The Merchant of Venice | Lesson 7 | Prose | Summary | Questions and Answers |

 

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English | Class 10th | Tulip Series |

 

The Merchant of Venice | Lesson 7 | Prose | Summary | Questions and Answers |

 

SHORT SUMMARY

            “The Merchant of Venice” is a play by William Shakespeare, set in 16th-century Venice. The central plot revolves around a merchant, Antonio, who borrows money from the Jewish moneylender Shylock to help his friend Bassanio court the wealthy heiress, Portia. Shylock, resentful of Antonio's previous insults and discrimination against Jews, demands a pound of Antonio's flesh as collateral if the loan is not repaid.

Bassanio wins Portia's hand in marriage by passing a test set by her late father, while Antonio's ships are reported lost at sea, leaving him unable to repay Shylock. Shylock insists on the pound of flesh as per their bond, leading to a dramatic courtroom scene. Portia, disguised as a lawyer, argues that while Shylock is entitled to the flesh, he cannot shed any of Antonio's blood, as the contract does not mention blood. This clever interpretation saves Antonio and defeats Shylock.

Shylock is then forced to convert to Christianity and forfeit half of his wealth. The play concludes with several happy unions, including those of Bassanio and Portia, and Gratiano and Nerissa, while Shylock faces a tragic downfall. Themes of mercy, justice, revenge, and religious intolerance are woven throughout the play.

 

Thinking about the Text

Question 1. Why does Shy lock hate Antonio?

Answer: Shylock hates Antonio for several reasons. Firstly, Antonio publicly insults and undermines Shylock for being a Jew, fostering deep-seated animosity. Secondly, Antonio lends money without interest, undercutting Shylock's moneylending business and affecting his livelihood. Thirdly, Antonio's prejudice and disdain towards Shylock's profession and religion further fuel Shylock's resentment. This combination of personal, professional, and religious grievances drives Shylock's hatred towards Antonio.

Question 2. How does Antonio help Bassanio?

Answer: Antonio helps Bassanio by providing financial support for his pursuit of Portia, a wealthy heiress. Despite his own lack of liquid funds, Antonio secures a loan of 3,000 ducats from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, by using himself as collateral. This selfless act demonstrates Antonio's deep friendship and loyalty to Bassanio, as he risks his own life to ensure that Bassanio can compete for Portia's hand in marriage. Antonio's willingness to go to such lengths underscores the strong bond between the two friends.

Question 3. How does Shylock feel when Antonio asks for some money? Why is he interested to pay the required sum?

Answer: When Antonio asks Shylock for money, Shylock feels a mixture of satisfaction and vindictiveness. He sees it as an opportunity to exact revenge on Antonio, who has insulted and mistreated him in the past. Shylock is interested in paying the required sum because it allows him to propose the dangerous bond: a pound of Antonio's flesh if the loan is not repaid.

Question 4. What condition does Shylock put forth if the debt is not paid in time?

Answer: Shylock puts forth a sinister condition if the debt is not paid in time: Antonio must forfeit a pound of his own flesh. This condition is included in the bond they sign, making it legally binding and giving Shylock a means to seek revenge against Antonio.

Question 5. How does Bassanio marry Portia?

Answer: Bassanio marries Portia by successfully choosing the correct casket, which contains her portrait, as part of her father's test for her suitors. With guidance from Portia and some good fortune, he selects the lead casket over the gold and silver ones. This choice demonstrates his genuine love and understanding, winning him Portia's hand in marriage.

Question 6. Why is the case brought before the Duke of Venice?

Answer: The case is brought before the Duke of Venice because Antonio is unable to repay the loan he owes to Shylock, who demands the agreed-upon penalty of a pound of Antonio's flesh. Seeking justice and mercy, Antonio's friends appeal to the Duke to intervene in this severe and life-threatening matter.

Question 7. Who is disguised as the learned counsellor (Doctor Balthasar)? Why has he come to the court of Venice?

Answer: Portia is disguised as the learned counsellor, Doctor Balthasar. She comes to the court of Venice to defend Antonio against Shylock's demand for a pound of flesh, bringing her legal expertise and a plan to save him.

Question 8. How did the counsellor start his argument and how was he able to get the judgment in Antonio’s favour?

Answer: The counsellor, Portia, starts her argument by urging Shylock to show mercy. When Shylock insists on the bond, she cleverly points out that while he is entitled to a pound of flesh, he must do so without shedding any of Antonio's blood, as the bond does not grant him that right. This legal technicality renders Shylock's claim impossible to fulfil, thus securing the judgment in Antonio's favour.

Question 9. How does Portio get back her ring?

Answer: Portia retrieves her ring by pretending to be the disguised lawyer who had saved Antonio’s life. She asks Bassanio for the ring as a token of gratitude, and he, not recognizing her true identity, reluctantly gives it up. Later, Portia reveals her true self and the significance of the ring, leading to a reconciliatory moment.

Question 10. Describe the theme/s of the play.

Answer: The Merchant of Venice* explores several themes:

1. Justice and Mercy: The play examines the conflict between justice and mercy, especially in the courtroom scene where Shylock demands a strict legal penalty from Antonio, while Portia argues for mercy over justice.

