Portia and Nerissa arrive, and Portia makes the following comment about the candlelight:
That light we see is burning in my hall.
How far that little candle throws his beams – So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
(88-90)
In a night that is pitch dark, the small burning flame of a candle can be seen from a great distance away. Portia uses thecandlelightas ametaphorfor a good deed or act. Even though a good deed may seem small or insignificant, especially in context of world events and the evil that envelop mankind, such a good deed actually has more power and effect than most people realize (the wordnaughtymeans evil in the quote).Itis all a matter of perspective. People often overlook or undervalue the significance of a good deed. These lines may be specifically applied toAntonioand his melancholy. In a world that is evil and full of corruption, many people become despondent and gloomy. But if they look toward the good, such gloom and melancholy could belifted.
Portia also notes that the song of her musicians sounds “much sweeter” during the quiet night than it does during the day (99). Themusicis ametaphor, like the candlelight.Inthe right setting, the music assumes greater significance and value than it does in lesser circumstances.When