ACT III' Scene 1
CONTEXT
QUESTIONS
Read the
extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
1.
(i) Whom
does 'she' refer to in the first line of the extract? What is said about her in
the extract?
In the
first line 'she' refers to the rumor or report which is personified as a tattling
old woman. When Salarino talks about Antonio's ship, Salanio only wishes that Rumor
may prove to be a big liar in this case as any old woman, who ever gossiped
with her neighbors over her ginger bread cakes and made her neighbors believe
that she mourned sincerely for the death of her third husband.
(ii)What
was said earlier about the place where a ship of Antonio was wrecked? Where did
the news about the ship-wreckage spread?
Earlier,
it was told that Antonio's ship was wrecked in the waters of the English Channel
at a spot known as Goodwin Sands, a most perilous sand bank. The news about the
ship-wreckage spread at the Rialto or the Exchange where merchants met for
business transactions.
(iii) Give
the meaning of:
Without
any slips of prolixity or crossing the plain highway of talk,
These
words mean: 'without speaking much or beating about the bush'. That is without
being guilty of any lengthy, irrelevant or tedious speech or going outside
plain direct speech.
(iv) What
feelings for Antonio are expressed by Salarino and Salanio in this extract?
In this
extract, Salarino and Salanio express their feelings of concern and sympathy
for Antonio. Salanio calls him 'good Antonio', honest Antonio and wants a better
adjective to describe "him'- Finally, Salama conveys the news that Antonio
has lost a ship. Salarino hopes that this may be the end of his losses.
(v) How does
Shylock react to the loss of Antonio's ship?
Shylock
was pleased to hear about the loss of Antonio's ship. He calls him a.
spendthrift and a beggar, who used to come smiling, so self-satisfied to the
market. He must take care to redeem his bond in time.
2.
(i) Whose flight
is being talked about? Where has the person flown? With whom has the person
flown?
The flight
of Jessica is being talked about. She has flown to Belmont. Jessica has flown
with Lorenzo.
(ii) What bad
news, besides the flight of the bird, is given just before the arrival of
Shylock?
Just
before the arrival of Shylock, the news about the Antonio's shipwreck in the
English Channel at a spot called Goodwin Sands is given.
(iii) Give
the meaning of:
the
bird was fledged;
and
then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam.
These
words mean that it is the nature of a fully feathered young bird to leave the
nest when it is old enough. He means to say that Jessica was old enough to run
away with her lover, Lorenzo.
(iv) What
steps has Shylock taken to get back the flown bird?
Shylock took all
possible steps to get back his eloped daughter. He asked the Duke for justice
and even persuaded him to check the ship in which Bassanio left for Belmont.
Later it was said that someone saw Lorenzo and Jessica in a gondola. Shylock
engaged his friend Tubal for
Finding
and bringing Jessica to him.
(v)How does
Salarino compare the character of the flown bird and of Shylock after the
extract?
After the
extract, Salarino compares the character of Jessica and Shylock. He says that
Jessica is a complete contrast to Shylock as black is to white or as ordinary
red wine is to expensive white Rhenish wine .
3.
(i) What
is meant by a 'bankrupt' as well as a 'prodigal'? Why has the man gone
bankrupt? Why is he called a prodigal?
A
'bankrupt' means a person who has not enough money to pay off his Just debts.
'Prodigal' means a spendthrift who spends money recklessly. The man has gone
bankrupt because his ship has been wrecked in the English Channel with its rich
cargo. He is a spendthrift who has
Mismanaged
his affairs and has gone bankrupt. That is why he is called a prodigal by
Shylock.
(ii) What
is known as Rialto? Why was the man said to go 'so smug upon the mad'?
The
Venetian Stock Exchange where the merchants used to met to transact business
deals, was known as the Rialto; The man used to go to Rialto smiling and
so self-satisfied because he was sure of his financial position as he owned a
number of ships carrying merchandise to the four corners of the world. Shylock
says these words to compare Antonio's financial position in the past with his
present bankrupt condition.
(iii) Give
some incidents to show that the man referred to in the extract used to insult
Shylock.
The man
referred to in the extract used to insult Shylock. He used to disgrace him,
laugh at his losses, mock at his gains, despise his race and interfere in his
business deals simply because he was a Jew.
(v) How
did the bankrupt' cause loss to Shylock in Venice?
The
bankrupt caused loss to Shylock in Venice by lending money without interest and
thus, affecting Shylock's business of lending money at exhorbitant rate of
interest.