2. Prejudice and Discrimination: Shylock, as a Jewish moneylender, faces significant anti-Semitism, reflecting the religious and ethnic prejudices of the time. The play contrasts Shylock's experiences with the Christian characters' behaviours.

3. Love and Friendship: The relationships between the characters, including the romantic love between Portia and Bassanio and the deep friendship between Antonio and Bassanio, are central to the plot.

4. The Complexity of Human Motives: Characters in the play often have complex motivations, blending love, loyalty, revenge, and personal gain, which drive the narrative and lead to various dramatic outcomes.

5. The Power of Forgiveness: Ultimately, the play underscores the importance of forgiveness and the capacity for personal change, as seen in the resolution of the conflict and the characters’ reconciliations.

Language Work

I. Read the following extract:

Gertrude , queen of Denmark, becoming a widow by the sudden death of King Hamlet, in less than two months after his death married his brother Claudius, which was noted by all people at the time for a strange act of indiscretion, or unfeelingness, or worse: for this Claudius did no ways resemble her late husband in the qualities of his person or his mind, but was as contemptible in outward appearance, as he was base and unworthy in disposition; and suspicions did not fail to arise in the minds of some, that he had privately made away with his brother, the late king, with the view of marrying his widow, and ascending the throne of Denmark, to the exclusion of young Hamlet, the son of the buried king, and lawful successor to the throne. In vain was all that his mother Gertrude or the king could do to contrive to divert him; he still appeared in court in a suit of deep black, as mourning for the king his father’s death, which mode of dress he had never laid aside, not even in compliment to his mother upon the day she was married, nor could he be brought to join in any of the festivities or rejoicings of that (as appeared to him) disgraceful day. What mostly troubled him was an uncertainty about the manner of his father’s death. It was given out by Claudius that a serpent had stung him; but young Hamlet had shrewd suspicions that Claudius himself was the serpent; in plain

English, that he had murdered him for his crown, and that the serpent who stung his father did now sit on the throne. At the sight of his father’s spirit, Hamlet was struck with a sudden surprise and fear. He at first called upon the angels and heavenly ministers to defend them, for he knew not whether it were a good spirit or bad; whether it came for good or evil: but he gradually assumed more courage; and his father (as it seemed to him) looked upon him so piteously, and as it were desiring to have conversation with him, and did in all respects appear so like himself as he was when he lived, that Hamlet could not help addressing him: he called him by his name, Hamlet, King, Father! And when

they were alone together, the spirit broke silence, and told him that he was the ghost of Hamlet, his father, who had been cruelly murdered, and he told the manner of it; that it was done by his own brother Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, as Hamlet had already but too much suspected, for the hope of succeeding to his bed and crown. That as he was sleeping in his garden, his custom always in the afternoon, his treasonous brother stole upon him in his sleep, and poured the juice of poisonous henbane into his ears, which has such an antipathy to the life of man, that swift as quicksilver it courses through all the veins of the body, baking up the blood, and spreading a crust like leprosy all

over the skin: thus sleeping, by a brother’s hand he was cut off at once from his crown, his queen, and his life: and he adjured Hamlet, if he did ever his dear father love that he would revenge his foul murder. And the ghost lamented to his son, that his mother should so fall off from virtue, as to prove false to the wedded love of her first husband, and to marry his murderer, but he cautioned Hamlet, howsoever he proceeded in his revenge against his wicked uncle, by no means to act any violence against the person of his mother, but to leave her to heaven, and to the stings and thorns of conscience. And Hamlet promised to observe the ghost’s direction in all things, and the ghost vanished.

i. Fill in the blanks:

Gertrude is the queen of ______________.

Claudius is Hamlet’s ______________. He tells the young Hamlet that his father died of a serpent’s ______________.

The spirit that appeared before Hamlet was ______________.

The spirit revealed to Hamlet that ______________ killed his father by pouring ______________ into the ______________ of his father.

Hamlet resolves to take ______________ of his father’s murder.

The ghost advises Hamlet to leave Gertrude ______________

After advising Hamlet, the ghost ______________.

Answer:

Gertrude is the queen of Denmark.

Claudius is Hamlet’s uncle. He tells the young Hamlet that his father died of a serpent’s sting.

The spirit that appeared before Hamlet was his father’s ghost.

The spirit revealed to Hamlet that Claudius killed his father by pouring poison into the ear of his father.

Hamlet resolves to take revenge of his father’s murder.

The ghost advises Hamlet to leave Gertrude to heaven.

After advising Hamlet, the ghost disappears.

ii. Give meanings of the following:

Contemptible, disposition, rejoice, contrive, quicksilver.

Answer:

1. Contemptible: Deserving of scorn or disdain; worthless or despicable. Example: His actions were considered contemptible by everyone who knew him.

2. Disposition: A person's inherent qualities of mind and character, or the way in which something is placed or arranged. Example: Her cheerful disposition made her very popular among her friends.

