Merchant of Venice

Question 1

First paragraph: STATEMENT. (5)

Answer 1

1. Salerio explains the dire situation in Venice,
2. this is questionable justice,
3. well constructed indictment of revenge
4. leaves audience torn
5. audience is balancing several definitions of justice.

Question 2

First paragraph: TECHNIQUE. (3)

Answer 2

1. Quote is by Salerio, likely biased,
2. paints a very black and white picture,
3. of Shylock as beyond reason.

Question 3

First paragraph: EXAMPLE. (3)

Answer 3

“And doth impeach the freedom of the state if they deny him justice.”
“Twenty merchants, the duke himself, and the magnificoes of greatest port have all persuaded with him”
“But none can drive him from the envious plea Of forfeiture, of justice, and his bond.”

Question 4

First paragraph: EXPLANATION (Significance). (3)

Answer 4

1. Tone is desperate and hopeless,
2. anger is produced by the idea of justice here,
3. shows Shylock as villainous and determined.

Question 5

First paragraph: EXPLANATION (Impact). (5)

Answer 5

#Hate #Revenge #Injustice #Prejudice
Helps set up final conflict while establishing the extent of Shylock's contempt for Antonio.

Question 6

First paragraph: EXPLANATION (Values). (3)

Answer 6

1. Common modern belief that capital punishment shouldn’t exist in lawful society.
2. The individuals mentioned would been assumed to be quite powerful, making Shylock’s defiance seem more drastic.
3. Resembles blood liable, meaning accusation of Jews for ritual murder of Christians.

Question 7

First paragraph: LINK. (5)

Answer 7

1. Core idea = Is revenge compatible with justice.
2. Language forces audience to reconcile contradictory definitions of justice.
3. Should justice include revenge for Shylock, or should justice include mercy for Antonio.
4. The scene makes us question the foundation of our definition of justice
5. Argues justice must be divorced from emotion.

Question 8

Second paragraph: STATEMENT. (3)

Answer 8

1. Shylock argues unequal mercy invalidates the law’s pretense of justice.
2. Criticizes Venice’s hypocrisy, and dishonesty of calling the laws “just”
3. Strongly worded social commentary.

Question 9

Second paragraph: TECHNIQUE. (5)

Answer 9

1. Strongly worded for the time,
2. “fie” is essentially “fuck”,
3. strong today for slavery mention,
4. question Shylock poses threatens to undermine the validity of the entire legal system,
5. silence of Venitians in deafening.

Question 10

Second paragraph: EXAMPLE. (4)

Answer 10

1. “The slaves are ours.” So do I answer you.
2. If you deny me, fie upon your law—
3. There is no force in the decrees of Venice.
4. I stand for judgment. Answer, shall I have it?

Question 11

Second paragraph: EXPLANATION (Significance). (3)

Answer 11

1. Air is tense, possibly triumphant.
2. The question is shocking, duke doesn’t answer it.
3. Should rule out the Ventians being heros.

Question 12

Second paragraph: EXPLANATION (Impact). (5)

Answer 12

#Prejudice #Inequality #Cruelty #Excess
One of the stronger points against the system, one of the last.

Question 13

Second paragraph: EXPLANATION (Values). (4)

Answer 13

1. Justice was hugely important in Venice,
2. but they permitted inequality.
3. This is prior to triangular slave trade,
4. slavery is taught as evil in modern day.

Question 14

Second paragraph: Link. (3)

Answer 14

1. Assumption that the law is valid because it is fair is challenged.
2. The idea the law may be arbitrary threatens to undermine its validity.
3. Question threatens the preconceptions of justice inherent to the human experience.

Question 15

Third paragraph: STATEMENT.

Answer 15

Shakespeare mocks the Venetian justice system and in doing so the British system for its similarities.

Question 16

Third paragraph: TECHNIQUE. (4)

Answer 16

1. The scene demonstrates the paradoxes in human qualities,
2. the premise that this is justice is explicitly based on a double standard,
3. contradictory ideas of justice for Antonio vs justice for Shylock,
4. this is a twisted parody of justice.

Question 17

Third paragraph: EXAMPLE. (3)

Answer 17

“Art thou contented, Jew?” - Portia
“What dost thou say” - Duke
“I am content” - Shylock

Question 18

Third paragraph: EXPLANATION (Significance). (5)

Answer 18

1. Statement is ironic,
2. Shylock is forced to say it and is certainly not content,
3. Audience revolted by perversion of justice where
4. Antonio receives mercy but Shylock is subject to vengeance.
5. Shylock isn’t allowed to not be “content” while everyone else is overjoyed.

Question 19

Third paragraph: EXPLANATION (Impact). (5)

Answer 19

Deception

2. Deception is a major theme through entire story,
3. most characters wear masks at one point,
4. the final deception is that Shylock is content and justice is done,
5. this is the end of Shylock’s appearance in the play.

Question 20

Third paragraph: EXPLANATION (Values). (3)

Answer 20

1. Presents the idea that justice cannot coexist with inequality,
2. this was the reality of the original audience,
3. that Jews would not receive justice in a court case against a christian.

Question 21

Third paragraph: LINK. (4)

Answer 21

1. Justice is false if it isn’t blind
2. the human qualities of revenge and mercy are closely tied to justice, but neither are blind,
3. MOV demands readers decouple their idea of justice from who it should apply to,
4. justice must stand on it’s own without caveats or else it isn’t really justice.