People tend to view and judge things by how they see them. However, appearances can be deceiving, and lead one to misfortune by their own mistake. Someone could find a cool and popular person, and think they're really nice. But the person is actually really mean and doesn't want to associate with them. In the book, Merchant of Venice, suitors were given a lottery of three caskets, and had to choose the right one in order to marry a girl. Two have promising appearances and one didn't look very valuable at all, but when opened their contents are the opposite of their appearance. In The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare, it explains that the appearance of something is simply a lie to deceive others.
When the Prince of Morocco visits the rich young lady Portia to choose the correct casket and have her hand in marriage, he chooses what he finds most suitable for the lady by appearance, but ends up being wrong. "In England they have a gold coin called an Angel, with the image of an angel stamped on it. It's only engraved. But inside here an angel lies upon a golden bed," (2.7.55-59). The Prince of Morocco chose the gold casket because of a gold coin that had the engraving of an angel, which, in relation to the caskets, the gold one had the picture of Portia, an "angel.". However, he only looked at the appearance with no thought that it could be a trick. "what have we here? A rotting skull, and in its empty eye socket there's a rolled-up manuscript. I'll read the writing on it: All that glitters is not gold; Often have you heard that told. Many a man his life has sold Just my outside to behold," (2.7.62-68). Despite the casket looking valuable, its contents were the complete opposite. The outside of the gold casket was a lie to deceive him, holding a rotten skull instead of Portia's picture. The Prince of Morocco made a foolish decision because he determined what was right and wrong through appearance.
Bassanio, another man who wanted to win marriage to Portia, made his choice with something that didn't look promising but held more that what it seemed. "Ornament is the treacherous shore of a very dangerous sea, the beautiful scarf veiling an uncertain beauty; in short, it is a mock-truth that on swindling occasions can deceive the cleverest of men. Therefore, gaudy gold, food for Midas, I want none of you. nor of you, silver, the stuff of common currency. But you, worthless lead, which threatens rather than promises, your plain speaking appeals more than the eloquence of your rivals. This is my choice," (3.2.97-107). Bassanio made it clear that appearances are lies, and knocks away the valuable gold and silver caskets in favor of the worthless lead. He ignores the dull lead's appearance, knowing that its contents don't match its display. "What do I find here? Fair Portia's portrait! How close to the divine this is!... Just as my praises undervalue the portrait, the portrait falls short of the reality. Here's the scroll, on which my fortune's summarized: You who choose not by the view Take fair chance, and choose quite true," (3.2.114-116,127-132). Bassanio, in choosing the casket that had no promising appearance, found Portia's picture and won her marriage. He knew that appearances are lies. Bassanio made a wise decision because he determined what was right and wrong through thought.
When the suitors chose the caskets, they made decisions based on what they thought of the three metals that lied before them. The Prince of Morocco, choosing appearance to determine what was correct, chose the precious gold and ended up being wrong. When Bassanio chose the worthless lead, he ended up being right. In The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare, it notes that one can't determine someone or something's value just by their appearance. Anything can look deceiving, so it's never easy to tell what's right or wrong. A person could be given a present in fine wrapping paper and a carefully detailed ribbon, but will find that the gift held a worthless object. The present looked promising, but the object was the opposite. People need to stop judging things by appearance, or they could get opposing results.
INTRO NEEDS MORE DISCUSSION THAT NEEDS TO BE MORE THOROUGH IN YOUR IDEAS. BECAUSE YOUR OPENING DISCUSSION IS NOT COMPLETE, THUS WE ARE LEFT CONFUSED. AFTER YOU INTRO THE BOOK YOU NEED TO CONNECT THE BOOK TO THE THEME YOU HAVE CHOSEN THROUGH DISCUSSION BEFORE STATING THESIS. ALSO THESIS STATEMENT IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH IN OPINION AND HARD TO ARGUE. YOUR REASONING IN BODY PARAGRAPHS NEEDS TO BE MORE IN CONNECTION BACK TO YOUR THESIS THERE IS TOO MUCH SUMMARY. CONCLUSION NEEDS A LOT MORE LASTING INSIGHT. AS(2+)
ReplyDeleteYour purpose was pretty clear and your thesis and body paragraphs match your intro. The form of your paragraphs pretty good, but you still kinda need to be more thorough, since the stuff in your paragraph are mostly the quote. I suggest shortening the quote and only using the important parts from it. :)
ReplyDeleteYour purpose was pretty clear and your thesis and body paragraphs match your intro. The form of your paragraphs pretty good, but you still kinda need to be more thorough, since the stuff in your paragraph are mostly the quote. I suggest shortening the quote and only using the important parts from it. :)
ReplyDeleteHello Chaysen,
ReplyDeleteI think that your intro is missing some commentary and discussion about the topic. Also some of your sentence don't make sense. For ex) "In the book, Merchant of Venice, a suitor has to choose one of three caskets, two made out of glittering material and one made out of a dull substance, and find the right one to marry a girl."You should also reword the thesis. You don't really connect the storyline to the theme that your are trying to portray. Your conclusion statement needs to have more discussion about the theme and your thesis statement. But overall, good job.