Notes on the Merchant of Venice

Act iii Scene i

Points:
Salarino and Salanio enter and wonder what Rialto is abuzz with
Salarino answers that
1. There are unconfirmed reports that Antonio has had his rich ships wreced in the
narrow seas of Scotland called the !oodwins
". This strip of water is ris# and shallow and this is where man# ship wrecs ha$e
taen place
%. Salarino compares the man# ships with the dead remains of the human bodies in
a metaphor
&. 'e personifies (ossip as Report) a woman) who ma# or ma# not be true
Salanio wishes that
1. Report *the personified !ossip+ was as untrue a woman as e$er napped
*nibbled,bit+ !in(er *a reference to old women in -lizabethan -n(land+)
or one who tried to con$ince her nei(hbors about her lo#alt# to marria(e b#
weepin( on the death of her third husband. *Since she is thrice married she is
dislo#al.+
". 'e howe$er wants to a$oid the lon( phrases and tal directl#.
%. 'e confirms that Antonio) the honest merchant) has lost his mone#
&. 'e wishes that he was so distin(uished and capable as to be able to sa$e his dear
friend.
.mportant words and phrases: /napped: nibble0 Proli1it#: lon( phrases
.mportant fi(ures of speech: Metaphor: Salanio compares the direct and
strai(htforward manner of talin( with a hi(hwa#0 Personification: Salanio
continues to address (ossip as a woman
Salarino and Salanio spot Sh#loc and as cross themsel$es in moc fear. *This (esture
reflects the t#pical pre2udice that 3ews were sub2ected to. Sh#loc is compared with the
de$il here.+
Salanio ass Sh#loc what the news pre$ails amon( the merchants
Sh#loc taes it as a sli(ht and answers that the merchants are talin( and (ossipin(
about 3essica4s fli(ht *elopement+.
Salarino insults Sh#loc punnin( on the word fli(ht *escape and fl#in( off+) sa#in( that
he new the 5the tailor4 *an indirect reference to 6orenzo+ that had stitched the win(s of
the bird *3essica+ that flew awa# with.
Salanio also continues the pun *and the insult+ and mocs Sh#loc su((estin( that
Sh#loc new that 3essica was in that a(e when dau(hters elope with their lo$ers *the
pun bein( that the mother bird nows that the fled(lin( will fl# awa#+
Sh#loc responds with his own pun on the word 5dam4 and curses 3essica *dam: the
mother bird0 damn: the curse+
Salarino and Salanio tell Sh#loc that
1. 'e is in no position to 2ud(e 3essica
". That the difference between 3essica4s 5flesh4 *here character+ and his is as star
as between 5i$or#4 and 52et4
%. That the difference between her blood and Sh#loc4s is as plain as it is between
Rhenish wine and Red wine
Sh#loc tells Salarino and Salanio that he has run into a bad deal with Antonio
'e calls Antonio a banrupt) a prodi(al) who once used to insult Sh#loc and call him a
5userer4 *a term of insult+. Antonio used to lend mone# out of courtes# to people)
dama(in( Sh#loc4s business. Now he will ha$e a hard time sa$in( himself from the
penalt#
Salarino hopes that Sh#loc will not pursue the bond in letter and spirit if the 7ond is
forfeited. 'e wonders what a pound of flesh is (ood for.
