- A lord from Scotland (at line 65) is too belligerent or quarrelsome. Shakespeare’s description also reflects the ongoingconflictthat had existed between theEnglishand theScottish. England struggled for centuries to take over Scotland, and on occasionwars between the two countries occurred. At such times France, who was also an enemy to England, joined the side of Scotland against the English. Portia describes her Scottish suitor as vowing revenge against her English suitor because the Englishman boxed (or punched) his ears, and her French suitor (who copies bad habits) has taken the side of the Scotsman and promises to get revenge against the English lord aswell.
- The last suitor mentioned is a son of a German duke, who is always drunk (at line 70). Portia likes him least of all and tells Nerissa to put a glass of wine on one of the wrong caskets or chests. The wine will trick the German into choosing the wrongcasket.
Nerissa, however, informs Portia that she has no need to fear any of these six ill-suited suitors because none of them want to agree to the terms that comes with making such achoice.
Portia is happy that she will not be forced into marriage with any of these lords, but she also worries that she will never get married and that she will turn into an old and wrinkled spinster (likeSibyllain Greek mythology, who received the gift
