SHYLOCK GIVES THE JAILOR A BIT OF HIS MIND

Why was Shylock angry with the jailor? What did Shylock tell the jailor about his duty and Antonio?

Shylock was angry with the jailor for giving permission to Antonio to come out of the cell to start a conversation with the former to relent.

Shylock insisted on the jailor keeping a tight watch over Antonio without allowing him the privilege of coming out of his confinement. He further said that Antonio was a fool who used to lend money to people without charing interest. 

What did Shylock tell Antonio in a relentless manner?

Refusing to pay heed to Antonio's plea, Shylock told him in  ruthless manner that he should not tell him anything against the bond . He reminded him that he had sworn an oath and would not settle for anything but he punishment specified in the bond. He lashed out at Antonio tellling him that he once called him a Dog without a cause  and now he should be aware of his poisonous teeth with which he would bite him. 

What was Antonio’s plea to Shylock? What did Shylock tell Antonio in reply to his plea?

Antonio requested Shylock to relent and converse with him.

Shylock did not pay any heed to the plea of Antonio. On the other hand he reminded him of the abuse he had once heaped on him. He told him that once he called him a dog. Now he should be aware of the poisonous teeth of the dog with which he would bite him. He further told him that he should expect to have mercy from him. He said that he once lent money to people out of his sense of Christian generosity but he was not like such a generous Christian and not be settle for anything other than the penalty specified in the bond.

When did Antonio realize that it was useless making a plea to Shylock to spare his life? What did he say in that context?

When Antonio became conscious of the fact that Shylock was malicious towards him wanted to kill him, he said that he not make any fruitless entreaty to him to spare his life.

He further told his companion that he was aware of the fact that Shylock was bent on killing him and that he knew the reason behind it. He said considered him as an obstacle in the path of his money lending business and fleecing people. If he succeeded in disposing of him he would not have any difficulty in carrying on his ruthless money lending business without any resistance from him. In that context he also recalled how he had rescued many creditors from the vicious grip of Shylock.

What did Antonio say with reference to the Duke and the law of Venice?

When Antonio’s companion suggested that the duke could save his life by altering the course of the law a little, Antonio replied in the negative. He said that it was imperative to uphold the impartiality of the legal system of Venice.  According to him all the nations doing business in the city of Venice were entitled to the profits arising out of the transactions and this was guaranteed by an impartial legal system. If the transparency of the legal system was damaged it would bring disgrace to the city of Venice and send a wrong signal to the international community.

What did Jessica think of her house? Did she have any reason to think of it that way?

When Jessica was bidding adieu to Launcelot, she said that the house had been turned into a veritable hell.

Though she was a person of an objectionable character, she had the reason to think that the house where she lived with her father was a hell. That the atmosphere of the house was suffocating was evident from the way Shylock told his daughter to lock the doors and windows of the house to prevent the sound of the fife that would be played by the Christians. It was the orthodox nature of Shylock that created an atmosphere resembling that of a hell.

ANTONIO’S SADNESS- THE KEYNOTE OF THE PLAY

                                             

What did Antonio say about sadness?

At the very beginning of the play Antonio took his friends Salerino and Salerio into his confidence and told them about a strange feeling of sadness plaguing him. He said that the feeling disturbing him was strange in the sense that it was alien to his nature.  He was at a loss to understand what it was born of and where it had originated from.

How will you interpret Antonio’s sadness?

Antonio’s sadness gives one a feeling of gloom at the very beginning of the play and seems to be germane to the play itself. That something ominous is going to happen is evident from the kind of sadness Antonio talks about. Consequently Antonio’s sadness strikes the keynote of the play.

How do you know that Antonio has surrendered to sadness? Give three examples from the play?

Antonio tells Gratiano that he has a sad role to play on the stage of life. This is a conscious admission of the way he has taken the decisive influence of depression on him for granted.

The second example of his sadness is in the letter that he sends to Bassanio in Belmont, taking about the inevitable end of his life.

Third example of Antonio’s sadness is when he says in the court that he wants to offer himself to the dagger of Shylock. He thanks Fortune that She will not make him suffer in an agonized manner in a state of poverty till his old age as the very cutting of his flesh by Shylock will ensure his instant death.

What did Salerino say commenting on the nature of the parting of Bassanio and Antonio?

Salerino commented on the nature of A               ntonio and Bassanio to give an idea of the love of the former for the latter. When Bassanio was about to start for Belmont, Antonio told him in unequivocal terms that he should not be in a hurry to come back, leaving his job unfinished. He should not allow his mind of love to be disturbed by the thought of the loan he had taken from Shylock by signing a bond. On the contrary, he urged Bassanio to concentrate on the objective of winning Portia’s love and consequently her hand in marriage by employing the necessary display of love. Then as he pressed the hand of Bassanio, he turned his face as tears had formed in them.

How will you contrast Antonio as a merchant with shylock as one?

Antonio as a merchant was wealthy but he was rash and impulsive. One can form an idea of the nature of his investments based on the assessment of them by Shylock. He had scattered his investments in many an enterprise both at home and abroad. But that his merchant ships were exposed to some obvious perils as pointed out by Shylock cannot be ruled out. His confidence in himself as a merchant had made him presumptuous. He lacked the necessary shrewd acumen of a business man and failed to see through Shylock’s sinister design. He was aware of the fact that Shylock was a man who harboured malice towards him. But the intention of the latter to make him sign a fatal bond did not arouse suspicion in him and he signed it straightway without any farsightedness. As a merchant he was generous and gave loans to people without charging interest but he was not in the least prudent to be able to realize the fact that he was digging his own grave.

ANTONIO’S ABSTRACT AND REAL DEPRESSION

The play of merchant of Venice begins on a note of depression and this feeling of gloom permeates the entire play. Therefore it can be said that the tone of depression in the voice of Antonio strikes the keynote of the play. Antonio’s admission of the nature of his strange depression is something that is not comprehensible to his friends. They try to offer explanations to him about the nature of his depression in a bid to cheer him up. But he eludes their explanations bordering on exaggeration and gives one an impression of his obsession with depression. This becomes evident when he says that the role that has been assigned to him on the stage of life is that of depression and he will continue to play it in his own way.

His assertion of depression prompts his friend to say that he is looking forward to a cheap way of popularity and should steer clear of this trend. Though Bassanio after his arrival tries to make light of this comment of Gratiano saying that it amounts to nothing but sheer nonsense, Antonio does not succeed in getting rid of this feeling of sadness.

Bassanio receives a letter from his friend and this feeling of depression permeates the letter, though it is for an obvious reason now. 

When the jailor allows him to come out of the cell to start a conversation with Shylock and he fails to persuade him to relent, he gives expression to his feeling of depression. Now he speaks in the light of the stark reality of the imminent death looking him in the face. He says that as a pound of flesh will be cut from his chest, he does not have the least prospect of life but he is ready to accept this end of his life only if Bassanio, the embodiment of his unconditional love, arrives there once to see him paying the former’s debt with his life.

The intensity of this depression rings in his voice again in the court when all the pleas to spare his life are not heeded by Shylock. He says that the sooner he can offer himself to the dagger of Shylock the Jew the better drawing consolation in an ironical manner that Fortune favours him by awarding him a quicker death than drawing it out till the old age in a state of agonized poverty.

SHYLOCK TALKS TO HIS DAUGHTER

Who has come to the house of Shylock when the latter is preparing to leave for the house of Bassanio to attend the feast? What does Shylock tell him?

When Shylock is preparing to leave for the house of Bassanio to attend the feast, Launcelot appears.

Shylock tells Launcelot that his own eyes can judge the difference between him and the new employer Bassanio. He tells him further that working under Bassanio he would not be able to enjoy himself the way he did under him. He warns him saying that at the house of Bassanio he would not be able to eat like a glutton, sleep soundly and snore and use his garments the way he did while working under him.

What does Shylock tell his daughter at the time of leaving the house to attend the feast at the house of Bassanio?

While leaving the house to attend the feast at the house of Bassanio Shylock tells his daughter about his reluctance to go there. He says that he is aware of the fact that he has been invited with the purpose of flattering him and not out of a feeling of love.  He says further that still he wants to go to waste the resources of the prodigal Christian by eating at his house.

What is shylock’s parting advice to his daughter at the time of leaving the house?

While leaving the house to attend the feast at Bassanio’s Shylokc tells his daughter to be on her guard. He tells him that she should not climb up to the window and stick her face out of it to look down at the painted faces of the Christians passing by in a masquerade. He tells her particularly not to allow the hollow sound of the foppery to enter her serious house and vitiate the atmosphere of gravity. Finally in order to drive home the importance of taking good care of the household things, he uses a proverb. He says that though the proverb ‘fast bind, fast find’ is an old one it has not still lost its significance.

What did Jessica think of her house? Did she have any reason to think of it that way?

When Jessica was bidding adieu to Launcelot, she said that the house had been turned into a veritable hell.

Though she was a person of an objectionable character, she had the reason to think that the house where she lived with her father was a hell. That the atmosphere of the house was suffocating was evident from the way Shylock told his daughter to lock the doors and windows of the house to prevent the sound of the fife that would be played by the Christians. It was the orthodox nature of Shylock that created an atmosphere resembling that of a hell.

A QUICK GLANCE AT THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

What did Salerino say commenting on the parting of Bassanio and Antonio? What did Bassanio say later
commenting on the nature of Antonio to Portia?

Merchant of Venice Questions and answers.

What did Portia say about mercy?

In reply to the question of Shylock why he should be compelled to show mercy to Antonio, Portia says that one shows mercy spontaneously and not out of a compulsion. According to her, it is a virtue that shows itself as spontaneously as the rain that drops from the sky to the ground on its own.  She opines that it is a virtue that brings out the inherent greatness of the person who shows it and proves beneficial to the person to whom mercy is shown. Then she says that the crown of the king and the scepter that he wields are indicative of his worldly powers, striking terror in the hearts of the subjects. But when he shows mercy, it shows the divine quality of the king.

What did the Duke say to Shylock at the beginning of Act four?

After the Duke had called Shylock, he played on his emotions, trying to make him soften his obdurate stand on the penalty of Antonio. He told him that the general opinion about him was that he would not be as tough as he appeared to be. He said that he would be expected to put on his act of cruelty till the end but when the actual time of execution would ripen, he would turn around in a dramatic manner. He would not only give up the demand for the penalty but also forgive the defendant Antonio a part of the principal amount of three thousand ducats. He would do it out of his sense of compassion and humanity that would be aroused by the severity of the miseries of the merchant. According to the duke, such a feeling of compassion was natural as the present condition of the merchant buffeted by misfortunes would arouse pity even in the stony and savage hearts of Turks and Tartars not known to be familiar with acts of kindness.

 What did Bassanio say referring to the words of the letter sent by Antonio? What did Bassanio say praising his friend?

In reply to Portia’s question, Bassanio said that the letter sent by Antonio was his body and the words were like the wounds inflicted on the body of his friend Antonio from which blood was oozing steadily.

Bassanio paid a glowing tribute to his friend Antonio, giving Portia an idea of his estimate of his friend. He said that he was well conditioned and did not ever fail to do acts of kindness. He was a man in whose character all the qualities of ancient Roman dignity coalesced (combined) more than any person alive.

Why did Antonio tell Salerio that the Duke could not prevent the law from taking its own course?

Antonio told Salerio that the Duke could not prevent the law from taking its own course due to some compulsions. According to him, the foreigners living in Venice were entitled to some privileges. Any attempt to deprive them of their right to justice would damage the credibility of the impartiality of the legal system prevailing in the city. Besides that the profits arising out of the transaction of trade in the city belonged to all the nations, thus strengthening their claim to justice.

What was Shylock’s warning to the Duke against denying justice to him?

Shylock warned the Duke of the danger looming large before the city of Venice. He said in a tone of severity that if he was denied justice, the freedom of the city of Rome would be Jeopardized (endangered) or any attempt to deny him justice would pose a threat to the freedom of the city of Venice.

What did Portia say about friendship referring to the one between Bassanio and Antonio?

Portia does not fail to take cognizance of the nature of friendship existing between Bassanio and Antonio. She  says that when two friends spend a great deal of time together, talking to each other, they should be understood to have been bound by a strong bond of love as their hearts are bound by ‘an equal yoke of love’ the way oxen are bound by a yoke. In sharing such a common bond of love their souls resemble each other in terms of their characteristics and behaviour.