Merchant of Venice Quotations Flashcards

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1
Q

“In Belmont is a lady richly left and she is fair and fairer than that word”

A

Bassanio - talking about Portia’s wealth over her beauty - contextually links to the objectification of women in this time

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2
Q

“In sooth I know not why I am so sad”

A

Antonio - the first line of the play - this could be linking to his repression of his own sexuality - in some adaptations of the play, there is a suggestion of a deeper romantic connection between himself and Bassanio

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3
Q

“Many Jasons come in quest of her”

A

Bassanio - talking about Portia - links to the Greek Allusion of Jason and the Argonauts where they went in search of mythical objects and items

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4
Q

“Her sunny locks hang on her temples like a Golden Fleece”

A

Bassanio describing Portia - connecting her hair to the Greek allusion of Jason and the Argonauts who went in search of the Golden Fleece which had healing qualities - contextually links to objectification of women

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5
Q

“So is the will of a living daughter curb’d by the will of a dead father”

A

Portia - Juxtaposition between her independence and control as a women - she expresses her frustration at not being able to choose her own husband as a consequence of a patriarchal society

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6
Q

“I hate him for he is a Christian”

A

Shylock - he says this as an aside directly to the audience. This blunt declarative sentence presents him as a villain, expressing that his reason for the bond is to get revenge against Christians

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7
Q

“You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog”

A

Shylock - direct address towards Antonio and explaining the fact that Antonio has been anti-Semitic towards Shylock, establishing their feud

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8
Q

“For suff’rance is the badge of all our tribe”

A

Shylock - explaining that many Jews are treated poorly and have to wear their suffering - Jews were expected to wear badges and hats to identify as Jewish so there is a play on words here

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9
Q

“Spit upon my Jewish Gaberdine”

A

Shylock - explaining his anti-Semitic treatment. A gaberdine is a Jewish cloak and therefore this quote is symbolic for the way that Antonio spits upon his religion

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10
Q

“Since I am a dog, beware my fangs”

A

Shylock - anaphorically referencing the times the Christians called him a dog. He shifts into the role of the villain with the imperative verb “beware” being presented in a threatening way

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11
Q

“The villainy you teach me I will execute and it shall go hard”

A

Shylock - outlines his reasons for the way he acts is as a consequence of the lessons he has learnt from the Christian’s

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12
Q

“Our house is hell”

A

Jessica - explains to Lancelot that she hates the way that Shylock is at home - connects to the way Jonathan Price depicted Shylock - as a domestic tyrant

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13
Q

“I shall end this strife, become a Christian and thy loving wife”

A

Jessica - says this as an aside to the audience - rhyming couplet stating that she is going to leave her father and become a Christian - contextually, conversion was normal in this time but they would never be considered fully Christian

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14
Q

“That in the course of justice, none of us shall see salvation”

A

Portia - stares this in the court to Shylock - this acts as foreshadowing for his eventual fate but also the concept of salvation is more of a Christian concept - shows separation between the two religions

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15
Q

“The quality of mercy is not strained, it droppeth as gentle rain from heaven”

A

Portia - attempts to convince Shylock into being merciful - a concept that audiences at the time would feel humorous as they would feel Jews are incapable of mercy

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16
Q

“I crave the law”

A

Shylock - the verb crave connects to the Jewish stereotype of gluttony. This is also ironic as it is him craving his downfall

17
Q

“I will feed fat that ancient grudge I bear him”

A

Shylock - connects to his gluttony and greed for revenge. “Ancient grudge” may be him speaking on behalf of his religion rather than solely focusing on Antonio

18
Q

“I have disabled mine estate”

A

Bassanio - he has gambled away his
Money - shows the recklessness of his personality and may connect to why he wishes to marry Portia

19
Q

“To you, Antonio, I owe the most in money and in love”

A

Bassanio - fronts Antonio’s money and could be seen as an intentional manipulation of Antonio’s feelings
In order to gain what he needs

20
Q

“My purse, my person, my extremist means lie all unlocked to your occasion”

A

Antonio - states to Bassanio that he will do anything to help him - may connect into his repressed feelings for him

21
Q

“You have among you many a purchased slave”

A

Shylock - the reason for his determination to gain a pound of flesh. He feels the Christian’s own their own flesh in the form of slaves and therefore is seeking to expose their hypocrisy

22
Q

“I shall have my bond”

A

Shylock - repeated throughout the court scene as an imperative - he is craving justice and his bond and is becoming more villainous by the way he speaks

23
Q

“Hath a Jew hands, organs, senses, dimensions, affections, passions?”

A

Shylock - lists reasons to suggest that Jews and Christians are the same and the treatment of Jews is unjustified - audiences at the time may view this hypocritically but we see Shakespeare making a more sympathetic representation of Jews

24
Q

“I would my daughter dead at my foot with my jewels in her ear”

A

Shylock - sees Jessica as being dead to him following her conversation. We see him being a bad father as he wishes her dead but would like the return of his gold. Connects to the stereotype of Jewish greed

25
Q

“When mercy seasons justice”

A

Portia - tries to convince Shylock that mercy is better than justice but he is blinded by revenge. The verb “seasons” could be seen in multiple ways, either as an improvement or as a replacement for it

26
Q

“If you prick us, do we not bleed?”

A

Shylock - asks a rhetorical question to the other Christian’s, asking whether the hurt that he feels is any different to Christian’s. Could also connect to the crucifixion of Jesus when they pricked him with a spear to see if he was dead

27
Q

“O my ducats, o my daughter”

A

Salanio - mocking Shylock but shows the stereotypes that others place on him, talking about his wealth over his own daughter

28
Q

“If my fortune be not cross’d I have a father, you a daughter lost”

A

Jessica - rhyming couplet and aside, telling the audience that she plans to run away from her father. The reference to fortune may also be connecting to Jewish stereotypes

29
Q

“The devil can cite scripture for his own purpose”

A

Antonio - talking about Shylock’s manipulation of his religious teachings to justify the terms of the bond. Contextually reinforcing the differences between Jews and Christian’s

30
Q

“Let me play the fool”

A

Gratiano - as a comedic character he tells the audience that his role is a foolish one

31
Q

“All that glisters is not gold”

A

The inscription on the gold casket - links to the difference between appearance and reality. Could be symbolically alluding to Portia and her own beauty

32
Q

“To bait fish withal, if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge”

A

Shylock - explains his reasoning for the bond. To bait fish may be a metaphor for him trying to bait Antonio into losing the bond. The connection between feeding and revenge is similarly seen in this quotation connecting to Jewish stereotypes