The Merchant of Venice

Questions and answers:

1- What is the setting of “The Merchant of Venice”?
- “The Merchant of Venice” is set in Venice (Italy) in the sixteenth
century.
2- Who is the playwright (author) of The Merchant of Venice?
- William Shakespeare, the great English dramatist.
3- What does the title “The Merchant of Venice” refer to?
- It refers to Antonio, the honest Venetian trader.
4- Who is Shylock?
- A Jew who is a usurer (money lender). He lends money of great interest
to Christian merchants. He is disliked by all good men.
5- Who is Antonio?
- Antonio is a young, honest, and kind wealthy merchant who lends
money to people in distress without any interest.
6- Why was there great enmity between Shylock and Antonio?
- Because Antonio lends money to people in distress without any interest,
so Shylock may lose money. Whenever Antonio meets Shylock, he
reproaches(blames) him with his usuries and hard dealings.
7- Who is Bassanio?
- Bassanio is a noble Venetian who spent most of his wealth living in a
very expensive manner. He is the dearest friend to Antonio. Whenever he
needs money, Antonio gives him what he needs.
8- How does Bassanio wish to repair his fortune?
- By a wealthy marriage with a rich lady whom he loved: Portia.
9- How can Bassanio marry Portia although he hasn’t enough money?
- He asks Antonio to lend him three thousand ducats.
10- Why can’t Antonio lend Bassanio money at that time?
- Because he has no money as he is expecting to have some ships come
home laden with merchandise.
11- How can Antonio help Bassanio although he has no money?
- He would go to Shylock, the money lender to borrow money upon the
credit of his ships.
12- What surprises Antonio when he asks Shylock to lend him
money?
- Shylock agrees to lend him money without interest despite the enmity
between them.
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13- On what condition does Shylock want to lend Antonio money?
OR, What does the bond of lending money between Shylock and
Antonio state?
- If Antonio didn’t repay the money by a certain day, Shylock would
forfeit a pound of flesh to be cut off from any part of his body.
14- Why does Antonio agree to sign the bond although it threatens his
life?
- Because he is sure that his ships will return laden with many times the
money lent.
15- Why does Portia agree to marry Bassanio although she knows he
has no money?
- Because she loves him for his worthy qualities, and she has riches
enough not to regard wealth in husband.
16- Who is Gratiano?
- Gratiano is a friend of Bassanio. He would marry Nerissa (Portia’s
waiting maid).
17- Who is Nerissa?
- Nerissa is Portia’s waiting maid.
18- Why does Portia tell Bassanio to marry her before he sets out for
Venice?
- To give him a legal right to her money.
19- Does Shylock accept taking the money Bassanio offers him? Why?
- No, because by the bond he has engaged to forfeit a pound of flesh. He
wants to get rid of his enemy.
20- What’s the bad news in Antonio’s letter to Bassanio?
- All Antonio’s ships are lost.
21- What does Portia think of saving Antonio?
- She decides to go to Venice, and speak in Antonio’s defense.
22- Whom does Portia ask for his legal opinion and advice to help her
save Antonio?
- She asks a relation who is a counsellor in the law.
23- How does Portia’s relation (Bellario) help her to save Antonio?
- He would send her the dress worn by a counsellor and letters of advice
on how to proceed and everything necessary for her equipment.
24- Who defends Antonio in the court? How do they look?

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- Portia. Portia dresses herself and Nerissa in men’s apparel; they put on
the robes of a counsellor, she takes Nerissa with her as her clerk. They are
disguised with robes and large wigs.
25- Why couldn’t Bassanio and Gratiano recognize their wives (Portia
and Nerissa)?
- Because they were disguised in counselors’ dresses, putting on robes and
wearing wigs.
26- What does Portia call herself before the Judge (the Duke)?
- Doctor Balthasar.
27- How could Portia trick Shylock in court?
- She pretended that she was on the side of Shylock and he had the right to
forfeit the bond.
28- What did Portia ask Shylock first?
- She spoke of the noble quality of ‘mercy’ so that she could soften his
heart.
29- What did Bassanio offer Shylock in court?
- He offered the Jew the payment of the three thousand ducats as many
times over as he should desire, but he refused.
30- What did Bassanio beg the lawyer (Portia)to do? What was her
answer?
- He begged her to wrest the law a little to save Antonio. She told him that
laws once established, they must never be altered.
31- What was Portia’s last offer and advice to Shylock?
- She told him to be merciful, take the money and bid her tear the bond,
but he refused.
32- Why did Portia ask to have a surgeon on the court?
- Lest Antonio should bleed to death.
33- What was Shylock’s intent in his cruel bond?
- That Antonio should bleed to death.
34- What was the problem that prevented Shylock from cutting a
pound of flesh from Antonio?
- The bond gives him the right to cut a pound of flesh, but no drop of
blood.
35- How did Portia declare her victory over Shylock in court? How
did she threaten Shylock?

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- She said if in the cutting off the pound of flesh he shed one drop of
Christian blood, his lands and goods are, by the law, confiscated by the
state of Venice.
36- What was Portia’s wise discovery that saved Antonio’s life?
- It was flesh and not blood that was named in the bond.
37- Did Portia allow Shylock to take his money from Bassanio? Why?
- She didn’t let Shylock take the money because he must have a penalty.
38- What would happen to Shylock’s life and wealth according to the
laws of Venice? Why?
- By the laws of Venice, his wealth is forfeited to the state, for having
conspired against the life of its citizens, and his life lies under the mercy
of the Duke.
39- What was the sentence of Shylock’s case?
- Half his wealth belongs to Antonio and the other half comes to the state.
40- Did Antonio accept the half wealth of Shylock?
- No, he would give up his share of the wealth to Shylock’s daughter after
his death.
41- What did Portia and Nerissa take instead of the case fees?
- Portia took the wedding gift from Bassanio and Nerissa took Gratiano’s
wedding gift. They gave them the rings unwillingly due to pressure from
Antonio.
42- Why did both Portia and Nerissa pretend to be angry because of
the rings given to the lawyer and the clerk?
- Because they swore they would keep them till the hour of death. They
accused them of giving the rings to women.
43- What did Portia reproach Bassanio for?
- For giving away her ring.
44- How did Bassanio defend himself?
- He said he was so beset(annoyed) with shame for seeming ingratitude,
that he was forced to give the lawyer his ring.
45- Why was Bassanio surprised?
- When Antonio gave the ring (given to him by Portia) to Bassanio to
return it to Portia, he found it was the same one he gave away.
46- What good news did Portia tell Antonio?
- All his ships arrived safely in the harbour.
Part 2: COMMENT. Comment the following:

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1- " If I can once catch him on the hip, I will feed fat the ancient
grudge I bear him."
" He hates our Jewish nation; he lends out money gratis."
" He rails at me and my well-earned bargains, which he calls
interest."
" Cursed be my tribe if I forgive him !"
- This was said by Shylock to himself when Antonio went to borrow
money from Shylock to give it to his friend Bassanio to get married.
He blamed him for his previous bad treatment.
2- " Do you hear? will you lend the money?"
- This was said by Antonio to Shylock when Antonio went to borrow
money from Shylock to give it to his friend Bassanio to get married.
3- **" Signior…., on the Rialto many a time and often you have railed
at me about my monies and my usuries, I have borne it with a patient
shrug"
**" and then you have called me unbeliever, cut-throat dog, and spit
upon my garments, and spurned at me with your foot as if I was a cur."
**“ Well then, it now appears you need my help; and you come to me.”
**" Has a dog money?"
**" Why look you, how you storm ! I would be friends with you, and
have your love."
**" I will forget the shames you have put upon me. I will supply your
wants, and take on interest for my money."
- This was said by Shylock to Antonio when he went to borrow money
from Shylock to give it to his friend Bassanio to get married. He
blamed him for his previous bad treatment.
4- *"I am as like to call you so again to spit on you again, and spurn
you too."
*" Content, I will sign to this bond, and say there is much kindness
in the Jew."
- This was said by Antonio to Shylock when Antonio went to borrow
money from Shylock to give it to his friend Bassanio to get married.
He agreed to sign the bond. He didn’t change his opinion.
5- * “ If you lend me this money, lend it not to me as to a friend, but
rather lend it to me as an enemy.”

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 -This was said by Antonio to Shylock when Antonio went to borrow
money from Shylock to give it to his friend Bassanio to get married. He
agreed to sign the bond. He didn’t change his opinion.
6- * "O, father Abraham, what suspicious people these Christians are
!"
* " Their hard dealings teach them to suspect the thoughts of
others. I pray you tell me this."
- This was said by Shylock to Bassanio when Bassanio tried to dissuade
Antonio from signing the bond.
7- * " Myself and what is mine, to you and yours in converted."
* " But yesterday I was the lady of this fair mansion, queen of
myself and mistress over these servants."
* " and now this house, these servants, and myself are yours, my
lord; I give them with this ring;”
- This was said by Portia to Bassanio when she accepted him to be her
husband.
8- * “ With all my heart if you can get a wife”
- This was said by Bassanio to Gratiano when Gratiano asked him
permission to marry
Nerissa (Portia’s maid).
9- * “Madam, it is so, if you approve of it.”
-This was said by Nerissa to Portia, telling her that she accepted
Gratiano a husband.
10- * ”Sweet Bassanio, my ships are all lost , my Bond to the Jew is
forfeited”
- Anton you wrote that to Bassanio in his letter as all his ships were
destroyed asking him try to save him from the Jew and his Bond.
11- * “Oh wise young judge, how I do honour you! How much elder
are you than your looks?”
- Shylock say that to the councellor (Portia) praising him and his wise
words thinking that the counsellor is on his side.
12- * “Be merciful take the money and bid me tear the Bond.”
- The counsellor(Portia) said that to Shylock in the court advising him
to be merciful and take the money spare Antonio’s life, but he refused.