MERCHANT OF VENICE ACT 2 SCENE 3, 4, 5, SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA

 Act II: Scene 3

Summary

This scene is set in Shylock's house. We see Jessica, Shylock's daughter, speaking with Launcelot, and she expresses her sorrow that he decided to leave his position as her father's servant. She’s unhappy at this separation.  "Our house is hell," she says, "and thou a merry devil / Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness." She passes him a letter to deliver secretly to her lover Lorenzo "who is thy new master's [Bassanio's] guest." After Launcelot leaves, we discover that Jessica is planning to elope with Lorenzo, a christian companion of Bassanio. She is planning to deliberately leave her father's faith and become a Christian marrying Lorenzo.

Analysis

This brief scene in Act II introduces the audience with Shylock's daughter, Jessica.We also come to know about her relationship with her father. Her plan is to leave the old moneylender's house; she says, "Our house is hell." Her observation gets some justification as we have been already introduced with Shylock’s nature through Antonio and Launcelot.

This scene makes the way to Jessica's elopement with Lorenzo. It adds irony to Shylock's multiple warnings to his daughter in Scene 5 to guard his house well.

In this scene, Shylock is cast in the dark role of a villain.  Jessica's remarks paint her father Shylock to be a heartless unkind man. Interestingly, even though Jessica's intention to leave her father's household and rush into her lover's arms seems natural enough, Jessica is aware of her "sin," being her father's child. Mark the contrast between Portia and Jessica. Portia is loyal in contrast to Jessica as far as the Electra complex is concerned.

Act II: Scene 4

Summary

Gratiano, Lorenzo, Salarino, and Salanio discuss their plans for Bassanio's dinner party and masque that night prior to his setting out for Belmont. It’s going to be a special night. Gratiano is assigned the task of merry making. He plans a masque and he further assigns it to Lorenzo who is a good organizer for such an event. He has completed the preparation in his mind. Everything is in order. Only “Torch bearer” is missing and he is looking for one page boy to become his torch bearer.

While they are talking, Launcelot enters, on his way to invite Shylock to the party, and he delivers Jessica's letter to Lorenzo. Lorenzo reads it and sends Jessica a reply: "Tell gentle Jessica / I will not fail her; speak it privately." Lorenzo then tells his friends that he has found a torchbearer. In private, he confides in Gratiano that Jessica is going to disguise herself as a page and elope with him; furthermore, she will escape with enough gold and jewels for a proper dowry. She wants to settle with her husband elsewhere with this money. Lorenzo feels sure that Jessica, in a page's attire, can successfully disguise herself as a torchbearer for Bassanio's party and will not be recognized.

Analysis

Masque was a ploy to introduce the necessity of Jessica’s elopement. It never occurred. It was not the purpose of Shakespeare. He wanted to show the audience that Gratiano Salario etc did have active consent to Lorenzo Jessica’s elopement to the detriment of Antonio. They incited the incident to bring, rather hasten the misfortune on him. Reckless celebration and youthful frivolity of Venice is brought about through this scene. There is a subtle fear lurking in the possibility of Shylock’s discovering the theft. They know Shylock would unleash all possible resources to catch and punish Lorenzo- Jessica. Therefore, Jessica plans to go far away and secure themselves with the money and the costly stones. In their jest, Lorenzo, Gratiano and Salario seem to forget the serious impact such an act would impose on Antonio for, he is the merchant financier for all their trivialities.

Act II: Scene 5

Summary

While Preparing to leave for Bassanio's dinner party, Shylock encounters Launcelot, who has come to deliver Lorenzo's reply to Jessica. Shylock has accepted Bassanio’s invitation to keep his true intention hidden. He chides his former servant and says that as Bassanio's attendant, Launcelot will no longer be able to "gormandize" and "sleep and snore" as he was (theoretically) able to do with Shylock. 

 

In between his speeches to Launcelot, he calls out the name of Jessica. When she finally appears, he gives her the keys to the house and tells her that he is going to attend Bassanio's dinner party. Grumbling, he confesses that he accepted the invitation "in hate, to feed upon / The prodigal Christian." He apprehends that he is "right loath to go"; he has a foreboding that "some ill [is] a-brewing."

Launcelot wants his former master to go. He does not think much. He seems to be singing in tune with his master to keep him pleased and formally release him of his services. He has been raised in the house of Shylock. In due course, he learnt a few witty remarks that the cultured humorous Venetians indulge in often. He babbles his   "feeling" (because his "nose fell a-bleeding on Black Monday last at six o'clock in the morning . . .") that Bassanio is preparing an elaborate masque as part of the evening's entertainment. He should not have passed this information. His talkativeness without any inherent merit makes him do so. 