Sh#loc4s answers and re$eals his intentions in the followin( speech:
To bait fish withal: (he will catch fish with Antonios flesh)
if it will feed nothin( else) it will feed m# re$en(e. *Antonios flesh will satisfy Shylocks
revenge if nothing else)
'e hath dis(raced me) and hindered me half a million0 {Antonio had insulted Shylock and
caused him a massive loss to the tune of half a million (fig of speech, hyperbole)}
lau(hed at m# losses) moced at m# (ains, (Antonio has made fun of Shylocks losses and
oked about his profits as he is a userer)
scorned m# nation) thwarted m# bar(ains) (Shylocks race and his business deals have been at
the receiving end of Antonios hatred)
cooled m# friends) heated mine enemies0 (!is enemies have been e"cited and friends have been
made unresponsive)
and what8s his reason9 . am a 3ew. (And this has all been done as Shylock is a #ew)
($rom here Shylock asks a series of %hetorical &uestions)
'ath not a 3ew e#es9 hath not a 3ew hands) or(ans) ('s not a #ew a human being( does he not
have eyes, hands and organs))
dimensions) senses) affections) passions9 (does he not have a human shape, sense organs,
choices and feelings))
fed with the same food) hurt with the same weapons) (does he not eat what others eat) 's he not
hurt with the same weapons that hurt others))
sub2ect to the same diseases) healed b# the same means, (is he not subect to the same diseases
and cures that others are used to))
warmed and cooled b# the same winter and summer) as a :hristian is9 (does not the weather
behave with the #ew as it does with everybody else))
.f #ou pric us) do we not bleed9 if #ou ticle us) do we not lau(h9 (if you penetrate a #ews
body with a needle it will bleed( if you tickle a #ew he will laugh)
if #ou poison us) do we not die9 (the effect of poison on the body of the #ew is that same as it is
on the body of others)
and if #ou wron( us) shall we not re$en(e9 (and if a #ew is wronged (ill treated), he will seek
revenge much as any other man would do the same)
.f we are lie #ou in the rest) we will resemble #ou in that. (Since a #ew is no different from the
others in respect of his human *ualities, he will be very like the others is respect to revenge)
.f a 3ew wron( a :hristian) what is his humilit#9 Re$en(e. (Shylock refers to the one *uality
that +hristians are supposed to have, humility- .ut they dont have it- /hey are revengeful-)
.f a :hristian wron( a 3ew) what should his sufferance be b# :hristian e1ample9 ;h#) re$en(e.
*/herefore, Shylock argues that by the +hristian e"ample, the #ew shall show no mercy if a
+hristian has wronged him-)
The $illan# #ou teach me) . will e1ecute) and it shall (o hard but . will better the instruction.
(/he evil behavior taught by the +hristians will be practiced against them- And Shylock will be
more aggressive than the +hristians in his e"ecution of revenge-)
Tubal) a friend of Sh#loc4s and a 3ew) enters. Sh#loc ass him if he has been to !enoa
to loo for 3essica and 6orenzo.
Tubal announces that he cannot find 3essica.
Sh#loc rants a(ainst his dau(hter) and he wishes her dead as he bemoans his losses. 'e
refers in particular to
1. A diamond that cost him two thousand ducats in <ranfort that 3essica has carried
with her
". The 3ewish race) Sh#loc sa#s) has felt the curse so stron(l# for the first time *in
li(ht of his personal loss+. Sh#loc uses a 7iblical allusion to carr# the point
home. 'e refers to the :urse of !od on the 3ews that condemned them to e1ile.+
%. 'e wishes 3essica dead at his foot with the 2ewels in ear
&. 'e wishes that she was placed in her coffin *hearsed+ at his foot with his mone#
in the coffin
5. 'e laments that he has spent an incalculable sum in her search and has not been
able to find his dau(hter) who has robbed him. 'e calls his misfortune 5loss upon
loss4.
Tubal informs Sh#loc of Antonio4s (reat loss. =ne of his other ships) comin( from
Tripolis) has been reported missin(.
Sh#loc is especiall# embittered when Tubal reports that 3essica spent ei(ht# ducats in
one ni(ht. Sh#loc is saddened b# the news but the news of Antonio4s loss (laddens him.
Tubal informs him of Antonio4s man# creditors
'e informs him also about a tur>uoise *a precious metal+ rin( 3essica has taen with her
?(i$en to Sh#loc in his bachelor da#s b# a woman named 6eah) presumabl# 3essica4s
mother?and has traded that rin( for a mone#.
Sh#loc4s spirits bri(hten) howe$er) when Tubal reports that Antonio4s ships ha$e run
into trouble and that Antonio4s creditors are certain Antonio is ruined.
'e ass Tubal to hire him a law#er to pursue his bond well in ad$ance *fourteen da#s
before the bond is forfeited+
'e declares that he will pursue the bond to the bitter end. 'e will tr# to eliminate Antonio
as it will lead him to better profits *Antonio used to oppose Sh#loc4s mone#lendin(.+
'e ass Tubal to see him at the S#na(o(ue *the 3ewish temple+.
Act ... Scene ..
Points
Portia: . pra# #ou........................................................................................sta# #ou from election.
.n 7elmont) Portia be(s 7assanio to dela# choosin( the caset for a da# or two.
