The Merchant Of Venice

Question 1

Name two quotes that represent Shylock and Jessica’s relationship

Answer 1

• Jessica calls him the ‘devil’
• Shylock is equally upset at the loss of his money as his daughter ‘My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter! … My ducats and my daughter!’

Question 2

Give two quotes describing Shylock want for revenge

Answer 2

• wants revenge on Christians ‘the villainy you teach me I will execute’
• Revenge on Antonio; happy when his boats are lost ‘I thank God, I thank God. Is it true, is it true?’

Question 3

Give some quotes showing how Shylock is persecuted by all non Jews

Answer 3

• Tells Antonio ‘suff’rance is the badge of all our tribe’

* Called cruel names- ‘cut-throat dog’, ‘villain with a smiling cheek’, ‘bloody creditor’, ‘damned inexecrable dog’

Question 4

Give a quote to show Portia is beautiful

Answer 4

•Prince of Morocco- ‘the fairest creature northward born’

Question 5

Give two quotes proving Portia’s love for Bassanio

Answer 5

• ’Myself and what is mine, to you and yours is now converted’
• she is scared of losing him whilst he chooses his casket- ‘I stand for sacrifice’

Question 6

Give two quotes to show how Shylock treats Jessica badly

Answer 6

• ’Our house is hell’

* ’What Jessica!… What Jessica’

Question 7

Give two quotes showing how Bassanio is prejudice against Shylock

Answer 7

• Calls him ‘a villain’

* In trial calls him ‘a cruel devil’

Question 8

Give two quotes suggesting Bassanio DOES love Portia

Answer 8

• He is tortured ‘upon the rack’ at the idea of not being able to marry her
• Swears life long devotion to her- ‘by my soul’

Question 9

Give two quotes suggesting Bassanio DOESN’T love Portia

Answer 9

• Seems more interested in her money- ‘in Belmont is a lady richly left’
• Tells Antonio he would sacrifice ‘life itself, my wife and all the world to save him’

Question 10

Give a quote showing Antonio believes the law must be upheld

Answer 10

‘The duke cannot deny the course of law’

Question 11

Give 3 quotes describing Antonio’s relationship with Bassanio

Answer 11

• ’I think he only lives the world for him’- Solanio describing their relationship
• Antonio happy to give up his life for Bassanio ‘say how I loved you’
• Offers to pay his debts again ‘I once did lend my body for his wealth… I dare be bound again’

Question 12

Give a quotes showing how Antonio is very anti-Semitic

Answer 12

•Shylock- ‘in the Rialto you have rated me’

Question 13

What are the four themes?

Answer 13

• Love and Hate
• Value and Worth
• Mercy and Justice
• Appearance and Reality

Question 14

Give a quote from the theme love and hate describing the relationship between Christians and Jews

Answer 14

•Lancelot says ‘I am a Jew if a I serve the Jew any longer’ as though it is the worst thing he can think of

Question 15

What is the quote an ‘ancient grudge’ describing?

Answer 15

The personal hatred fuelled by anti-semitism between Antonio and Shylock

Question 16

Give examples of relationships under love from the live and hate theme

Answer 16

• love of a friends- Bassanio and Antonio
• Father-child love- Portia and her father. Jessica and Shylock not so much
• Romantic/ married love- Portia and Bassanio. Nerissa and Gratiano. Lorenzo and Jessica

Question 17

Give example of events under the theme Appearance and Reality

Answer 17

• Lancelot deceives his blind father, pretending he is not his son
• Jessica dresses up as a man to run away from home and elope with Lorenzo
• Portia and Nerissa address as Balthazar and his clerk in order to attend the trial
• Portia and Nerissa develop that so they can trick their husbands (giving away of the rings)

Question 18

Give a quote showing how Shylock won’t give mercy but wants revenge/ justice (as he sees it) instead

Answer 18

‘My deed upon my head! I crave the law, the penalty and forfeit my bond’

Question 19

What view does Portia represent as mercy is important to her?

Answer 19

Christian

Question 20

Give a quote suggesting Shylock believe Christians are hypocritical about their mercy- they are just as keen for revenge as he is

Answer 20

‘If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what shall his difference be by Christian example? Why, revenge!’

Question 21

Give a quote showing Christians are hypocritical about they’re idea of being merciful

Answer 21

•Portia- ‘He shall have merely justice and his bond’

Question 22

Give an example of when Christians are presented as merciful

Answer 22

•Trial scene; Duke lets Shylock keep his life and Antonio let’s Shylock keep half his wealth (although he must give it to Jessica and Lorenzo and convert to Christianity - once again slightly hypocritical)

Question 23

Under the theme justice and mercy, give a quote answering the question- is it fair that a Christian duke trials a Jew?

Answer 23

•the duke is obviously biased from the start- ‘an inhuman wretch incapable of pity, void and empty from any drama of mercy’

Question 24

Under the theme value and worth, give a quote answering the question- are the women in the play treated as objects rather than people by the men?

Answer 24

• Shylock says ‘My ducats and my daughter!’ when Jessica leaves equaling the loss of her with the loss of his money
• Portia’s father also treated her as an object by including her in his will (terms of her marriage)

Question 25

What does the quote ‘all that glistens is not gold’ show?

Answer 25

• Talking about caskets
• Appearances can be deceiving
• Falls under both themes of Value and Worth as well as Appearance and Reality

Question 26

Give the quote supporting the thought of the fact the lead casket, which has the least monetary value, contains the greatest prize (under the theme value and worth)

Answer 26

‘So may the outward shows be least themselves’