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Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 2 Summary

Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 2 Summary, Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers

Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 2 Summary

Setting : Venice
Characters : Portia, Nerissa, Gratiano

Portia asks Nerissa to go and get the signature of Shylock on the deed of gift. She also tells her that they should reach Belmont earlier than their husbands. In the meantime, Gratiano overtakes Portia and hands over Bassanio’s ring to her.

Portia accepts the ring from Gratiano and asks him to show Shylock’s house to Nerissa. Nerissa tells Portia that she will also try to persuade her husband to give her his ring which she has given him. This will provide them an opportunity to quarrel with their husbands on the ground that they have given their rings to two young women. They will/of course, deny the charge. But they will assert that they are concealing the truth.

Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 2 Critical Commentary

This scene informs us that Nerissa, too, will try to get the ring from Gratiano. We also come to know that Portia and Nerissa are in a hurry to reach Belmont before their husbands. They anticipate a humorous situation when they confront their husbands.

Significance of the Scene

1. This small scene is a continuation of the Trial Scene itself.
2. We are being prepared for the comic interlude (the ring episode) in the last Act.

Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 2 Glossary

Lines 1-23 deed : document
more advice : second thought
swear : promise
warrant : assure
old : hard
outface : face
outswear : swear loudly
tarry : wait

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 1 Scene 1

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 1 Scene 1 Questions and Answers, Passage Based Questions.

Merchant of Venice Act 1 Scene 1 Workbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
In which mood do Antonio’s friends find him in ? What does Antonio say about it ?
Answer:
Antonio’s friends find him in a sad mood. Antonio admits of his sadness but he says he does not know why he is sad. His ‘ sadness is a source of trouble to him. His sadness tires him out and depresses him, and he finds himself a dull person.

Question 2.
What do we learn about Bassanio’s standard of living ?
Answer:
Bassanio, being fashionable, is quite extravagant. He maintains a high standard of living which does not match his modest income. He wastes his money in a careless manner. He is under heavy debts but he is not willing to give up his lordly style of living, though he is anxious to get rid of all debts.

Question 3.
What does Bassanio say about Portia ? Why does he want to go to Belmont ?
Answer:
Bassanio holds a very good opinion of Portia. He says that she is a beautiful and virtuous young lady living in Belmont. She has inherited much riches. Bassanio wants to go to Belmont to win her hand in marriage.

Question 4.
What does Salarino say about the cause of Antonio’s melancholy ?
Answer:
Salarino tells Antonio that he is sad because his mind is filled with anxiety. He (Antonio) is worried about the high seas where his merchant ships are sailing. In a mood to flatter his rich friend he praises his majestic ships.

Question 5.
“I am Sir Oracle
And when I ope my lips, let no dog bark”. (Lines 97-98)
When does Gratiano utter these words, and in which context ? What does he mean to say ?
Answer:
Gratiano, one of Antonio’s friends, utters these words when Antonio remarks that he feels he is destined to play a sad role on the stage of life. He says that some persons pretend to look wise by keeping quiet. They consider themselves to be oracles, too sure of their wisdom, who prove to be foolish when they open their mouth.

Question 6.
‘His reasons are as two
grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff’ (Lines 118-119)
Who speaks these lines and, about whom ?
Answer:
Bassanio speaks these lines about his friend Gratiano in his absence. He feels that he speaks too much. Rational words in his speech, according to him, are like two food grains in a lot of (two bushels) chaff.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 1 Scene 1 Passage Based Questions

PASSAGE 1.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Antonio :
In sooth, I know not why I am so sad :
It wearies me; you say it wearies you;
But how I caught it, found it, or come by it,
What stuff ’tis made of, whereof it is born,
I am to learn;
And such a want-wit sadness makes of me,
That I have much ado to know myself.
Salarino :
Your mind is tossing on the ocean;
There, where your argosies with portly sail,
Like signiors and rich burghers on the flood,
Or, as it were, the pageants of the sea,
Do overpeer the petty traffickers,
That curt’sy to them, do them reverence,
As they fly by them with their woven wings.

(i) Who is Antonio ? Where is he ? What is his state of mind ?
Answer: Antonio is a rich businessman. Along with his friends he is in a street of Venice. He is sad.

(ii) What is it that makes him sad, according to him ?
Answer: According to Antonio, the feeling of sadness is really depressing. He does not know from where he got it and what is made of and how it began. He admits that sadness has turned him into a dull man.

(iii) Who is Salarino ? What has he to say about Antonio’s melancholy ?
Answer: Salarino is one of Antonio’s friends. According to him, Antonio is sad because he is worried about his ships sailing on the sea.

(iv) What does Antonio say about his ships ? What contradiction do his words convey later ?
Answer: Antonio is not worried about his ships. It is so because his ventures are not limited to one ship or to one place. Moreover, his financial status does not depend on the business transaction of only this year. Strangely, later when his ships are reported to have perished, he goes totally bankrupt and has nothing left to pay back his loan.

