Importance Of Self-Awareness In The Merchant Of Venice

In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare demonstrates that without self-awareness, you cannot be successful in your endeavours. Discuss.
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice validates that without truly knowing oneself, being successful is an impossible task. Most characters, depending on their level of self-awareness, are either prosperous or not, supporting the contention thoroughly. Morocco and Arragon, potential suitors for Portia, are tremendously unsuccessful in their endeavour to marry her. This is due to the fact that they anticipate how much better they are then anyone else. Bassanio, another suitor for Portia, contrastingly to Morocco and Arragon, knows exactly who he is and because of this gets to marry Portia. Alternatively Shylock doesn’t lack in self-awareness but the consequences of that is disastrous for him.
Morocco and Arragon, two egotistical candidates for Portia’s love, significantly lack in self-awareness, and because of this are ineffective in their attempts to marry her. Portia’s father has set up a ‘lottery’ where any man must undergo an oath and then must select a casket. If they choose correctly, win Portia and her copious amount of money. Morocco, the first of the two to select a casket, when reading the …show more content…
Morocco, Arragon are both unsuccessful as they pick their caskets as they see themselves better then what the actually are. While Bassanio knows the looks can be deceiving and that things aren’t always what they seem as he is fooling everyone into thinking he is rich. Alternatively Shylock even though he is self-aware fails in his endeavour to get revenge on the racist Antonio. The Merchant of Venice challenges whether you need to be self-aware to lead a happy life or whether what other people think of you decides the contentment you have as you are