.f 7assanio chooses incorrectl#) Portia reasons) she will lose his compan#.
She tells him that she feels that she will not lose him *althou(h she stops initiall# short of
confessin( lo$e+
'er instincts that 7assanio will mae the ri(ht selection cannot be said to be (uided b#
hate) if not lo$e
She confesses that a maiden in the affairs of lo$e and marria(e has no speech 5ton(ue4 to
e1press herself0 onl# 5thou(ht4
She would lie to detain 7asaanio for a month or two before he riss his chances in
caset selection
She wishes she could teach 7assanio how to choose ri(ht but e1presses her helplessness
as she will brea her oath to the will of her father
.f 7assanio mo$es towards main( the wron( caset selection and fails to (et Portia)
Portia will ha$e the wish and the desire of breain( the oath she has been under. Thus
7assanio4s failure will 5mae4 Portia wish a sin *sin of breain( her oath
7assanio4s 5e#es4 *his (aze+ should be 5beshrewed4 *treated as the culprit+ as it has cast a
spell on Portia
Portia declares openl# that she is not her own mistress now. She (i$es her 5one half4 to
7assanio and the other half that comes to her (oes to him too. Portia is entirel# his.
She curses the time *the nau(ht# times+ that puts barriers between 5the owners4 and 5their
ri(hts4 @between 7assanio and PortiaA
Bespite her declaration) if Portia and 7assanio can4t (et to(ether) the blame should lie on
<ortune not on Portia
.f it is pro$ed so Portia blames <ortune) not herself *as she has dedicated herself to
7assanio alread#+
She blames her desire of eepin( 7assanio with her for e1tended period of time for her
lon( speech as she intends to hold him bac from choosin( the caset for as lon( as she
can
.n response to Portia 7assanio sa#s that he is li$in( on the 5rac4) a torture bed) hintin( at
his emotional torture *he is desperate to mae the selection+
Portia pla#s alon( the torture bed metaphor and ass 7assanio what treason *crime+ has
been mi1ed with his lo$e
7assanio answers that the onl# treason *crime+ there has e$er been is that he has doubted
his success in lo$e. 'e ar(ues that much as there will ne$er be friendship between fire
and ice) there will ne$er be treason in 7assanio4s lo$e
Portia still pla#full# refers to the Rac. She sa#s that as men on the rac will sa# an#thin(
to ensure their life and sa$e them from torture so will 7assanio sa# an#thin( to sa$e
himself
Pla#in( the rac metaphor further 7assanio ass Portia to 5promise me life4 *tell him the
secret of the casets+
Portia: Awa# then..........................................................................................maest the fra#
Portia ass 7assanio to proceed for caset selection and sa#s that he must choose the one
that she is loced in
She tells 7assanio that he will find her if he lo$es her
She ass for music while 7assanio maes the caset selection sa#in( that music will
brin( about romance in the effort:
1. .f 7assanio loses he will be lie the d#in( swan whose (ra$e will be Portia4s tears
*similie+
". .f 7assanio wins he will be lie a new crowned monarch before whom his
sub2ects will bow
%. Music will be lie the sound of the drums into the ears of the dreamin(
bride(room summonin( him to marria(e on the da# of the weddin() if 7assanio
wins
She remars on how 7assanio mo$es towards the casets) comparin( 7assanio with
'ercules *the #oun( Alcides+ when he sa$ed the Tro2an Princess) 'esoine) from $ir(in
sacrifice to the Sea Monster *she uses a classical allusion+. At that time the whole of Tro#
(athered to mourn *howl+ at the spectacle.
Presentl# Portia compares herself with the $ir(in who is about to be sacrificed and people
around her *Nerrisa and others+ with the Bardinian *Tro2an+ wi$es who are so tense and
miserable that their faces are tearCstreaed.
She ass 7assanio to approach the casets in the manner of 'ercules and con$e#s to him
that she is much more an1ious than he is considerin( that she is merel# a spectator and
not a participant in the e1ercise.
Notes on the son(
The son( (uides 7assanio towards the ri(ht selection of the caset. .t tells him that
5<anc#4 *attraction+ is false and dies $er# much in the cradle where it is born. Therefore)
the# should not pa# attention to <anc# *attraction+. @7assanio should not pa# an#
attention to the charm and the fanc# of the (old and the sil$er casetsA