Portia also compares the situation to the Greek mythological story aboutHercules(who was also called Alcides) and his rescue of a Trojan princess. In that story the virgin princess is tied to a rock along a shore as a sacrifice to a sea monster that was terrorizing the city. Hercules slew the monster and rescued the princess. In a triple metaphor, Bassanio is Hercules, Portia the princess, and cruel fate is the sea monster. If Bassanio chooses correctly, Portia will be saved. But if he chooses incorrectly, then Portia will feel like she is being devouredbya cruel fate. Life without Bassanio will be like death toher.
The song follows Portia’s speech:
Tell me where is fancy bred? Or in the heart or in the head? How begot? How nourished?
Reply, reply.
It is engendered in the eyes, With gazing fed; and fancy dies In the cradle where it lies.
Let us all ring fancy’s knell. I’ll begin it: ding, dong, bell.
Ding dong, bell.(63-72)
The first line of this poem is quite famous and often repeated. The wordfancycan mean imagination, but here specially refers to love. The first singer asks about the origin of love. Does love begin in one’s heart or one’s head? The chorus (at line 67) responds that neither one is correct.Love actually