(v) How is
the bankrupt likely to go into a loss? How will such a loss affect
Shylock as
far as his revenge and financial position is concerned? The bankrupt is likely
to go into a loss as his ship has been wrecked with its rich cargo. Besides, he
is to pay three thousand ducats he had borrowed from Shylock for Bassanio. Such
a loss will favour Shylock to pursue his plan of revenge.
4.
(i) Who is
the thief referred to in the extract? What had the thief stolen? What loss has
Shylock suffered due to the theft?
The thief
referred to in the extract is Shylock's daughter, Jessica. The thief had stolen
his money, gold and gems, including a diamond costing two thousand ducats.
After the theft, Shylock has to spend money to locate Jessica. So he has
suffered loss upon loss due to the theft.
(ii) Who
is Tubal? Why did he go to Genoa?
Tubal is
another Jew, a friend of Shylock. He went to Genoa to search for Jessica, who
has eloped with Lorenzo.
(iii) What
news did Tubal bring from Genoa about the thief?
Tubal
brought the news that he went to the places in Genoa where he heard some 'news
about Jessica but could not find her.
(iv) State
what ill-luck befell Antonio. Why was Shylock happy over the news?
One of Antonio’s
large ships has been wrecked on the way back from Tripolis. This was the
ill-luck that befell Antonio. Shylock was happy over the news as his chances of
taking revenge on Antonio became brighter.
(v)
The extract refers to 'satisfaction' and 'revenge'.
In what context are these expressions used by Shylock?
Shylock
uses the expression satisfaction and revenge in the context of his efforts to
retrieve his lost money and eloped daughter. His daughter, Jessica had stolen
money, precious stones, and many other jewels. His efforts to locate her and
retrieve them have not succeeded. So, he has
neither
the satisfaction of getting back his lost daughter and money nor taking revenge
on the Christians, who caused her elopement.
(vi) In
the context of the theft, what reference does Shylock make of his bachelor
days?
In the
context of the theft, Shylock makes a reference to his bachelor days. His wife
Leah gave a turquoise ring to him before their marriage. His daughter Jessica
stole that ring before eloping and exchanged it for a monkey.
5.
(v) Why
does Tubal say that Antonio is undone? What makes him say with certainty that
Antonio is undone?
Tubal says
that Antonio is undone because he has heard from some of the sailors he met in
Genoa that one of Antonio's large ships has been wrecked on the way back from
Tripolis.
(ii) In
what mood is Shylock in this scene? How is Tubal said to be torturing him?
In this
scene, Shylock is in a mood of grief. He feels as if he is the only open in the
world suffering from ill luck. Tubal is said to be torturing Shylock by giving
alternate accounts of Antonio's losses and Jessica's extravagances. He
alternately makes Shylock elated and depressed for apparently no reason. He
elates him by the news of wreckage of Antonio’s ship on its way back from
Tripolis, while he depresses him by saying that he could not find Jessica and
that she had spent eighty ducats on one evening and exchanged a ring with a
merchant for a monkey.
(iii) What
is Shylock's reaction on hearing about Antonio's misfortune? How is he going to
punish Antonio? What would he gain by his revengeful action?
Antonio's
misfortune makes Shylock elated because he will be able to take his
revenge on Antonio. He will punish Antonio by exacting a pound of flesh from
any part of his body. By his revengeful action, he would avenge his hatred for
Antonio and the Christians. Further, if
Antonio is
removed from Venice he can make profits as he likes.
(iv) Give the
meaning of:
(a) a
wilderness of monkeys.
A horde of
monkeys. It means that Shylock would not have exchanged his turquoise ring even
for a horde of monkeys.
(b) I
can make what merchandise i will.
I can make
as much profit as I like. It means that once Antonio is of Venice, Shylock can
make as much profit as he wants.
(v) What is
a synagogue? What can you conclude from Shylock's journey towards the
synagogue?
A
synagogue gives us the clue that he will take revenge on Antonio. Shylock
believes in the old Mosaic Law, which prescribed an eye for an eye, and a tooth
for a tooth. So, Shylock feels he is justified in taking revenge against an
enemy of his religion and race.
(vi) In
what way, by the end of the scene, does Shylock convince the audience that his
attack on Antonio is without any mercy?
Shylock's
passion for revenge and his complete justification of it is given in this
scene. He explains the insults he has suffered unjustly and his right to take
revenge. He believes that he is doing as his enemies would do. The fierceness
of his thirst for revenge is expressed in his
final threat 'I will have the heart of him'; Shylock states that Jews are no different from Christians and they will follow their example in the matter of revenge too.
0 Comments