Question

Choose the correct answer from the options given below: 

Portia's father kept three caskets filled with gold, silver and _______ to choose his daughter the right suitor.

1. Pearls
2. Diamonds
3. Lead
4. Platinum

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 3 : Lead

The correct answer is 'Lead'.

• The above sentence is from The Merchant of Venice.
• Portia's father was wise, and he knew that his daughter would be highly coveted for her beauty and wealth, which are both external, superficial attributes. He did not want a shallow, materialistic man winning his daughter's hand in marriage, so he devised the lottery to ensure a worthy suitor would marry Portia. Portia's father planned to deceive the suitors by misleading them with gold and silver caskets. Ironically, a fortune-hunter like Bassanio is able to solve the riddle of the caskets, and Portia marries the man of her dreams. Although Bassanio's intentions were to acquire Portia's wealth, he proved to be a genuine, worthy suitor.
• The lead chest, which is made of a very humble metal, seems to symbolize inner beauty and modesty and contains a picture of Portia.