Portia then ends the philosophical discussion to speak more directly about the cause of her unhappiness. Portia would like to have a husband; but her father, who had recently died, left a rather unusual clause in his will. Any man who wishes to gain Portia as his bride must choose from among three chests – one golden, one silver, and one made from lead. Each chest also has a riddle or clue inscribed on it, but only one of the chests contains a portrait of Portia inside. If the suitor chooses the correct chest, he can marry Portia and become lord of her palace. But if the man fails to choose the correct chest, he is bound by his honor (1) to leave Belmont immediately and never return, (2) to keep secret the choice he had made in regards to the chests, and (3) never to marry any other lady. The third promise is a particularly severe one, but the princes and some of the lords who are suitors to Portia feel that the lady and her property make the risk worthwhile.
The will, the use of the three chests and the riddles, and the honor-bound promises madebythe lords all give this part of the drama a quality like that of a folktale or fairytale.Itis not realistic. However, livedrama, being very much unlike a movie, isrepresentational. A play represents aspects of reality but is not reality itself. During the Renaissance people would go to a theater and see a bare and empty stage, but they would be tricked or luredintobelievingthatthatbarestageisBelmont