In William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” gold is of significant importance as

it plays a role in the plot involving the three caskets made from gold, silver, and lead. These

caskets are there as a test of Portia’s dead father. Gold in this play influenced the individual's

character and illustrated the theme of appearance and reality. While some may think that gold is

unimportant, we will focus on its contributions to the play.

The casket test is a major part of the play. Portia’s father stipulated that Portia’s hand in

marriage would go to the suitor who chooses the correct casket among the three: gold, silver, and

lead. The suitor who chooses the lead casket would marry Portia as it illustrates that they choose

not by view. The lead casket is inscribed with the message, “Who chooseth me must give and

hazard all he hath.” The silver casket has written on it, “Who chooseth me gains what he

deserves.” The gold casket also has a message which reads, “Who chooseth me gains what every

man desire.” It represents the superficial desires of man for wealth and beauty.

Gold showcases the different characters and character development of individuals.

Bassanio, one of Portia’s suitors, chooses the lead casket, demonstrating his ability to look

beyond the surface and recognize the true worth of what is inside. His choice reflects his

genuine love for Portia and showcases his character development. The gold casket, and choice

of the other suitors, revealed their superficial character, providing a great insight into their

characters. In Act 2, scene 7, the prince of Morocco chose the gold casket, showcasing his love

for materialistic things and desire for worldly possessions. This also illustrates his character as

greedy, as he chose the casket highest in value. He did gain what every man desires, which is

gold, but he did not gain Portia’s hand in marriage. This choice of casket of Bassanio and the

prince of Morroco demonstrates the difference between their character.

 The use of the skull and the message written with it in the gold casket, highlights one of

the central themes of the play, the contrast between appearance and reality. Corruption can be

hidden in many things, with gold and riches being one of them. Upon choosing the gold casket,

the prince of Morocco found a skull. The skull within the gold casket suggests that beneath all

the beauty, and wealth, lies death, corruption, and betrayal. The gold casket, chosen by the

Prince of Morocco, leads to failure in winning Portia’s hand in marriage, symbolizing the idea

that those who are motivated by materialistic things and outward appearance often miss out on

the true essence of love and inner character. The gold casket also contains a message, warning

that external appearances can be deceiving. This message reads, “All that glitters is not gold.”

This message warns against being swayed by surface-level attractions. The gold casket is the

most visually appealing and it represents wealth and external beauty which can be quite

captivating to people. This outward attractiveness can be seen as a metaphor for the superficial

qualities of people today. It also gives the idea that what appears appealing on the surface may

have something less desirable beneath.

Taking everything into account, it is apparent that the presence of gold in Shakespeare’s

“The Merchant of Venice” is of dramatic significant importance. It drives the plot, reveals

character traits, and also serves as a symbol for the themes in the play. Gold is an element that

enhances the play.