal of money and some jewels.

They had come to Belmont to escape Shylock's anger, and they brought with them a letter to Bassanio from Antonio. Bassanio read the letter and he turned so pale that Portia feared that his friend must be dead.

"What is it, Bassanio?' she asked anxiously. 'You must let me share the bad news that this letter brings."

'Oh, sweet Portia,' said Bassanio. 'Here are some of the most unpleasant words that have ever been written.'

The letter told him that Antonio's six ships, full of riches, had all been wrecked at sea and Antonio's money had been lost with them. And this was not all. Shylock hated Antonio more than ever since his friend, Lorenzo, had run away with Jessica. He was so angry at the loss of his daughter and his money that he walked about the streets crying: 'My daughter!

My money! My jewels! Justice, justice! Find me my money and my daughter! And when he heard that all Antonio's ships were lost, he was very glad. Now he could revenge himself on Antonio and on all those who loved the brave young merchant.

many Shylock went to the Duke of Venice and told him of Antonio's bargain and of the bond he had signed. The Duke and of the merchants tried to persuade Shylock to give up his cruel revenge, but he would not listen to them.

Antonio cannot pay the money, said Shylock. 'He must

therefore keep his promise and pay me the pound of flesh.

Jessica had heard her father tell his Jewish friends that he would rather have a pound of Antonio's flesh than be paid twenty times the sum that was owed to him. Bassanio was terribly disturbed by the news and decided that

he must return to Venice at once to try to save his friend.

Portia had a kind and generous heart and did not try to

prevent his going.

Let us be married now, she said. 'And then you must go to Venice at once. You shall have gold to pay this debt twenty times over: and when it is paid, bring your true friend here!

So they were married, and after the ceremony Bassanio and Gratiano set off at once for Venice. They found that the trial was just beginning.

Antonio did not ask for mercy. He knew that Shylock hated him too much to be merciful. Besides, a man must keep his promise; otherwise people would think that the merchants of Venice were not honest men.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***