(v) What is the dramatic significance of Antonio’s melancholy ?
Answer: Antonio’s melancholy is dramatically significant. At the very outset, it creates the mood of the play. We are prepared for the tragic events that are to- plunge Antonio and all his associates into a deep crisis.

PASSAGE 2.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Bassanio :
In my school-days, when I had lost one shaft,
I shot his fellow of the self-same flight
The self-same way with more advised watch,
To find the other forth, and by adventuring both
I oft found both : I urge this childhood proof,
Because what follows is pure innocence.
I owe you much, and, like a wilful youth,
That which I owe is lost; but if you please
To shoot another arrow that self way
Which you did shoot the first, I do not doubt,
As I will watch the aim, or to find both
Or bring your latter hazard back again
And thankfully rest debtor for the first.

(i) What has Antonio learnt about Bassanio ? What does Bassanio say ?
Answer: Antonio has learnt that Bassanio is going on a journey for the sake of a lady. He wants to know who the lady is. Bassanio, instead of responding to the question, refers to his squandering of a lot of money to maintain a lordly style of living. He says that he owes Antonio a lot of money which he took as loans in the past, and he declares that he hopes to pay all his debts soon.

(ii) What tells you that Antonio is a selfless friend of Bassanio ?
Answer: Despite the fact that Bassanio has not paid ‘ back what he owes him, he is ready to help and support any of his plans with his money, his body and all that he has. It shows that he is a selfless friend and a generous person.

(iii) Why does Bassanio refer to his childhood sport of arrows ?
Answer: Bassanio refers to his childhood sport in which he would get his lost arrow by shooting another in the direction of the lost one. His purpose is to tell Antonio that if he gets another loan from Antonio he shall be able to get so much money by his new plan that he will repay his old as well as new loan.

(iv) What is Bassanio’s plan ?
Answer: Bassanio wants to take a loan from Antonio in order to present himself as a suitable suitor to Portia, a beautiful rich lady of Belmont. He adds that various suitors from different lands are coming to win her hand.

(v) What impression do you form of Bassanio ?
Answer: We feel that Bassanio is a careless, extravagant man. He seems to be selfish in his plan to marry a rich lady so that he may also become rich. This negative impression about him is, however, removed from our minds slowly as the play advances. His sterling qualities as a sincere friend and a devoted husband come to the fore.

PASSAGE 3.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Antonio :
Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for it,
My ventures are not in one bottom trusted,
Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate Upon the fortune of this present year :
Therefore my merchandise makes me not sad.
Salarino:
Why, then you are in love.
Antonio :
Fie, fie!
Salarino:
Not in love neither? Then let us say you are sad,
Because you are not merry: and ’twere as easy
For you to laugh and leap and say you are merry,
Because you are not sad. Now, by two-headed Janus,
Nature hath framed strange fellows in her time :
Some that will evermore peep through their eyes
And laugh like parrots at a bag-piper,

(i) Who are Salanio and Salarino ? What are they worried about ?
Answer: Salanio and Salarino are Antonio’s friends. They find Antonio inexplicably sad. They are worried about his sadness because he looks almost always sad. They try to guess the reason of his sadness. Salanio feels that he is sad because he is worried about his ships while Salarino thinks he is sad because he is in love.

(ii) What is it that is denied by Antonio ? What claims does he make ? In what sense do his claims prove to be wrong later ?
Answer: Antonio denies that he is worried about his ships. He claims that he has more than one ship and that they are sent to different parts of the world. His claims seem to be wrong or absurd when it is reported later that he has lost all his ships and has gone bankrupt.

(iii) What do the words “Fie, fie !” reveal about Antonio ?
Answer: Salarino, in trying to arrive at some conclusion about Antonio’s melancholy, says that he is sad because he is in love. Antonio denies it vehemently and wonders how he has arrived at such an absurd suggestion. His words show that he is a practical, unromantic sort of person.

(iv) What makes Salarino refer to two-headed Janus ? What suggestion does he want to make ?
Answer: Salarino refers to the two-headed Roman god, Janus, only to say that there are two kinds of persons in this world — the non- serious and the serious. He wants to suggest that Antonio belongs to the category of serious persons.

(v) What is the dramatic significance of Antonio’s melancholy ?
Answer: Antonio’s melancholy which remains baffling seems to be innate in his character. It strikes the keynote of the play. His melancholy is ominous, and prepares us for the oncoming trouble.

PASSAGE 4.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Gratiano:
There are a sort of men whose visages
Do cream and mantle like a standing pond,
And do a wilful stillness entertain,
With purpose to be dress’d in a opinion
Of wisdom, gravity, profound conceit,
As who should say, ‘I am Sir Oracle,
And when I ope my lips let no dog bark!’

(i) In whose company is Gratiano ? What has provoked him to give a long lecture ?
Answer: Gratiano is in the company of his friends : Antonio, Bassanio, Lorenzo, Salanio and Salarino. Antonio has remarked that he is destined to play a sad role in life. This comment of Antonio provokes Gratiano to give a long lecture.

