The next scene is set at Belmont, where Bassanio is ready to choose from among the three caskets. Portia is clearly attracted to Bassanio, and she asks him to wait a day or two (or a month or two) before he chooses. She is afraid that he may choose incorrectly, and she would like to enjoy his company at least for a short time. Portia would choose Bassanio for a husband if the choice were left up to her, but she is an honorable lady and will not act contrary to the conditions set in her father’s will. She will not tell Bassanio which casket to choose even though she clearly desires for him to choose the correct one:
Let fortune go to hell for it, not I. (21)
The result, Portia is asserting, lies in the power ofFateor Dame Fortune. As a good Christian, Portia believes that honoring her father is a virtue and disobeying him is a sin. Disobeying a parent is aMortal Sinbecause such an act breaks one of theTen Commandments: honor thy father and mother. Christians believe that such sins could lead to the eternal damnation of the soul – such sins are mortal or deadly to the soul. Because Portia is a virtuous lady and a good Christian, she cannot tell Bassanio which casket to choose. However, she clearly feels that her marriage to Bassanio would be a good and virtuous result. So, if Fate prevents such a virtuous