“Thus hath the candle singed the moth. O, these deliberate fools! When they do choose They have the wisdom by their wit to lose” (II.ix.78-80).
Portia’s metaphor, in which she equates her suitors to moths, alludes to the powerful influence she has and attempts to conceal. Portia describes her suitors as moths drawn to, and “singed,” by a candle. The candle symbolizes the caskets they must choose from, but, more so, symbolizes Portia herself as a powerful enough subject to draw in all of these men. Although Portia is supposedly powerless in the process by which she is to attain a husband, her description of men as moths that are naturally drawn to her suggests an influence she has over these men. This suggestion is significant as while Portia outwardly claims she is uneducated, unpracticed, and unskilled, her metaphor hints to the concealed influence she has over others. Shakespeare’s instillation of this metaphor hints at this secret aspect of Portia’s character that enables her to have a drastic affect on Antonio’s trial.
Mary--A very perceptive observation about a seemingly innocuous line / word. Your comment begs the question of why Portia must conceal her "powers," at it were (like a superhero?). Two further points that I like about these lines, since we're talking about them: "moth" would rhyme with the preceding couplet ("oath...wroth"), and I couldn't help but see Portia as speaking this word mockingly, to emphasize the rhyme. And, note the oxymoron in "deliberate fools."
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