Shylock is horrified at the suggestion that he may have to endure the flamboyant show of a Christian masque. He insists that if Jessica hears any sounds of the masque, she is to "stop up [his] house's ears," which means that she would close the windows. She herself is to keep inside and not "gaze on Christian fools with varnished faces [painted masks]"; he vows that no "sound of shallow foppery" will enter his "sober house." Despite grave misgivings, Shylock finally decides to set out for Bassanio's dinner party. He exhorts one final command for Jessica to stay inside: "Fast bind, fast find — / A proverb never stale in thrifty mind." Shylock exits.

Launcelot meanwhile whispers a quick word of advice to Jessica before he leaves: She is to be on watch for "a Christian" who will be "worth a Jewess' eye".

Alone on the stage, Jessica anticipates her impending elopement and utters a prophetic couplet that closes the scene:

Farewell; and if my fortune be not crossed,

I have a father, you a daughter, lost.   (55-56)

Analysis

This scene expounds an additional tinge of colour to the character of Shylock. We know of Jessica's intended elopement, and thus we understand Shylock's sense of foreboding when he speaks of "some ill a-brewing." Shakespeare has always added supernaturalism in his Drama. He added Caesar’s ghost in “Julius Caesar”. Here also, Shylock gets the right premonition. 

Launcelot, in his excitement and anxiety, almost gives the elopement plans away. He lets slip the phrase "They have conspired together" (22), but he immediately covers his mistake with some confused nonsense about his own prophetic dream; he predicts that there will be a masque at the party because his "nose fell a-bleeding on Black Monday." Launcelot diverts attention of the shrewd moneylender from the fear of losing money lest he should cancel leaving his house at the moment.

Also central to this scene is Shylock's concern with his possessions. There is his obsession with locking and guarding the house. He somewhat does not entrust his own daughter, Jessica. He calls her to him and gives her his keys, then almost takes them back again: "I am loath to go," he says. The emphasis is on the protection of his wealth. He says, "Hear you me, Jessica: / Lock up my doors," and it occurs again in "stop my house's ears — I mean my casements".

 

The idea of music entering his house is repellent to Shylock. He warns Jessica that perhaps he "will return immediately,". Shakespeare suggests Shylock's miserliness with the help of unspoken, grudging affection for his daughter and. He calls Jessica, affectionately, "Jessica my girl," and of Launcelot he says, "the patch [a kindly nickname for a clown] is kind enough." 

 

The juxtaposition of Shakespear’s dramatic irony lies in our knowledge that while Shylock is concerned with his valuables, it is his daughter that he is about to lose, and it is unto her that he entrusts his possessions. 

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MERCHANT OF VENICE ACT1 SCENE 1 LINE BY LINE SUMMARY ANALYSIS ICSE LITERATURE DRAMA

 Summary and Analysis Act I: Scene 1

Summary

While Walking along a street in Venice, Antonio (the "merchant" of the title) confesses to his friends Salarino and Salanio that recently he has been feeling unreasonably sad. They have noticed it gnawing at him. They suggest to Antonio that he is probably worried about the safety of his huge investments in the sailing merchant ships of his, which are exposed to storms at sea and attacks by pirates, shallow sand-heaped sea or mountainous rocks just below the sea surface. Antonio denies his obsession with his investment and also denies that he is in love. Hence, there is nothing to explain Antonio's pensiveness. 

Salarino concludes that Antonio's melancholy  must be due to the fact that Antonio is a person of a natural sad disposition. At this point, their friends Bassanio, Lorenzo, and Gratiano join them, and after an exchange of courtesies, Salarino and Salanio excuse themselves. This sets an important message for us that Bassanio is the closest friend of Antonio and therefore, lingering longer in their presence tentamounts to obstructing their personal conversation. Gratiano takes a long look at his old friend Antonio and playfully chides him for being so solemn and so unduly silent. Gratiano says that he himself never has "mood swings'. In contrast to Antonio, Gratiano is determined to always "play the fool” and enjoy his life. Lorenzo intimates that sometimes Gratiano goes to the xtremes. He is far too talkative. He and Gratiano depart, promising to meet at dinner time.

Left alone with Antonio, Bassanio assures him that he should not worry about Gratiano's critical remarks. Antonio then changes the subject abruptly; he asks Bassanio for more information about the certain lady to whom Bassanio has sworn "a secret pilgrimage." Bassanio does not answer Antonio directly. He rambles on about his "plots and purposes" and about the fact that his debts have risen high. 