3. Rejoice: To feel or show great joy or delight. Example: The team rejoiced after winning the championship.

4. Contrive: To create or bring about by deliberate use of skill and artifice; to plan or invent something, often in a clever or deceitful way. Example: She contrived a clever solution to the problem.

5. Quicksilver: A term for mercury, the chemical element, often used metaphorically to describe something that is elusive or changeable. Example: The quicksilver of his mood made it difficult to predict his reactions.

 

II. Linkers: “So that”

Read these sentences:

The storm was so intense that even the beasts were driven to their hiding places.

The forest was so thick that it was almost impenetrable.

‘So that’ is used to express the idea of degree.

Now complete the following sentences using the appropriate clauses given in the box:

(a) The rains were so heavy that _________

(b) My luggage was so heavy that _________

(c) We were so excited that _________

(d) He is so careful with money that _________

(e) Arundhati Roy’s first book was so good that _________

i. …… even the porter found it difficult to lift. ii. …… he hardly spends at all. iii. …… it won her a Booker Prize. iv. ……. the whole city was flooded. v. …… we couldn’t sleep a wink at night.

 

Answer:

(a) The rains were so heavy that the whole city was flooded.

(b) My luggage was so heavy that even the porter found it difficult to lift.

(c) We were so excited that we couldn’t sleep a wink at night.

(d) He is so careful with money that he hardly spends at all.

(e) Arundhati Roy’s first book was so good that it won her a Booker Prize.

Writing Work

1. Antonio suffers because he was generous. Do you think he should have waited for the return of his ships and then helped his friend? Write your response in (150 - 200) words.

Answer: Antonio's generosity, while admirable, ultimately leads to his predicament in Shakespeare’s "The Merchant of Venice." By securing a loan from Shylock to assist his friend Bassanio, Antonio risks his own financial stability without any certainty of his ships' return. This decision reflects his selflessness but also exposes a critical flaw: he fails to consider the potential consequences of his generosity on his own well-being.

Had Antonio waited for the return of his ships, he would have been in a more secure position to help Bassanio without endangering himself. This would have allowed him to support his friend without taking on such a perilous risk. The approach would have demonstrated a more prudent balance between generosity and self-preservation. While the essence of friendship is to support one another in times of need, Antonio’s decision underscores the importance of ensuring one’s own stability before extending help. His tragic fate reveals that while altruism is noble, it must be tempered with caution and practical foresight to avoid unintended suffering.

2. Write the character of Shylock.

Answer: Shylock is a complex and multifaceted character in Shakespeare’s "The Merchant of Venice." As a Jewish moneylender, he is driven by a deep sense of resentment and desire for revenge against Antonio, who has repeatedly insulted and undermined him. Shylock's demand for a pound of flesh as collateral for a loan reflects his vengeful nature and rigid adherence to his own sense of justice. Despite his harsh exterior, Shylock also exhibits moments of vulnerability and a strong commitment to his faith and traditions. His character raises critical questions about justice, mercy, and the impact of prejudice.

3. Write a brief paragraph (150-200 words) on friendship.

Answer: Friendship is one of the most profound and enriching aspects of human experience. It is built on mutual trust, understanding, and support, offering a sanctuary where individuals can share their innermost thoughts and feelings. True friendship transcends superficial differences and endures through life's highs and lows. It is marked by genuine empathy, where friends celebrate each other’s successes and provide comfort during challenging times. Friendships often bring joy and laughter, creating a bond that feels like a chosen family. They encourage personal growth by offering honest feedback and perspective, helping individuals to navigate their own paths. In essence, friendship is not just about companionship but also about forging connections that contribute to emotional well-being and personal fulfilment. It is a testament to the human capacity for connection and kindness, underscoring the importance of nurturing these relationships to foster a supportive and compassionate world.

Discussion

1. Now-a-days, generosity is rarely found in our society. Form groups in the class and discuss why people lack generosity.

Answer: In today’s society, the scarcity of generosity can often be attributed to a variety of factors:

1. Self-Centeredness and Materialism: Many individuals prioritize personal gain and material success over the well-being of others. The societal emphasis on wealth and status often leads to a focus on individual needs and desires rather than communal support.

2. Lack of Time: Busy lifestyles and demanding schedules can leave little room for acts of kindness. People may feel overwhelmed with their own responsibilities and thus find it challenging to extend generosity towards others.

3. Distrust and Scepticism: In an environment where people are often wary of others’ intentions, acts of generosity may be met with suspicion. This lack of trust can deter individuals from offering help.

4. Economic Pressures: Financial instability and economic pressures can lead people to be more protective of their resources. The fear of scarcity might overshadow the willingness to share with others.

5. Cultural Shifts: Modern culture, which sometimes celebrates competition and self-sufficiency, might not encourage the same level of communal support and generosity that was more common in previous times.

6. Lack of Awareness: Sometimes, people might not recognize the needs of others or the impact of their own actions. Education and awareness can play a key role in fostering a more generous attitude.

By discussing these factors, groups can explore solutions to foster a more generous and supportive society, such as community outreach programs, fostering empathy through education, and creating opportunities for people to contribute positively.

 

Suggested Reading

1. Tales From Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb

2. The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare