The Merchant of Venice: Question #10 for Reflection and Review

When we first start to plot revenge on somebody who has hurt us, we plan for something equivalently as cruel as the initial suffering we felt. The aim when plotting revenge is to hurt those who have hurt us, however, morally, when one starts to reflect and thoughtfully think the plan for revenge through, it does not feel right. Revenge may feel like justice at first but when carried out, one stoops just as low as the one who caused the initial suffering. When we actually go through with a plan of revenge, there may be a feeling of justice and satisfaction, however later, it is usually replaced with regret.

We can sympathize with Shylock as he legally did nothing wrong when trying to collect his bond. He went to court and tried to collect his payment and was later forced to convert to Christianity as well as give up most of his wealth even though he technically was not in the wrong and didn't force Antonio to accept the conditions of the bond. While Shylock was generally seen as a villain in the play, he can be considered a victim of society as he is constantly mistreated and ridiculed. Antonio and his "squad" always spat on Shylock as well as call him names such as dog.

I feel like Shylock would not be satisfied and happy if he'd been able to kill Antonio as it would not feel good afterwards. He would have been happy only for a little while as killing Antonio over money, pure hatred, and greed would have not been worth it. When standing over Antonio's body, Shylock would have soon realized what he had done and would have probably regretted the murder. Shylock may be cast as the villain in the play however, he is the same as everyone else and does have feelings too. Similar to the average person, Shylock would have probably started to freak out looking at a limp Antonio and would have tried to revive him even though there would be nothing additional he could do.

The Merchant of Venice: Question #4 for Reflection and Review

Does Jessica love her father? Why does she take and then spend so much money when she runs away? Do you think she'll live "happily ever after" in Belmont, with Lorenzo as her husband (and with Portia and Nerissa as friends)?

I believe to some extent, Jessica does love her father as he raised her through adulthood and was the one who guided her through good as well as bad life experiences and lessons. While he did not spoil her nor show her a lot of compassion as a child, Shylock raised her and he was a father-figure who cared for her for at least fifteen years (Jessica's age is not specified). When Jessica runs away and calls Shylock the devil, she does feel some regret and guilt (“Alack, what heinous sin is it in me / To be ashamed to be my father’s child! / But though I am a daughter to his blood, / I am not to his manners” [2.3.16–19]), showing she does have some feeling for him, however, she still rejects his way of life and religion (however not wealth), thus she stays away after she leaves with Lorenzo.

Jessica takes a lot of Shylock's money when she leaves to help support her lavish life style after she leaves her very wealthy father's care. Personally, I believe she takes this with her in order to get a glimpse of what it is like to have and spend your own money. Shylock assumingly provided Jessica with everything she needed in order to maintain her health as well as barely thrive but probably didn't purchase a lot of extra extravagant items and gadgets for her. She also is predicted to do this as she does not know if Lorenzo does have a lot of wealth and wants some for herself.

I do think she will live "happily ever after" in Belmont as this is what all of the characters did at the end of Act V. Because this play is a comedy, not a tragedy, all of the characters are supposed to be happy at the end of the story. Predicting her future though however, I believe Jessica will wonder what happened to her father and may even attempt to search for him as she may want to catch up after a long span of time. I believe Jessica will eventually become unsatisfied with how she left their relationship and may even want to explain her reasoning of why she left to Shylock.

Act 5 Review of the Merchant of Venice

Act V opens with Lorenzo and Jessica in Belmont speaking about various mythology tales such as Troilus and Cressida, Pyramus and Thisby, Dido and Aeneus, Medea and Jason, and compares this to Jessica running away from her father. All of these classic stories ended in tragedy, and the couple compares their current relationship to this, which may symbolize that their relationship will end with something bad happening. A messenger comes up to the couple and lets them know that Portia is coming home that night however, she may be a little longer than expected as she keeps on stopping to pray at holy crosses on the road back. Lancelot also tells the couple that Bassanio will be coming home too. Portia and Nerissa return home and speak to Lorenzo about their husbands who are also returning home. Bassanio, Antonio, and Gratiano arrive at Portia’s estate and Portia and Nerissa demand to see the rings they gave their husbands. Gratiano and Bassanio explain the situation to them. When the two men make up excuses for why they do not have their rings, Portia and Nerissa threaten that they will not sleep with them until they see the rings. Portia and Nerissa were angry with their husbands so they pretend like they slept with the clerk and judge to obtain the rings back however, this is a lie since they were the clerk and judge themselves. The women reveal the lie and Portia gave Antonio a letter saying that three of his ships have arrived to the port safely. Nerissa also reveals that Lorenzo and Jessica will receive everything of Shylock’s after he dies. 

