MERCHANT OF VENICE ACT 2 SCENE 8 & 9, SHAKESPEAREAN PLAY, BRITISH DRAMA, SUMMARY & ANALYSIS

 Act II: Scene 8

Summary

Salarino And Salanio are the chorus characters seen on stage. They are seen discussing developments in Venice. They converse about the blind rage Shylock flew into when he discovered his daughter (Jessica) fled with a christian (Lorenzo) with lots of Ducats and Costly stones. When Shylock discovered that Jessica was gone, he woke up the Duke and demanded that the latter had Bassanio's ship searched. This was futile because Bassanio had already set sail. It was reported that Bassanio was not responsible to help them elope. Lorenzo-Jessica were seen setting sail on a Gondola that night. Antonio assured the duke that Lorenzo and Jessica were not on board Bassanio's ship. Salanio then describes how Shylock raved like a mad man about in the streets, crying, "My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter! / Fled with a Christian," while "all the boys in Venice" followed him, mocking him, his daughter, and his ducats.

 

Salanio worries about what will happen to Antonio: He knows Shylock's temper. Jessica's elopement and Antonio's swearing that Bassanio had no part in her escape "bade no good" for Antonio. He knows that Antonio must repay his debt. Shylock would inadvertently hold him responsible for giving the phillip to christian Lorenzo to dare elope his daughter with the money and stones. Salanio is likewise worried about Antonio's future. He reports that only yesterday, a Frenchman told him about a Venetian massive cargo ship that had sunk in the English Channel alias the narrow sea at a place named Goodwin. He immediately thought of Antonio, hoping that the ship was not one of his. The news about the shipwreck must be broken gently to Antonio because Antonio is a sensitive man. Realizing that Antonio may need cheering up, Salanio and Salarino decide to pay him a visit.

Analysis

Salarino's and Salanio's opening lines give the audience a sordid future for Antonio. The chorus characters discuss developments of the plot not shown on the stage so that the audience will come to know of the development at their back and ride on the premonition of something bad coming. Here, they are concerned about Antonio's fate, since Shylock is in a terrible temper, and the once "merry bond" might well turn out to be the reason for his death.

Salanio's speech, beginning at line 12, is introduced here to show Shylock's rage and Shylock's loss of both his daughter and much of his money are important for our understanding of the extent of Shylock's desire for revenge. This has been shown  before it is shown so that we apprehend Shylock’s state of mind at his next entrance. 

 

At the beginning of the play, Shylock has three real reasons for hating Antonio: financial, social and religious. To these is now added a shattering personal loss — he has lost his daughter, his only child, to a Christian, a friend of Antonio. He holds Antonio liable for all his losses. Antonio is rich, indulgent. Under his support, all these hoodlums (Bassanio, Lorenzo etc) dared go this extreme to challenge rich Shylock. He plans revenge against all Venetian Christians totaled in the person of a man whom he has now legally cornered: Antonio. In a very real sense, our sympathy goes out to Shylock, yet Shakespeare keeps us from pitying the man by having Salanio enact a sort of exaggerated parody of Shylock's greedy, histrionic behavior as he tells his friend Salarino how Shylock was chased in the streets by young boys, howling after him. 

 

Act II: Scene 9

Summary

At Belmont, the Prince of Arragon has arrived to try his luck at choosing the correct casket, and before he decides on one, he promises Portia that he will abide by her father's rules. He is a dignified man of royal descent. He repeats his oaths; if he fails to choose the casket containing her portrait, he will never reveal which casket he chose; second, he promises never to court another woman; and last, he will leave Belmont at that instant without raising any question.

Reviewing the inscriptions, he rejects the lead casket immediately because he thinks that it is not attractive and luring enough to give and risk all his possessions for. He also rejects the gold casket because "what many men desire" may place him on the same level with "the barbarous multitudes." He eventually selects the silver casket, which bears the inscription, "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves." Arragon reviews his worth and decides that he "will assume desert" which means that he rightfully deserves Portia. When he opens the silver casket, he finds within "the portrait of a blinking idiot" — a picture of a fool's head. The scroll in the silver casket reads, "There be fools alive, I wis [know], / Silver'd o'er; and so was this."He protested the contents; he chose according to what he felt that he deserved: "Did I deserve no more than a fool's head?" Portia reminds him that a person can not subject himself to the test and judge the outcome at the same time. Arragon departs then with his followers, thereafter keeping his oath.

