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WAEC SSCE - Literature In English - 2003 (Objective)

Question 1 Report

Read the extract below and answer the Question

.....Thus ornament is but the guilded shore
To a most dangerous sea...........
The seeming truth which cunning times put on
To entrap the wisest. Therefore thou gaudy gold
Hard food for Midas. I will none of thee.....
(Act 111 sc 11)

The speaker is
Answer Details
The speaker is Bassanio. In this extract from Act III, Scene II of Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice," Bassanio is reflecting on the nature of material wealth and the dangers that it can bring. He describes ornamentation as a superficial decoration, akin to a gilded shore, that hides the treacherous and deceptive nature of the sea beneath. The speaker then specifically addresses gold as a prime example of this danger, referring to the mythical character Midas, whose insatiable desire for gold ultimately led to his downfall.
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