I personally wanted the story to end with Shylock attempting to get revenge on Antonio and his group of friends, however he just disappears after the trial. This would have frankly been more interesting than all of the couples fighting at the end of the play. This ending was very anti-climactic and I thought more would have happened after the horrible news Shylock received from the trial hearing. In my opinion, the story would have been more interesting if Shylock went to Portia’s estate wanting to kill or get revenge Antonio or one of the other main characters. All of the couples ended up together in the end which I thought was nice but resembled a not very modern fairytale. Reading the last act, the story feels unfinished, such as Shakespeare ran out of time to give the ending justice.

The Merchant of Venice Act II Review

Summary of Act II
Scene I
The Prince of Morocco arrives in Belmont and asks Portia not to judge him by his dark complexion as he is a Moor. Portia tells him that while she does not care (she did in Act I however tell Nerissa she does) and the casket test will determine their future fate as a couple. The prince asks Portia to lead him to the caskets and reminds him of the penalty (if he chooses the wrong casket, he can never propose to or marry another girl) which he accepts.

Scene II
Lancelot Gobbo, the servant of the Jew, Shylock, is debating whether he should stay working or run away. He decides to play a trick on his blind father, Old Gobbo, telling him his son is dead. Lancelot eventually tells him that is was a joke. He tells his father that he is leaving Shylock to become the servant of Bassanio. Lancelot successfully tries to convince Bassanio to let him be his servant and he accepts. Bassanio meets Gratiano who wants to accompany him to Belmont however Bassanio makes him promise that he will be well-behaved.

Scene III
Jessica, Shylock's daughter, says good-bye to Lancelot as he leaves and tells him that he made her life more bearable. Jessica gives Lancelot a letter to give to Lorenzo and he leaves. Jessica is ashamed of her father however she believes she is only his daughter by blood. She wants to marry Lorenzo and convert to Christianity.

Scene IV
Gratiano, Lorenzo, Salarino, and Solanio discuss the plan to rescue Jessica from Shylock. Lorenzo assures Gratiano that they are well prepared to rescue her. Lancelot reads Jessica's letter and describes her writing as "whiter than the paper it writ on." Lorenzo bids Lancelot to return to Shylock's house in order to assure Jessica that his plan will work. Lorenzo tells Gratiano that Jessica will escape from Shylock's house by disguising herself as Lorenzo's torchbearer.

Scene V
Shylock warns Lancelot that Bassanio will not be as lenient as him, allowing him to oversleep and overeat. Shylock gets suspicious with Jessica and tells her to keep the doors locked as well as not look out the window. Lancelot tells Jessica she must disobey her father and look out the window. Shylock leaves the house.

Scene VI
Gratiano and Salarino meet in front of Shylock's house and are anxious because Lorenzo is late. Gratiano states that he tends to tire and lose interest meaning he is just in for the chase. Lorenzo arrives and calls up to Jessica who is dressed up as a page. She tosses a casket of gold and some jewels to him and they exit. Bassanio is about to leave for Belmont and Gratiano must leave to join him.

Scene VII
Portia lays the three casket test out to the Prince of Morocco where he is struggling on which casket to choose. The prince chooses the gold casket and a skull with a scroll in its eye socket is revealed. The prince leaves Belmont.

Scene VIII
Solanio and Salarino describe Shylock's rage when he found out that Jessica ran away and look gold and ducats. Solanio hopes Antonio can pay his debt but Salarino reminds him or rumors of ships that have been capsized in the English Channel. When Bassanio leaves, Antonio insists that his friend should not rush his journey.

Scene IX
The Prince of Arragon arrives in Belmont to win Portia's hand also. He selects the silver casket and is very confident in his choice. He finds a portrait of a blinking idiot and a poem that calls him a fool. A messenger tells Portia that a suitor from Venice is on his way and she hopes it's Bassanio.