(ii) Why do some people, according to Gratiano, try to look serious ?
Answer: According to Gratiano, some people try to look serious so that the world should regard them as wise persons. They want to be passed for oracles. They want no one should interrupt them when they speak.

(iii) Whom is Gratiano criticising indirectly ?
Answer: Gratiano’s target of criticism is Antonio who, he feels, remains serious and quiet, perhaps to get a reputation for wisdom, which is not desirable. He believes one should enjoy life as it is.

(iv) Later in the scene Gratiano says he will continue his speech. When are the friends meeting again ? How does the meeting become important ?
Answer: Gratiano says he will continue his speech, which shows that he is talkative. He thinks he will complete his speech at the meeting of friends at dinner time. The meeting at dinner becomes important because Bassanio has invited their arch-rival and enemy Shylock to it for dinner.

(v) What impression does Gratiano leave on Antonio and his friends ? Why does he leave abruptly ? ‘
Answer: Gratiano does not leave a good impression on Antonio or Bassanio. Bassanio clearly tells Antonio that rational words in his talk are like two grains in two bushels of chaff. Gratiano leaves abruptly as he feels he should leave Antonio and Bassanio alone.

PASSAGE 5.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Bassanio :
In Belmont is a lady richly left;
And she is fair, and, fairer than that word,
Of wondrous virtues: sometimes from her eyes
I did receive fair speechless messages:
Her name is Portia, nothing undervalued
To Cato’s daughter, Brutus’ Portia:
Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth,
For the four winds blow in from every coast
Renowned suitors, and her sunny locks
Hang on her temples like a golden fleece;
Which makes her seat of Belmont
Colchos’ strand, And many
Jasons come in quest of her.
0 my Antonio, had I but the means
To hold a rival place with one of them,
I have a mind presages me such thrift,
That I should questionless be fortunate!

(i) Who lives in Belmont ? How has Bassanio got interested in her ?
Answer: A very beautiful and rich lady, Portia, lives in Belmont. Bassanio has got interested in her as he has received many ‘silent’ messages of love from her. He feels that she is in love with him.

(ii) What tells you that Portia is a centre of attraction for many young people ?
Answer: According to Bassanio, Portia’s reputation as a rich, beautiful lady has spread far and wide. A number of eligible bachelors are reaching Belmont to try their luck in quest of her.

(iii) How does Bassanio describe Portia ?
Answer: Bassanio says that Portia is beautiful and rich. She also possesses all qualities of head and heart. In no way is she inferior to the well-known Portia, the daughter of the Roman senator, Cato and wife of the still more famous Brutus.

(iv) What is the significance of the allusion to Jason and the golden fleece ?
Answer: Jason was one of the Greek heroes in search of the golden fleece. Jason put his life into danger to get the golden fleece. According to Bassanio, many brave persons, like Jason, are risking everything of theirs to get Portia who is as rare and valuable as the golden fleece.

(v) What is the purpose of Bassanio in telling about Portia to Antonio ? How does he succeed in getting Portia as his wife ?
Answer: Bassanio wants to go to Belmont in style to woo Portia. He wants Antonio to lend him three thousand ducats for the purpose. Later, he succeeds in his mission by choosing the right casket at the lottery of caskets designed by Portia’s late father.

Merchant of Venice Characters Images with Names Pictures

Main Characters of Merchant of Venice Images With Names Pictures, Merchant of Venice Characters Sketch, Characters Descriptions.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers

• Character Sketch of Antonio in Merchant of Venice
• Character Sketch of Bassanio in Merchant of Venice
• Character Sketch of Shylock in Merchant of Venice
• Character Sketch of Portia in Merchant of Venice
• Character Sketch of Gratiano in Merchant of Venice
• Character Sketch of Nerissa in Merchant of Venice
• Character Sketch of Jessica in Merchant of Venice
• Character Sketch of Lorenzo in Merchant of Venice
• Character Sketch of Launcelot Gobbo in Merchant of Venice
• Character Sketch of Prince of Morocco and Arragon in Merchant of Venice

Shakespeare has an unparalleled power of creating human and fine characters. He had a profound understanding of human nature and could easily delve deep into the psyche of an individual. It is this quality that makes his characters interesting and great. It gives his characters an abundance of psychological realism and makes them convincing and real living human beings. They are so lifelike that we come to know them better than we do our acquaintances, friends and relatives. They are intensely human. They are neither wooden, personified ‘humours’ as portrayed by Ben Jonson nor the superhuman heroes of Marlowe’s tragedies. It is his universal humanity, his all embracing understanding of every human emotion and instinct which has made Shakespeare the greatest dramatist.

Shakespeare shows excellent dramatic skill in portraying women characters. Women constitute the soul of Shakespearean comedy. In his comedies we meet women of all ranks and ages; from the queen to the dairy-maid. From Cleopatra to Miranda, Shakespeare is equally great. Shakespeare’s comic heroines are much more sparkling and interesting than their male counterparts. In The Merchant of Venice Portia towers high above all other women characters because of her wit and humour and her generous nature. He gives more importance to women than men because women have to play a very significant role in romantic comedies. His romantic comedies deal with the theme of love and love for a woman is her whole life.

