The Merchant of Venice: “It is engend’red in the eyes, With gazing fed, and fancy dies In the cradle where it lies.”
In William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” the exploration of love, desire, and the ephemeral nature of attraction is poignantly encapsulated in the lines spoken by Portia: “It is engend’red in the eyes, With gazing fed, and fancy dies In the cradle where it lies.” This quote, nestled within a playful exchange about the nature of love, reveals deep insights into the human condition, the transitory essence of infatuation, and the delicate interplay between sight and emotion.
Understanding the Quote in Context
These lines occur in a moment of levity, where Portia and her maid Nerissa prepare for Bassanio’s choice among the caskets that will determine his fate and her hand in marriage. Portia’s musings on the nature of “fancy”—a term that refers to both imagination and romantic affection—suggest that love is born not from the heart or intellect but rather from the eyes. Here, Shakespeare articulates a notion that visual attraction precedes deeper emotional connection, illustrating the superficial foundations upon which many romantic relationships are built. The metaphor of “fancy” dying “in the cradle” implies that many relationships, fueled only by initial attraction, may never grow into something profound and lasting.
Literary Devices and Language
Shakespeare employs several literary devices in this quote. The use of personification with “fancy dies” imbues the abstract concept of attraction with a sense of life and mortality, suggesting that what begins with beauty can quickly fade into nothingness if not nurtured. The rhyme scheme and rhythm of the lines evoke a nursery rhyme quality, reinforcing the idea that these notions of love are often childlike and naive. The phrase “engend’red in the eyes” invites readers to ponder the ways in which attraction is visually stimulated, a theme that resonates throughout the play.
Historical Context and Themes
Written in the late 16th century, “The Merchant of Venice” reflects a society where arranged marriages and social contracts often overshadowed romantic love. In such a context, Portia’s lines resonate with contemporary debates about the nature of love and attraction. The quote invites examination of the societal norms surrounding marriage and the often superficial basis of attraction during Shakespeare’s time. Furthermore, the themes of choice and chance, exemplified through the casket challenge, mirror the complexities of love where initial allure can lead to unexpected outcomes.
Modern Interpretations and Relevance
In the contemporary world, where visual culture dominates through social media and digital representation, Portia’s words take on new significance. The idea that attraction can be fleeting, based merely on appearances, is reflected in modern dating practices and the phenomenon of “love at first sight.” The transient nature of desire, as captured in the quote, serves as a reminder that meaningful relationships require more than visual appeal; they necessitate depth, understanding, and emotional connection.
Comparative Literature and Philosophy
This concept of sight as the genesis of desire is echoed in various works across literature and philosophy. For instance, in Plato’s “Symposium,” the idea of beauty as a pathway to love suggests that physical beauty can catalyze deeper philosophical and emotional pursuits. Similarly, in modern literature, characters often grapple with the tension between physical attraction and emotional intimacy, creating narratives that explore the consequences of superficial connections.
Conclusion: The Ephemeral Nature of Attraction
Portia’s reflections on love challenge us to consider the foundations of our own affections. “It is engend’red in the eyes, With gazing fed, and fancy dies In the cradle where it lies,” serves as a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of desire and the importance of nurturing deeper emotional bonds. In a world captivated by appearances, Shakespeare’s words resonate as a timeless exploration of human nature, encouraging us to look beyond the surface and cultivate the connections that truly matter. As we ponder our own experiences with love and attraction, we are left to wonder: how often do we let “fancy” die in its cradle, and how can we breathe life into the deeper connections that await us?
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Selected Text Explanation
Passage Summary
In this passage from "The Merchant of Venice," we find a moment of heightened tension and emotional complexity surrounding Bassanio's choice among the caskets, which symbolizes his pursuit of Portia and the deeper themes of love, desire, and identity. The dialogue highlights Bassanio's internal struggle as he grapples with the duality of love—its joys and its pains. He expresses a bittersweet acknowledgment of the "happy torment" that love can bring, suggesting that the very act of choosing is fraught with both hope and dread.
Portia, on the other hand, plays a dual role as both the object of Bassanio’s affection and the orchestrator of the challenge he faces. Her playful yet poignant remarks about being “lock'd in one of them” reinforce the theme of love as a game, where destiny and choice intertwine. She is aware that her fate—and that of Bassanio—hangs in the balance, and this adds a layer of dramatic irony to the scene. The music that surrounds the choice serves as a metaphor for the emotional stakes involved, paralleling the celebratory and mournful tones of love.
The invocation of classical references, such as Hercules and the Dardanian wives, amplifies the stakes of Bassanio's quest, equating it with legendary heroism and sacrifice. Portia's self-awareness as a “sacrifice” adds a tragic dimension to the proceedings, suggesting that love often requires personal loss or risk.
The song interwoven within the passage serves as a commentary on the nature of desire and fancy, further emphasizing the ephemeral quality of love and attraction. It encapsulates the idea that love can be fleeting and is often shaped by perception, echoing the larger themes of the play regarding the nature of true worth and the illusions that can guide one's choices.
Overall, this passage captures the essence of romantic pursuit, the interplay of fate and choice, and the complexities of love, establishing a rich emotional landscape that resonates throughout "The Merchant of Venice." It invites the audience to reflect on the nature of their desires and the sacrifices that often accompany true love.
Original Passage
Select any part of the passage to receive an explanation:
"Confess and love"
Had been the very sum of my confession:
O happy torment, when my torturer
Doth teach me answers for deliverance!
But let me to my fortune and the caskets.
PORTIA.
Away, then! I am lock'd in one of them.
If you do love me, you will find me out.
Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof.
Let music sound while he doth make his choice.
Then if he lose he makes a swan-like end,
Fading in music. That the comparison
May stand more proper, my eye shall be the stream
And wat'ry death-bed for him. He may win,
And what is music then? Then music is
Even as the flourish when true subjects bow
To a new-crowned monarch. Such it is
As are those dulcet sounds in break of day
That creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear
And summon him to marriage. Now he goes,
With no less presence, but with much more love
Than young Alcides when he did redeem
The virgin tribute paid by howling Troy
To the sea-monster: I stand for sacrifice;
The rest aloof are the Dardanian wives,
With bleared visages come forth to view
The issue of th' exploit. Go, Hercules!
Live thou, I live. With much much more dismay
I view the fight than thou that mak'st the fray.
A song, whilst Bassanio comments on the caskets to
himself.
[Tell me where is fancy bred,Or in the heart or in the head?How begot, how nourished?Reply, reply.It is engend'red in the eyes,With gazing fed, and fancy diesIn the cradle where it lies.Let us all ring fancy's knell:I'll begin it.—Ding, dong, bell.]
ALL.
[Ding, dong, bell.]
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