New/Additional Characters
Jessica
We know that Jessica despises her father and wants to run away. She intends to marry Lorenzo and convert to Christianity. Jessica, as a character, is very direct and is not afraid to hide her feelings. She does not like to hang onto the past and believes Christianity will save her soul.

Lancelot/Old Gobbo
Lancelot is a lower-class individual who is the servant to Shylock. He is the comic relief in this story and while he is dumb, he frequently tries to act smart, however, he misuses language in a way that is witty for the audience. Old Gobbo is his father.

Themes, Motifs, and Symbols

• Greed-theme
• Race-theme
• Justice-theme
• The Casket Test-symbol
• Law-motif
• The Pound of Antonio's flesh-symbol

The Merchant of Venice Act I Review

List of Characters

Antonio-Antonio is a wealthy merchant in the city of Venice. All of his finances are tied up in his ships. He is sad and doesn't know why and is characterized in the book (so far) as older and mature. He is seen as a father figure and wise compared to the surrounding characters. 

Bassanio- Bassanio borrows money from Antonio frequently and has the tendencies of a gambler. He talks big and manipulates people into doing what he wants. He is young and very casual with his friends. 

Salarino and Solanio- These two characters do not have a big role in the story so far however their purpose is to question Antonio about why he is sad as well as support the leading characters. 

Portia- Portia is a smart, sassy, and snobby young woman who does not want to go through with the casket test her father set in his will after he passed away, however she will anyways. 

Nerissa- Nerissa is loyal to Portia and philosophical, however she can be sassy or snarky in her responses when Portia complains about her "poor" life. 

Shylock- Shylock is a Jew who loans out money to those who want it however he charges interest for it unlike Christians. He practices usury and is labeled by Antonio as a crook. 

Purpose of Act 1

The purpose of Act I is to set the story in motion as well as introduce all of the characters to the audience. Through the monologues and conversations of the story, Shakespeare describes all of the characters and establishes all of their primary human qualities. 

Merchant of Venice Introduction Close Reading Analysis Questions

What's Shakespeare trying to convey to us, the audience, here? How does he do that?

Through this short excerpt from the Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare is trying to display the character traits and personalities of both Bassanio and Antonio as well as presenting their values. Bassanio, for example, is portrayed as someone who only cares about a rich woman named Portia. He depicts her as “a lady richly left” (I.i.168) and as someone who is really beautiful. By briefly describing Portia, Shakespeare shows that Bassanio is interested in Portia and he wants to win her over. In line 180, Bassanio asks Antonio once again for money showing that he isn’t financially responsible and has not paid Antonio back for his previous escapades. Bassanio uses a delicate tone in order to ask Antonio for money in a way that it is hard for him to say no. Through lines 184-185, “thou know’st that all my fortunes are at sea; neither have I money or commodity” Shakespeare demonstrates that Antonio’s money is all tied up in his businesses and is waiting for his ships to arrive before he has any physical money, however, he is known as very reliable so he has “credit” around Venice. Shakespeare accurately shows that Antonio is similar to a father-figure while Bassanio is portrayed as a child.

What's not being said here? (Subtext)

In this introduction, the subtext is that Antonio is implying all of his money is out at sea on his boats that are carrying imports. This shows that Antonio is still waiting for his ships to return and believes that they will call come in safely. Antonio also lets Bassanio know indirectly that he should not be embarrassed about wanting to borrow money from him. Antonio and Bassanio are good friends and he can be trusted with Antonio’s hard earned money. 

Are there any puns or phrases with multiple meanings? Why are they there?

When Bassanio compares Portia “to Cato’s daughter” (I.i.173), Shakespeare intended for this phrase to have a double meaning saying Portia is not only rich but also very famous. Bassanio states that Portia has golden locks that can be compared to the Golden Fleece which characterizes her as the Disney character, Rapunzel, as well as her hair to the quest of Jason and the Golden Fleece. The phrase, “Which makes her seat of Belmont Colcho’s strand, And many Jasons come in quest of her” (I.i.178-179) also has a double meaning that while there are many people on the quest to win Portia, Bassanio will be one of them and will hopefully have the same fate and luck Jason did. These phrases with multiple meanings are here in order to help compare ancient Greek mythology stories to the present in the Merchant of Venice. 

What can we infer about Bassanio, Antonio, and Portia from these lines?

