'All that glitters is not gold' - The Merchant of Venice, Act 2 Scene 7
External versus Internal: Tolkien & Shakespeare
MOROCCO
'All that glitters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer had not been inscroll'd:
Fare you well; your suit is cold.'
Cold, indeed; and labour lost:
Then, farewell, heat, and welcome, frost!
Portia, adieu. I have too grieved a heart
To take a tedious leave: thus losers part.
As a fan of both Shakespeare and Tolkien (author of The Lord of the Rings, a story I was raised on), this passage from The Merchant of Venice has always fascinated me. Reading aloud from the scroll he finds in the gold casket, the Prince of Morocco learns he has failed to win the hand of Portia. As so many before him, he greedily chose the gold casket, believing its contents - denoted as 'what many men desire' - to assent to his suit. He has judged wrongly: it is in fact the base leaden casket, which warns the chooser 'must give and hazard all he hath', that contains Portia's portrait, and thus her hand in marriage.
The opening line of this rhyme, 'all that glitters is not gold', is often quoted and so well-known, even to those unfamiliar with the play. It has come to represent how things that appear precious might not be as fine as they first seem - an idiom for misinterpretation, with a meaning similar to 'judging a book by its cover'. Many might not realise that the expression was penned by Shakespeare, being more likely to have read it, albeit rephrased slightly, in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Fellowship of the Ring. Even fewer would know that it actually pre-dates even Shakespeare, appearing in Chaucer's works, and even so far back as Aesop.
Yet, to simplify, this month's feature will focus on the passage from Shakespeare, and the corresponding rhyme in Tolkien's novel, quoted below (and henceforth referred to as Aragorn's Song).
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
Interestingly, despite Tolkien's appropriation of Shakespeare's language ('all that is gold does not glitter') and imagery (age/strength, heat/frost), the passages differ quite substantially when we consider their meaning. Beginning most clearly in the opening line, Tolkien inverts Shakespeare's meaning:
All that glitters is not gold (Shakespeare)
All that is gold does not glitter (Tolkien)
More than just simple rephrasing to fit a new rhyme scheme, the Tolkien's alteration places emphasis on the 'gold', rather than what outwardly 'glitters'. In Morocco's scroll, the emphasis is on how he has been misled by the glittering appearance of the casket, and so lost his chance to achieve the 'gold' - the true prize, Portia. In Aragorn's song, the outlook is more positive: focus is on the 'gold' of Aragorn's noble nature and identity as heir to Gondor's throne, rather than his lack of 'glitter' - his appearance as the humble wanderer 'Strider'.
The rest of each respective passage follows suit: where Shakespeare focuses on the outward show, Tolkien inverts the imagery to focus on the internal value. Morocco's scroll chastises the Prince for being too preoccupied on the external - his 'bold' choices, his 'young' physique, and his inaction in response to what he is 'often...told'. It further claims that, had he cared more for internal values such as wisdom and 'judgement', his suit may have been successful. For Aragorn, the focus is on his internal merits: a strong moral compass leading him down fortuitous paths, his unwavering strength, and his promise alike to a 'flame' springing from the 'ashes' of hopelessness. While Morocco's scroll points towards surface traits of greed, vanity, and weakness, Aragorn's song looks deeper: roots beneath frosty ground; strength within old bones; virtue in a heart which may seem lost.
Though some words occur in both passages, the overall semantic field of Tolkien's language differs to that of Shakespeare. For Shakespeare, the focus is on decay: the deterioration of care and attention, as Morocco has stopped listening to what he is told; the degradation of self-worth as life is 'sold' for wealth; the physical disintegration of youth and the body as it is eaten by worms. As a result, Morocco's suit itself decays, as its flame goes out and it is left 'cold'.
In Aragorn's song, there is a overarching semantic field of regeneration and rejuvenation. Strength bolsters age, roots endure the cold, and wandering hearts return to their true path. The second stanza, brimming with impelling nouns (fire', 'light') and verbs ('woken', 'spring', 'renewed'), tells of the reforging of the blade Narsil as Andúril, symbolic of Aragorn's reforged identity as he becomes King Elessar. Through this metaphor, Aragorn's character is presented in a far more positive light than Morocco's, his future appearing brighter and his fortunes greater.
It is also important to consider these passages in relation to their placement in these characters' arcs. For Morocco, this passage formulates his final speech in this scene, and his subsequent exit ends his role in the play. Yet for Aragorn, the song appears fairly early in his journey; in fact, it appears in the story before he does. The verses are given to Frodo in a letter from Gandalf, left at The Prancing Pony in Bree. Upon meeting the hobbits, Aragorn speaks the first two lines to encourage Frodo to trust him. It is later quoted in full at the Council of Elrond, where it is revealed that Bilbo wrote the song long before.
With Morocco, the verse represents a hope lost - his suit is cold, he has lost his chance to win Portia's hand, and so his time in this story ends. The use of past tense in the scroll's message reinforces this loss, by telling of Morocco's past follies ('often you have heard that told'), the follies of mankind more widely ('many a man his life hath sold'), his recent follies ('had you been as wise as bold'), and the possible outcome he has thus lost out on ('your answer had not been inscroll'd'). With Aragorn, the song represents a forthcoming renewal of hope. Future tense expresses how these hopes all depend on Aragorn's future actions, but no doubt is expressed that he will not live up to the prophesy. His true calling 'shall be woken' within him, and his strength and courage 'shall spring' to the task; his weapon will be readied ('renewed shall be blade that was broken'), and he will ascend to his true place ('the crownless again shall be king').
These passages are interesting to consider because of their differences, but also their similarities. In both, we see a man of noble heritage stepping up to a challenge, the outcome of which will alter their fortunes and their future. The titular phrase of each refer to something gold and pure, whether by external show or internal virtue, and how this can be misread or misinterpreted due to the 'glitter', or lack thereof. Such misinterpretation lessens hope in these characters, sometimes rightfully, sometimes wrongfully. Yet, whether it is a dismissal or a prophesy, the outcome of both is fortuitous for the story, if not the characters themselves: Morocco's failure allows Portia to marry her true love Bassanio; Aragorn fulfils his destiny and tips the scales in the war against Sauron. The gold prevails.
Photo credit:
David Harewood as the Prince of Morocco, in The Merchant of Venice (2004), found here.
Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), found here.
Vinta Morgan as the Prince of Morocco, in The Merchant of Venice at the Almeida Theatre (2014), copyright Geraint Lewis, found here.
Viggo Mortensen as King Elessar in The Return of the King (2003), found here.
Patsy Ferran and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as Portia and Bassanio in the RSC's The Merchant of Venice (2015), found here.
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