Antonio requests his friend to be specific. He promises to help him if it is within his capacity. Bassanio then reveals his love for the beautiful, rich and virtuous Portia, an extremely wealthy young lady who lives in Belmont, a heiress to some rich legacy. He says that her blond appearance and her fortune have made her an object of desire. In fact,  she is being courted by "renowned suitors" hailing from all corners of the world. Bassanio appears confident that if he may spend as much money as is necessary to impress the lady at first sight, he could be successful in his courtship. Antonio understands Bassanio's predicament, but Antonio has a problem of his own. Since all his investments are laden in his seven merchant ships, his cash in hand is insufficient for further engagement at this time. As a solution, however, Antonio authorizes Bassanio to try to raise a loan using Antonio's good name as collateral for credit. 

 

Analysis

The first task confronted by any playwright in his opening scene is his "exposition" of that play. He must identify and explain the situation of the characters to the audience. Shakespeare accomplishes this task of informative exposition very subtly in the opening fifty-six lines of dialogue between Antonio, Salarino, and Salanio.

 

We come to know that Antonio is a wealthy merchant. But, he is worried for some unknown reason which makes him sad and he himself can not identify the source of this persisting melancholy. Little later there enters a group of his friends— Bassanio, Lorenzo, and Gratiano — who represent the lively, lighthearted youthful life of Venice. We are also informed that Antonio has many shipping enterprises. They run mercantile risks. Although he is not worried about them now, the idea is subtly suggested to us that the risky ventures on the high seas may miscarry. We should recall this matter when Antonio finally decides to in-debt himself to Shylock on Bassanio's behalf.

 

In this opening scene, Shakespeare elaborates the characters and the atmosphere of the play. Antonio is shown as being "sad," afflicted with a melancholy which he is clueless of. We are not sure if Antonio bears a consistently sad character. Is his sadness due to his knowledge that he is soon going to lose the companionship of his old friend Bassanio? Or is his depression due to an ominous foreboding that he has an approaching disaster? Gravity of Antonio looms large before the lightheartedness of his companions.

Suspense builds up with the outset of the dark and threatening moments. To the contrary, it is to be noted that The Merchant of Venice is a romantic comedy. Shakespeare introduces the chorus characters - Salanio and Salarino. It can not be denied that they are not important. They speak the same idea somewhat corroborating one another. They represent an element of youthful whimsy. 

 

Salarino begins with a flight of fancy. Antonio's ships are described as being like "rich burghers on the flood" and like birds, flying "with their woven wings." While exaggeration is a part of mood building for the audience, subjectively, it aims at helping Antonio lighten his mood.

Antonio is surrounded by the frolicsome language and whimsy of the two young friends. On one hand, there looms the real dangers that the merchant of Venice (Antonio) will face. On the other hand, the world of youth and laughter will be part of the love stories of Bassanio and Portia, Lorenzo and Jessica, and Gratiano and Nerissa.

Further, gentle garrulity is seen at the entrance of three more young courtiers of Antonio — Bassanio, Gratiano, and Lorenzo. Gratiano is ebullient and talkative. He is quite aware of his effervescence. He tells Antonio that he will "play the fool".  His willing accomplice is Lorenzo. Salanio or Salarino, Gratiano, and Lorenzo will play more major roles in the development of the romantic plot and subplot of the play.

Opening scene introduces Bassanio and his courtship of Portia. This will constitute the major romantic plot and also set the "bond story" rolling. Bassanio comes directly to the question of money so that the foundation of the bond story can be laid down. Bassanio is extremely careless in spending his money and very casual about repaying his debt. He displays no scruples about making more requisitions of a friend who has already so selflessly done much for him. 

Probably, this was probably the custom of Venice at that time. Bassanio is behaving as any young man of his station might be expected to behave. A youthful, lovelorn man is broke. There is a strong bond of friendship between the two men. Interestingly, neither of them seems to be unduly concerned about money at this point; one is a wealthy merchant and the other, a carefree young lover.

Both Bassanio and Portia recognize the necessity of money, but neither of them considers money to be of primary concern in life. In their world of romantic love and cultivated culture and poetry, they don't seem attaching any importance to money. Shakespeare is setting up this point of view to contrast later with Shylock's money oriented point of view. For Shylock the moneylender, money constitutes his only defense against his oppressors.

The opening scene is a precursor to establish the importance of money and its prudent use in contrast to youthful splurging that inevitably puts one in danger and takes away the security of old age.