From this introduction, we can conclude that Bassanio and Antonio are good friends and trust each other with money. Bassanio seems irresponsible and young while Antonio seems very trustworthy and responsible with his life choices and finances. We do know that Portia is beautiful with golden locks, wealthy, and very famous. We also know that she has many suitors hoping to get a taste of her fortune however, Bassanio also speaks about her great personality as he has already had an encounter with her. 

What's the overall mood and tone of this scene? How does Shakespeare create it?

Shakespeare sets an overall friendly and calm mood in the story as Bassanio and Antonio are just having a conversation. Antonio seems hopeful that his friend Bassanio gets Portia and wishes him good luck on the journey even though he cannot physically give him money. The tone of the passage is insistent because Bassanio is determined to win over Portia and Antonio acts supportive of him. Shakespeare creates this tone and mood through the friendly language that clearly implies trust between the two friends.

Look back over at what you've written so far, and not anything you've talked about that wasn't explicitly stated in the test itself. How did you know or infer that from what was said or written?

From this piece of literature, I can infer that while Bassanio is currently not financially able to make the trip over to win Portia, he is confident that once he gets the funds, that he will be her husband as well as able to pay back Antonio for all of the money he loaned him. “I have a mind presages me such thrift, That I should questionless be fortunate!” (I.i.182-183) shows that he believes he has the best chance of all the suitors that have come to her so far.

What are some major images or metaphors here?

Major images and metaphors include Portia’s golden hair. Bassanio compared Portia's hair to the quest of Jason to find the Golden Fleece. Antonio’s friend also paints a clear image of Portia for the reader by describing her beauty, fame, and wealth to Cato’s daughter. He also describes her sweet personality to make her seem appealing and intriguing to the audience, wanting to find out what she is actually like when Bassanio meets her in person. 

AP Literature Style Essay on Sestina

In this passage from Elizabeth Bishop's, "Sestina," the narrator describes the protective relationship between the main character, a grandmother, and her grandchild.  In the poem, the grandmother wants to shelter her grandchild off from the world of harm and suffering. By titling the poem, "Sestina," Bishop uses six words, house, grandmother, child, stove, almanac, and tears in six different stanzas, all in a different order at the end of each line. These six words, in the selected form by the speaker, all work together to narrate the experience of the characters as well as underline the true meaning behind the obvious pain and suffering of the grandmother. Bishop speaks in a dark and depressing tone to express the preceding pain that haunt the main character as well as illustrate corrupt memories.

Tears, a major theme that is referred to literally as well as figuratively, is repeated multiple times in the poem as a way to display the underlying obscure tone. First referred to in line six, “laughing and talking to hide her tears,” Bishop shows the sadness of the grandmother even though she is reading jokes in the almanac which should make her laugh and smile. Continuing the theme of sadness, line seven connects the equinox, an event that happens twice a year where the sun crosses the celestial equator, to her crying creating a tone of mystery in the reader, causing them to wonder what events in her past have caused her so much sadness and pain. At line fourteen, Bishop shifts the meaning of tears, using them only figuratively, giving them human traits. “Her teacup full of dark brown tears” (line 22) creates the illusion of real and figurative tears actually blending together into one description, melding the two definitions of tears in the poem together. 

With the six repeating words at the end of each line in the stanzas, Bishop uses personification to give these items human qualities. For example, in line 11, “the iron kettle sings on the stove,” the speaker gives an iron kettle the ability to sing, although in reality, it could never as it is an inanimate object. The repeated usage of the occurrence of the stove is used as a distraction to the grandmother. Giving her a job to do, the main character tends to it and adds more wood to it as needed. Another object that provided a major role in this poem was the almanac. The almanac symbolizes a recent event that records the horror that has impacted both the grandmother and the child. These repeated symbols make the audience feel as if both the feelings of the grandmother and child are repressed and haunting the characters.

The poem ends with the almanac speaking to the grandmother telling her to “plant tears,” literally telling her to move on from the past as well as the child drawing another rigid house. Due to the form of a sestina the author chose, Bishop uses her final three lines in the seventh stanza to utilize all six words that have been repeated over and over again. By accomplishing her goal of convincing the audience of sorrow and death in her poem, Bishop accurately allows the reader to visual the set scene, succeeding in the initial goal of writing the piece in the first place.