Portia is dearly relieved and sums up the reason for the prince's failure: "O, these deliberate fools! When they do choose, / They have their wisdom by their wit to lose." When fools choose they believe that they are wise to act upon. Their excessive deliberation eventually defeats them.

A servant announces the arrival of a Venetian suitor and adds that he has brought expensive gifts. He is "so likely an ambassador of love" that "a day in April never came so sweet." Portia is neither impressed nor optimistic, yet she urges Nerissa to bring the man to her so that she can see for herself this "quick Cupid's post [messenger] that comes so mannered." Nerissa sighs; "Lord Love," and subsequently prays, "if thy will it be, let this suitor be Bassanio!”

Analysis

This scene focuses on why the Prince of Arragon chooses the silver caskets. The Prince of Morocco's choice was straightforward and simple. He chose the gold casket; it seemed to be the most obvious, most desirable choice. In contrast, the Prince of Arragon's choice is done with more prudence. The prince Arragon is a proud conceited man of royal upbringing.

Ambiguity of inscriptions lead Arragon into belittling common men and therefore, the gold casket. The gold casket speaks of the desire of many men. The word “many'' makes him pause here. He considers himself not one of many. He is special. “Many” are the common men in great numbers. They make mistakes therefore they are many in number and they perish in great numbers too. 

 

Arragon considers the caskets, but he does not make Morocco's abrupt choice. If gold represents "what many men desire," then Arragon's confides in his own superiority over  "the foolish multitude that choose by show" and his this attitude makes him reject it. He is a thoughtful man and it becomes evident when he goes to choose the silver casket.

He is a bit of philosopher and poetic too. He gleans through the history of mankind to find rare instances wherein the deserving man glorified the title, office truly. Otherwise the deserving fellow will remain a covered man (wearing the cap) will be lost among the crowd of subjects while the undeserving fellow will remain uncovered (king).

Therefore, the silver inscription, "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves," has an immediate appeal for Arragon. He laments the fact that there is so much "undeserved dignity" in the world. Those who enjoy the title, office etc got them without acquiring them legitimately through the "true seed" of noble inheritance. He is a snob. He sees himself to be a person of special nobility who alone may deserve Portia.

Arragon’s outlook towards women folk is also evident from his observation on the silver casket. Portia is a tool to be obtained on the basis of Arragon’s having deserved her. 

In the suitors' choice of the caskets, we have yet another variation of the illusion-reality theme: Gold and silver appear to be the obvious choices to the first two suitors, whose motives for choosing are in some way flawed. Neither of Morocco and Arragon is truly in love with Portia. Yet Bassanio, who does love Portia, will choose the casket which appears to be the least valuable. In reality, it will turn out to be the most valuable one. 

 

Thus the ability to choose and to distinguish between what appears to be valuable and what really is valuable depends not so much on intelligence. Shylock is far more intelligent than Antonio or Bassanio, but not enough to outwit Portia. 

 

Love has been given the utmost importance. It is not glory, courage and physical strength (Morocco), nor nobility of social position (Arragon), nor wealth (Shylock), but love for another human being which enables Bassanio to win Portia and save his friend Antonio from the sure clutch of death.

At this point, the love plot in the play becomes very much like a fairy tale. We are reminded of Nerissa's comment in Act I, Scene 2: The proper casket will "Never be chosen by any rightly but one who you shall rightly love." The last casket that remains to be opened is the lead casket.

We now know which casket is the right one, and thus we can relax and enjoy the drama of Bassanio's momentous choice. His approach is now announced by a messenger, and the fulfillment of the play's love story is clearly anticipated in Nerissa's comment: "A day in April never came so sweet / To show how costly summer was at hand."

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