All his women characters—Portia, Rosalind, Beatrice, Cleopatra, Juliet—have the primal qualities of womanhood common to every age.

This gives an element of universality to his women characters. They, too, are subtle and complex.

Gratiano Merchant of Venice | Merchant of Venice Characters Gratiano

Character Sketch of Gratiano in Merchant of Venice

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers

GRATIANO

• a minor character
• joyful and lively
• pretends to be a philosopher
• very talkative
• restrained in Belmont
• a faithful friend and husband

Gratiano – A Minor Character
Gratiano is a joyful, sprightly person. He is a minor character in the play. But he plays a significant role in relieving the gloom and the gravity of the situation. In the words of K. Deighton “he is a very admirable subordinate character. He is the jester of the piece.” He is, of course, not one of those characters who help to move the action forward.

Gratiano – Joyful and Lively
He is not in any way a thinker, though he pretends or tries to sound philosophical at times. His only aim in life is to enjoy and make others laugh and enjoy. He says :

“Let me play the fool;
With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.”

He makes fun of Antonio who looks sad all the time. He says that there are men who maintain a deliberate silence to earn the reputation of being wise, serious and philosophical.

Gratiano – Talkative by Nature
He is very talkative. In company he often monopolizes conversation. Lorenzo confesses that when he is with Gatiano, he seldom gets an opportunity to put in a word. Most of his friends berate him for his talkativeness. Bassanio, his good friend, says that his speech consists of about two grains of good sense hidden in two bushels of nonsense. One may search all day till one finds them, and when the grains are found they turn out to be unworthy of the search.

One finds a different Gratiano in Belmont. Perhaps it is on Bassanio’s advice that he learns to be discreet. He employs his open and witty nature to win the equally vivacious Nerissa.

Gratiano – A faithful friend and husband
He proves to be a faithful friend and husband. He accompanies Bassanio wherever he goes. He is always ready to condemn the cruel Jew to defend good Antonio. His parody of the Jew’s language and style is most effective. In the ring episode he feels embarrassed but is able to put his case frankly and boldly.

In short, he is the genial, humorous being without whom no company is complete. He has his own faults but his open and friendly nature covers them all.

Bassanio Merchant of Venice | Merchant of Venice Characters Bassanio

Character Sketch of Bassanio in Merchant of Venice

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers

BASSANIO

• a young Venetian of noble rank
• first impression bad—rash, selfish, extravagant
• proves to be a sincere friend
• a true lover
• kind-hearted and generous
• practical and worldly-wise

Bassanio – A Young Venetian
Bassanio is the hero of the casket story. A young Venetian of noble rank, his friends hold him in high esteem. But critics see him in different light. His first impression is definitely bad. He comes out to be a rash, selfish and an extravagant fellow. His friendship with Antonio is sincere but it is based on selfishness. The prime reason of his going to Belmont to marry Portia is to become wealthy so that he can pay back his debts. But as the play moves forward, this bad impression about him lessens, and he comes out to be a sincere friend, lover and husband. He proves to be caring and selfless in the trial scene.

Though he is noble and kind, he has no great thought to utter, nor does he perform any bold action to compare with Portia’s impersonation of a lawyer in the court. We are indeed informed that he is a soldier, but we do not find him acting in that capacity.

Bassanio – Two Aspects of his Character
Bassanio is portrayed in his two-fold aspect as Antonio’s friend and Portia’s suitor. He is true to his friend and sincere and faithful to his wife Portia. He is portrayed as a careless and adventurous young man. He goes to Belmont in search of a bride and a fortune. Wealth is the object of his wooing of Portia. It is only in the casket scene that he displays his sound judgement and emotion. After choosing the right casket, he yields the stage to Portia. But he does not become an insignificant character. His gentlemanly conduct at the court and his anxiety to get the release of his friend Antonio from the cruel clutches of Shylock win our sympathy. His truthfulness in the ring-episode is praiseworthy.

Bassanio – A True Lover
He approaches Portia as a real lover. The caskets are meant to test the truthfulness and sincerity of the man who will marry Portia. He is not deceived by the glitter of the gold casket and the silver casket. He chooses the lead casket and wins the hand of Portia in marriage. The right choice of the casket shows that he is a sincere lover.

Bassanio – Practical and Worldly-wise
He is practical and worldly-wise. He is concerned about the welfare of his friend Antonio. When Antonio is ready to sign the dangerous bond with Shylock, he asks him not to sign the bond because it contains the penalty of a pound of flesh. When Antonio assures him that he will be able to return the loan before the appointed date, only then does he allow him to sign the bond.

Antonio Merchant of Venice | Merchant of Venice Characters Antonio

Character Sketch of Antonio in Merchant of Venice

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers

ANTONIO

• the hero of the play
• melancholic by nature
• love for Bassanio
• a generous philanthropist
• passive, stoic

Antonio – The Hero of the Play
Antonio is the hero of the play and is the merchant of Venice. He is a passive character who at times seems to be unheroic. He pales into insignificance before Shylock or Portia. But he has sterling qualities of character—honesty, sincerity, freshness and humility. His love and affection for his friends deserves all out admiration. He is a rich merchant but is perhaps impractical to some extent.

Antonio – Melancholic by Nature
At the outset, he is presented as a melancholic person. He himself admits that he remains sad. His friends find his melancholy troublesome and try to find its reasons, but in vain. Some think that his melancholy is constitutional, others think that it is the sorrow of Antonio who has loved and lost, but Antonio himself says that he does not know why he is sad. It troubles him and wearies him. To him his melancholy is new. He finds it difficult to understand.

Antonio – Fond of Bassanio
The finest quality of Antonio is his boundless love for Bassanio. It is the strongest force in his life. Salanio says, “I think he only loves the world for him”. He seems to be unconsciously jealous of Portia. This is clear from his letter that he wrote to Bassanio, “If your love do not persuade you to come, let not my letter”. Though he helps Bassanio to win the hand of Portia in marriage, he fears that he will be ignored by Bassanio after his marriage with Portia. The fact that Bassanio’s debt is to be paid with Antonio’s flesh is significant, showing how binding their friendship is.

Antonio – A Generous Philanthropist
Antonio is a philanthropist. He does good to others. He believes that to take interest on lent money is immoral. He has given loans without interest to some of Shylock’s debtors and saved them from Shylock’s clutches. It appears that Shylock hates him because he thinks that he spoils his business. Antonio dislikes Shylock because he earns money by way of interest on his lent money. It is because of this reason that Antonio has insulted Shylock in public in the most humiliating manner. He has abused him several times. He has called him a ‘misbeliever’.

In the trial scene, Antonio endures unbearable agony of mind patiently. He asks Bassanio not to persuade Shylock to change his mind. He is ready to accept the verdict of the court. He tells the Duke to pronounce his judgement. His attitude towards possible death in the trial scene shows calm fortitude.

Antonio – Passive and Stoic
Antonio’s passivity is his greatest weakness. He seems to accept defeat even before the fight begins. His speech in the trial scene—
“I am a tainted wether of the flock,
Meetest for death”—
confirms that he too soon yields. In short, with all his weaknesses, Antonio is a man who is generous, genial and stoic.

Shylock Merchant of Venice | Merchant of Venice Characters Shylock

Character Sketch of Shylock in Merchant of Venice

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers

SHYLOCK

• a major character, a direct contrast to Antonio
• clever and crafty
• adamant and cruel
• a greedy money lender, revengeful
• more sinned against than sinning

Shylock – A Major Character
Shylock is a major character in the play. He is a centre of attraction for good or bad reasons. Shylock has been on the whole presented as a monster. At least this is how Christian characters look at him. But later critics have studied him from a different angle, and have rightly concluded that he is a man more sinned against than sinning. If Jew is merciless and spiteful, so are persons like Antonio and Bassanio, and their friends. In our times we cannot but have some sympathy for him.

Shylock is a direct contrast to Antonio in every respect. Antonio is loved by all whereas Shylock is disliked by many and does not have a single friend. His associate, Tubal, goes in search of the runaway Jessica, but on his return, he enjoys relating the acts of his daughter’s extravagance.

Shylock – Clever and Crafty
Shylock is portrayed as a dynamic and clever character. He is cruel, malicious and revengeful. Shakespeare never intended to portray him as a villain. He meant him to be defeated and shattered, but it was necessary first to arouse interest in him before he showed his downfall. He is portrayed as adamant and unyielding. He is unmoved by the appeals of Antonio’s friends and even by the Duke himself.

Shylock is a strong and independent character. We are forced to admire strength in him. Though he is wicked, he retains some sympathy as a strong fighter. He is not given any redeeming qualities to set against his evil but he fights his case in the trial scene brilliantly and boldly.

He is a greedy money lender but he does not reflect the Jewish character in general. Tubal and Jessica are also Jews but they are entirely different from Shylock. He is unusual because he is guided by his love for money. He also nurses a grudge against Antonio who had abused and insulted him in public several times and also because Antonio lends money without interest.

Shylock brings on his downfall by his own acts. Shakespeare has clearly given the reason for his revengeful attitude. He was wronged, hated, insulted, abused and looked down upon by Antonio. All this made him revengeful.

Shylock – More Sinned Against than Sinning
The conflict between Shylock and the other characters comes to a head over the issue of money. They acknowledge that the law is on the side of the Jew but they all expect him to show mercy which he refuses to do. How could he forget the insults and cruel comments made on him? How could he forget the feeling of being treated like a leper by society? How could he forget the fact that his dear daughter, Jessica left him for a Christian? Shylock’s determination to demand the pound of flesh is strengthened by Jessica’s departure.

Portia Merchant of Venice | Merchant of Venice Characters Portia

Character Sketch of Portia in Merchant of Venice

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers

PORTIA

• an embodiment of an ideal woman
• essentially feminine, yet bold and capable
• courteous and polite
• shy and modest
• bold and capable
• her brilliant humour and wit
• a strong person

Portia – An Ideal Woman
Portia seems to be an embodiment of an ideal woman. She has all the conceivable qualities in her—good looks, beauty, charm, grace, intelligence, humility, wit, humour, sensitivity, kind-heartedness, generous nature, and so on. At the same time she has her feminine weaknesses which come out at times—but these weaknesses make her human.

Portia – Essentially Feminine
Portia’s true and womanly nature appears in the finest colours in Act III. Here she gives up the style of fashionable Elizabethan court speech and declares her love for Bassanio in a shy, modest and womanly manner. In this act, she reveals her finest feelings. for Bassanio and true depths of her nature.

Portia – Bold and Capable
When the news of the danger to her husband’s friend, Antonio, arrives from Venice, she at once takes the charge of the situation. Bassanio is stunned by the news but she begins to plan to face the situation. She sends Bassanio away to Venice with a few crisp, business-like instructions and a generous supply of money. She thinks of a daring plan on the spur of the moment. She thinks of Doctor Bellario, and procures a doctor’s gown and appears in the court as a lawyer to save the life of Antonio. She pleads the case brilliantly and intelligently and saves Antonio from the jaws of death. Her speech on ‘the quality of mercy’ will be remembered for generations to come. This shows that she is intensely capable, bold and resourceful. She is more capable in crisis than any other man. She is practical and pragmatic towards the situation. By portraying Portia in brilliant colours, Shakespeare gives testimony to the position and character of women in human life. She is presented as a faithful and wise counsellor.

Portia – Humorous and Witty
Portia acts like a normal human being. She observes the follies of others and makes humorous and witty remarks. She loves lightheartedness and humour in life. The concluding episode of the rings shows Portia’s human character. She reflects her love for a good practical joke. She knows that Bassanio had given her a ring, but she asks Bassanio.
“What ring gave you, my lord ?
Not that, I hope, which you received of me.”
She enjoys the discomfiture of Bassanio who is forced to say,
“I would deny it, but you see my finger hath not the ring upon it : it is gone”.
Thus, she enjoys the amusing situation.

Portia – A Strong Person
It is her strength, intelligence and commonsense that make her win the battle in the court. She displays courage, confidence and strength in her speeches in the court. Thus, it is the varied and rich nature of her that appeals to the readers. When she loves, it is with all her heart, when she gives herself to Bassanio, it is with complete surrender, when she goes in for a practical joke, it is with full zest.

Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 1 Summary

Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 1 Summary, Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers

Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 1 Summary

Setting : Venice
Character : The Duke, Shylock, Antonio, Bassanio, Portia, Nerissa, Gratiano

The Duke extends his sympathy to Antonio who is exposed to great danger. The man who he has to answer in court, says he, has no pity in him. Antonio expresses his gratitude to the Duke for the trouble he has taken to persuade Shylock to give up his demand. But since Shylock is not ready to relent, he is prepared to meet his fate.

The Duke summons Shylock to the court. When Shylock appears, the Duke makes another appeal to him. He says that he and many other believe that Shylock is persisting in his plea only to withdraw it in the end. He hopes that Shylock will not only let off the penalty but also reduce the amount of the original loan in view of Antonio’s numerous losses. Shylock tells the Duke in reply that he is under oath to have only the penalty specified in the bond. The Duke, he says, can reject his claim but it will put a question mark on the justice of the state. “If you ask me why I insist on having a pound of Antonio’s flesh, my reply is that it is my pleasure”, he adds. He cannot give any other reason.

Bassanio tells Shylock that this is the most inhuman way to deal with his opponent. A man cannot destroy the thing that he does not like. At this Shylock asks if a man hates those things which he cannot destroy or if a man would allow himself to be bitten twice by the same serpent. After hearing all this Antonio tells Bassanio not to argue with this man because he cannot change him. He adds that as it is useless to ask the tide not to rise so high, similarly it is useless to ask Shylock to soften his stand. So Antonio requests the court to give its verdict as early as possible.

At this moment Bassanio offers Shylock six thousand ducats instead of three thousand ducats. But Shylock refuses the offer and says that even if he is offered thirty six thousand ducats, he will refuse it and demand a pound of flesh from Antonio’s breast as mentioned in the bond. The Duke intervenes and says that if Shylock does not show any mercy to Antonio, he, too, cannot expect any mercy from anybody. Shylock remarks that he does not need anyone’s mercy because he has committed no crime. He declares that if the Christians can regard the slaves as their property because they have purchased them, he, too, can regard the body of Antonio as his own because he has paid three thousand ducats for it. The Duke says that he has invited Doctor Bellario, a renowned scholar on the law from Padua, to deliver the judgement in this case. At this moment Salarino informs the Duke that a messenger from Doctor Bellario is standing outside with letters. Then Nerissa dressed as a lawyer’s clerk enters the court and delivers a letter to the Duke. Gratiano sees Shylock sharpening his knife and remarks that his knife is sharper than the executioner’s axe and that no one can make him show mercy to Antonio. He quotes the doctrine of Pythagorus that says that the soul of an animal can enter a human body. He says that the soul of a wolf that was hanged for killing lambs has entered the body of Shylock. Shylock remarks that whatever he says, nothing can change his mind.

