The Merchant of Venice

Aragon’s Speech When Choosing the Silver Casket

And so I have address'd me, -fortune now	And so I have prepared myself- let's hope I'll get a fortune 	
To my heart's hope! - gold, silver, and base lead.	- gold, silver and rubbish lead. 	
"Who chooseth me, must give and hazard all he hath."	"Who chooses me must give up and risk everything he has" 	
You shall look fairer ere I give or hazard.	You will look more beautiful before I give or risk anything. 	
What says the golden chest? Ha ! let me see,	What says the golden chest? Ha! Let me see, 	
"Who chooseth me, shall gain what many men desire,"	"Who chooses me shall get what many men want" 	
What many men desire, - that "many" may be meant	What many men want - that word "many" may mean 	
By the fool multitude that choose by show, 	The stupid majority of people that choose or judge by appearances, 	
Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach,	They do not learn more than the eye can see 	
Which pries not to th'interior, but like the martlet	Which does not look inside, but like the bird, the house martin 	
Builds in the weather on the outward wall,	Builds his nest on the outside wall 	
Even in the force and road of casualty.	Even where accidents are most likely to happen, and with most force. 	
I will not choose what many men desire,	I will not choose what many men desire, 	
Because I will not jump with common spirits,	Because I will not follow the crowd 	
And rank me with the barbarous multitudes.	And be at the same level as many uncivilized people. 	
Why then to thee (thou silver treasure house),	Why then to you (you silver treasure house), 	
Tell me once more what title thou dost bear;	Tell me once more that you say: 	
"Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves,"	"Who chooses me will get as much as he deserves." 	
And well said too; for who shall go about	And well said too; because who goes around 	
To cozen Fortune, and be honourable	Cheating Fortune and claiming to be honourable 	
Without the stamp of merit? - let none presume	Without any evidence of the fact? Let none assume 	
To wear an undeserved dignity:	To wear an unworthy dignity: 	
O that estates, degrees, and offices,	O that property, rank and positions 	
Were not deriv'd corruptly, and that clear honour	Were not gained illegally, and that great honour 	
Were purchas'd by the merit of the wearer!-	Is earned only by people who deserve it!- 	
How many then should cover that stand bare!	A lot of people who now have to remove their hats in the presence of their betters would keep them on! 	
How many be commanded that command!	A lot of people should follow orders that give them! 	
How much low peasantry would then be gleaned	Among the people who are currently born nobles, there are many who ought to be picked out 	
From the true seed of honour! And how much honour	and rejected as peasants;And many people 	
Pick'd from the chaff and ruin of the times,	ruined by these hard times who ought to be 	
To be new-varnish'd! - well, but to my choice.	newly decorated with honours - well now to my choice. 	
"Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves,"-	"Who chooses me will get as much as he deserves." 	
I will assume desert; give me a key for this,	I will assume I deserve; give me the key for this, 	
And instantly unlock my fortunes here.	And unlock my fortunes instantly here.	

Instructions

Match the original lines with the modern version. 

What does this speech tell you about the lottery?

What do we learn about appearances and reality?

What do we learn about human nature?

And so I have address'd me, -fortune now 	
To my heart's hope! - gold, silver, and base lead. 	
"Who chooseth me, must give and hazard all he hath." 	
You shall look fairer ere I give or hazard. 	
What says the golden chest? Ha ! let me see, 	
"Who chooseth me, shall gain what many men desire," 	
What many men desire, - that "many" may be meant 	
By the fool multitude that choose by show, 	
Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach, 	
Which pries not to th'interior, but like the martlet 	
Builds in the weather on the outward wall, 	
Even in the force and road of casualty. 	
I will not choose what many men desire, 	
Because I will not jump with common spirits, 	
And rank me with the barbarous multitudes. 	
Why then to thee (thou silver treasure house), 	
Tell me once more what title thou dost bear; 	
"Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves," 	
And well said too; for who shall go about 	
To cozen Fortune, and be honourable 	
Without the stamp of merit? - let none presume 	
To wear an undeserved dignity: 	
O that estates, degrees, and offices, 	
Were not deriv'd corruptly, and that clear honour 	
Were purchas'd by the merit of the wearer!- 	
How many then should cover that stand bare! 	
How many be commanded that command! 	
How much low peasantry would then be gleaned 	
From the true seed of honour! And how much honour 	
Pick'd from the chaff and ruin of the times, 	
To be new-varnish'd! - well, but to my choice. 	
"Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves,"- 	
I will assume desert; give me a key for this, 	
And instantly unlock my fortunes here. 	
And so I have prepared myself- let's hope I'll get a fortune 	
- gold, silver and rubbish lead. 	
"Who chooses me must give up and risk everything he has" 	
You will look more beautiful before I give or risk anything. 	
What says the golden chest? Ha! Let me see, 	
"Who chooses me shall get what many men want" 	
What many men want - that word "many" may mean 	
The stupid majority of people that choose or judge by appearances, 	
They do not learn more than the eye can see 	
Which does not look inside, but like the bird, the house martin 	
Builds his nest on the outside wall 	
Even where accidents are most likely to happen, and with most force. 	
I will not choose what many men desire, 	
Because I will not follow the crowd 	
And be at the same level as many uncivilized people. 	
Why then to you (you silver treasure house), 	
Tell me once more that you say: 	
"Who chooses me will get as much as he deserves." 	
And well said too; because who goes around 	
Cheating Fortune and claiming to be honourable 	
Without any evidence of the fact? Let none assume 	
To wear an unworthy dignity: 	
O that property, rank and positions 	
Were not gained illegally, and that great honour 	
Is earned only by people who deserve it!- 	
A lot of people who now have to remove their hats in the presence of their betters would keep them on! 	
A lot of people should follow orders that give them! 	
Among the people who are currently born nobles, there are many who ought to be picked out 	
and rejected as peasants;And many people 	
ruined by these hard times who ought to be 	
newly decorated with honours - well now to my choice. 	
"Who chooses me will get as much as he deserves." 	
I will assume I deserve; give me the key for this, 	
And unlock my fortunes instantly here. 	

Instructions

Match the original lines with the modern version. 

What does this speech tell you about the lottery?

What do we learn about appearances and reality?

What do we learn about human nature?

© Ministry of Education, Wellington, New Zealand (First published 1998)