All that glitters is not gold; an idiom derived from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. In a note written by Portia, she writes, "all that glisters is not gold," and very well it appears so (2.7.65). For a better understanding of this quote, we must understand who the message was intended for. When Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice, the year was 1558- right at the beginning of the Elizabethan Era. Queen Elizabeth rein succeeded from 1558 to 1603, a period often considered as the golden age. A period where new and radical ideas came about and England's influence increased worldwide. This era was associated with faux gold where everything that could possibly be leafed in gold was. The idea behind gold leafing was to symbolize the idea of utopia- where Queen Elizabeth pushed towards efforts to create a better and perfect society. So to say "not that that glister is not gold" is a theme Shakespeare's audience could have coincided with in society and the play. The audience were......
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