The Duke then directs Nerissa to read Doctor Bellario’s letter in the open court. Doctor Bellario writes in the letter that he has fallen ill and is unable to attend the court, and that he is sending a young lawyer in his place to listen to the case and give his verdict. He informs the Duke that though the lawyer is young in age, he is mature in intellect. He further adds that he has given his opinion to the young lawyer with regard to the case and hopes that it will help him to give the correct verdict.

After the letter is read, Portia dressed as a lawyer enters the court. Antonio and Shylock are asked to appear before her. Portia tells Shylock that though he ha§ brought a strange case in the court, the case is in accordance with the laws of Venice. Then she tells Antonio that as per the suit filed against him, his life is in danger. Portia appeals to Shylock for mercy. Shylock asserts why he should show mercy to Antonio. Thereupon, Portia delivers a fine speech on mercy and says :

“The quality of mercy is not strained./It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven/Upon the place beneath; it is twice blessed./It blesseth him that gives and him that takes”.

However, Portia asks Shylock to accept the offer of money from Bassanio. But Shylock tells Portia that he has taken an oath to charge the penalty as mentioned in the bond. Portia says that he is entitled to cut a pound of flesh from Antonio’s breast according to the law and Shylock feels happy and triumphant. He shouts, “A Daniel has come to judgement!” Antonio is unhappy over the delay of the verdict and pleads to the court to give its verdict at once.

Portia, then, directs Antonio to lay bare his chest and get ready for a pound of flesh to be cut from his chest. At the same time, she asks Shylock if he has got a balance to measure the flesh. She also directs Shylock to get some surgeon lest Antonio should bleed to death. Antonio asks Bassanio to tell his wife how he has sacrificed his life for the sake of his friend. Bassanio says that though he loves his wife more dearly than his life, he will lose his life and his wife and the whole world to save the life of his friend. Portia does not like the remarks made by Bassanio.

Gratiano wishes his wife to be dead so that she could go to heaven and appeal to .the gods to change the adamant attitude of Shylock. Nerissa, too, dislikes Gratiano’s remarks. Shylock says to himself that Christian husbands have no feelings for their wives. He would like a murderer like Barrabas to marry his daughter instead of a Christian.

When Shylock is about to apply his knife to cut out the flesh from Antonio’s body, Portia asks him to wait for a moment. She tells him that when he cuts the flesh, not a single drop of blood should be shed because it is nowhere mentioned in the bond, otherwise his life will be at the mercy of the Duke. At this moment, Gratiano shouts in a fit of joy, “O upright Judge ! Mark Jew : O learned Judge !” Portia then adds that he must have nothing but justice, and so if he cuts the flesh more or less than a pound, all his property would be confiscated by the state. Shylock finds himself in a tight corner and says, “I take this offer, then pay the bond thrice. And let the Christian go.”
Bassanio says, “Here is the money.”

But Portia asks Bassanio to stop and remarks that the Jew must have full justice. He will have nothing but a pound of flesh. She further says that according to the laws of Venice if any alien tries to take the life of a Venetian, his life will be at the mercy of the Duke. Moreover, half of his property will be given to the Venetian whose life the alien wanted to take. Gratiano remarks that after the government confiscates Shylock’s property, he will be left with nothing to purchase a rope for hanging himself and therefore he has to be hanged at the expense of the government.

The Duke pardons the life sentence upon Shylock. Shylock accepts the compromise proposed by Antonio. Shylock will live and have the use of half of his property, which he will leave to Lorenzo and Jessica in his will. Half of his property will be held in trust by Antonio for the benefit of Lorenzo and Jessica. Shylock will become a Christian.

Portia, then, asks Nerissa to prepare a title deed of gift in favour of Jessica and Lorenzo and get it signed by Shylock. Shylock is completely defeated and shattered. He walks out of the court saying that he is not well. He tells the court to send the deed after him and he will sign it.

When the court is dispersed, the Duke asks Antonio to reward the young lawyer for his brilliant defence and valuable service. Bassanio at once offers three thousand ducats to Portia but she refuses to accept the money. She says that she has not come to the court to make money. She feels satisfied and happy that she has been able to save the life of Antonio. Bassanio still presses Portia to accept it as a token of remembrance. Portia accepts the pair of gloves from Antonio and asks for Bassanio’s ring. Bassanio does not want to part with this ring. So he tells Portia that he will buy her the costliest ring but Portia insists on having the ring that he wears in his finger. Bassanio tells her that this ring has been presented to him by his wife with a solemn pledge that he will never part with it. Portia replies that there are people in the world who make generous promises but rarely honour them. Portia, then, leaves the court. Antonio advises Bassanio to send the ring after Portia. Bassanio agrees and asks Gratiano to run and overtake her and present her this ring and request her to have dinner with them.

Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 1 Critical Commentary

The trial scene is known as denouement of the play because it is in this scene that all the complicated events that seem to threaten the happiness of Bassanio, Portia and Antonio are unravelled. It depicts the victory of good and defeat of malice. Poetic justice in the strict sense is dispensed in the play by Shakespeare. No one suffers in the play but Shylock and even he receives a generous measure of mercy. Many readers may find it difficult to accept the treatment meted out to Shylock.

Significance of the Scene

1. It is the climax of the play.
2. It is important to see how Portia turns the tables on Shylock.
3. It interests us mainly for Portia’s wit and ingenuity.
4. Some critics have found fault with the procedure adopted at the trial.

Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 1 Glossary

Lines 1-25
answer : defend
stony : cruel
void : bereft of
obdurate : obstinate
malice : revengeful spirit

Lines 26-50
moiety : part
pluck : draw
commiseration : pity
carrion : dead
baned : poisoned
gaping : with open mouth

Lines 51-75
affection : inclination
loathes : hates
lodged : deep-rooted
suit : legal case
question : argue
bate : slacken, reduce
flood : the ocean

Lines 76-110
draw : accept
abject : degrading
palates : appetite
viands : rich food
determine : decide

Lines 110-150
tainted wether : sick sheep
pierce : penetrate
infuse : enter
currish : vile, wicked
dam : mother
commend : recommend
heart : willingness

Lines 151-180
visitation : visit
importunity : request
commendation : praise
difference : dispute
forth : forward

Lines 181-220
impugn : attack
confess : admit
strain’d : forced
becomes : suites
sceptre : rod of authority
seasons : tempers
mitigate : soften
‘deeds upon my : take responsibility of my
head’ : deeds
discharge : pay

Lines 221-300
perjury : breach of oath
bid : allow
tenor : terms
exposition : interpretation
pillar : supporter
intent : meaning
balance : scales
charge : expense
arm’d : prepared
process : method
fair : well

Lines 301-400
unquiet : disturbed
trifle : worthless
jot : smallest part
urgest : demand
substance : quantity
scruple : very small unit of weight
question : discussion
hold : claim
contrive : conspire
predicament : situation
rehearsed : described
spirits : nature
prop : support
record : write legally

Lines 401-440
christening : baptism
gratify : reward
bound : obliged
account : consider
tribute : token

Lines 440-473
trifle : small thing
mind : inclination
dearest : costliest
proclamation : announcement
answer’d : refused
vow : take oath
commandment : order

Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 5 Summary

Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 5 Summary, Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers

Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 5 Summary

Setting : Belmont
Characters : Launcelot, Jessica, Lorenzo

Launcelot indulges in some jesting at the expense of Jessica. He says that there is no hope of salvation for her because her father is a Jew. Jessica retorts that she will be saved by her husband’s virtues and by her conversion to Christianity. At this the jester finds fault with Lorenzo in marrying her. In fact, he has done a wrong to the commonwealth of the Christians because by doing so, he has added to the number of pork eaters.

Thus he is responsible for the increase in the prices of pork in the market. Lorenzo arrives on the scene and tells them that if they talk to each other in such an intimate manner, he is bound to suspect that there is something wrong between them. Lorenzo then asks Launcelot to get their dinner ready. When Launcelot uses some words wrongly, Lorenzo calls him stupid. Launcelot, then, leaves to arrange dinner for them. Lorenzo asks Jessica about her opinion about Portia.

Jessica praises Portia for her virtues and says that she is a blessing in Bassanio’s life. Lorenzo, too, praises Bassanio for his goodness and remarks that he is a good husband. Both go to the dining table to continue this discussion about Portia and Bassanio.

Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 5 Critical Commentary

Lorenzo and Jessica are staying at Portia’s house in Belmont. The scene opens on a humorous note. Launcelot and Jessica converse with each other in a humorous way. Launcelot tells Jessica that she would be damned due to the sins of her father, Shylock. But Jessica retorts that in that case she would be saved by the virtues of Lorenzo. This humorous conversation is meant to amuse the ‘groundlings.’ Jessica’s words of praise for Portia throw more light on the character of Portia.

This scene does not further the action of the play. But it definitely heightens the characters of Portia and Bassanio in the eyes of the readers.

Significance of the Scene

1. This scene is essential to indicate the passage of time to enable Portia to reach Venice.
2. It gives us Jessica’s estimate of Portia.

Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 5 Glossary

Lines 1-30
agitation : thought
rasher : piece of bacon
corners : privacy
flatly : plainly
wit-snapper : a witty person

Lines 31-50
govern : dominate
better place : better social status
tricksy : tricky
meet : proper

Lines 51-67
pawn’d : pledged
anon : soon
stomach : inclination