MERCHANT OF VENICE, ACT 2, SCENE 1 & 2 ICSE DRAMA SHAKESPEARE LINE BY LINE SUMMARY ANALYSIS

  Merchant of Venice

Act II: Scene 1

Summary

Amidst the flourish of trumpets the Prince of Morocco enters. Portia, along with her confidante, Nerissa, and several ladies-in-waiting are seen present. Prince begins his courtship rather straightforwardly. He looks obsessed with the color of his skin. Being from Morocco, he comes "in the shadowed livery of the burnished sun." He has a very dark complexion, and he begs Portia to "mislike [him] not for [his] complexion." He equates bravery with reddishness of blood. He proposes a test. Let the blood of his and the far northman be tested. His blood will prove more red. Having more red colour of blood, according to Morocco, is equivalent to being more loyal in love. 

Portia tells him that he is "as fair" as any of the men who have come to seek her "affection." She is bound by the terms of her father's will. Therefore, he stands as good a chance as any other suitor. According to her father's will, however, if the prince wishes to try for her hand, he must take his chances like all the others. If he chooses wrongly, he must remain a bachelor forever.  He would "never to speak to lady afterward / In way of marriage."

The prince is not easily deterred; he is ready for the test. Portia guggests him to take rest and visit the temple to take oath before the God before initiating the hazard of casket opening.

Analysis

This act begins with much visual and verbal pomp. Visually, the Prince of Morocco and Portia enter from opposite sides on stage with a "flourish of cornets," each followed by a train of attendants. Morocco then opens the dialogue with rather a meek, hesitant  reference to his dark skin. Elizabethan inclination towards disliking black skin is evident from Shakespear’s play here. Morocco seems to belittle his dark complexion. Portia, on the other hand is cold but courteous- "Yourself, renowned Prince, then stood as fair / As any comer I have looked on yet / For my affection."

 

There are three caskets for Portia's suitors to choose from and there are three occasions in which suitors will attempt the test of the caskets to win Portia in marriage. The three suitors bear stark contrast in there pomp, gait, dialogue, outlook, and love.

 

Morocco, is intensely physical; he is a warrior. He speaks of his red blood, the power of his scimitar, and of the courage that can "mock the lion when 'a roars for prey." Morocco is a straightforward soldier-prince; he is rightly self-assured and is contrasted to the Prince of Arragon. He is concerned with lineage and position. Both of these suitors will fail, and although the audience knows that Bassanio will make the right choice and win Portia).

 

Act II: Scene 2

Summary

This is a comedy scene. After the serious scene at Belmont, we are brought back to Venice, and the initial emphasis here is on Launcelot Gobbo, Shylock's servant. Launcelot is seen hesitating, debating with himself as to whether he should remain in Shylock's service. He is inclined to leave and find employment elsewhere, but he is unable to make up his mind. The decision is difficult, he says, for he feels the weight of his "conscience hanging about the neck of his heart."

The comedy intensifies when Launcelot's father, Old Gobbo, arrives on stage. Old Gobbo is "more than sandblind" and does not recognize his son. He sees before him only the dim image of a man who he hopes can direct him to Shylock's house. Launcelot is not very happy to see his father. He left him when he was a mere child and could not fend for himself. Gobbo was young, strong. For him this son was a liability for, his mother Mergery must have been dead and there was none to look after the child. Launcelot has seen his father since then. He conceals his true identity and playfully confuses the old man with much clowning and double-talk, before revealing who he really is. He needs his father’s support to enter Bassanio’s services. It was the custom in those days to seek formal release from the previous employer before being appointed by a newer one. Shylock here needs to consent to Lancelot’s changing employment under Bassanio. There was another way. If the father would voluntarily take the son to the new employer, the former may get the engagement without the previous employer’s active consent.

Bassanio now enters, along with Leonardo and other followers, and he is enthusiastically talking of elaborate and gaudy preparations for a dinner tonight, followed by a masque. He has invited his friends to celebrate his departure for Belmont. He is planning to win Portia there. Launcelot is quick to note Bassanio's good mood, and he immediately appeals to Bassanio to have him hired as a servant. Bassanio agrees and orders a new set of livery for his new servant.

Gratiano requests Bassanio- "I must go with you to Belmont." Bassanio initially declines but he finally consents, urging Gratiano to modify his "wild behaviour,".

Analysis

This scene acts as a minor diversion. It paves the way to certain developments in the plot — the elopement of Lorenzo and Jessica, and Launcelot Gobbo's transfer of his services from Shylock to Bassanio.

This scene provides comedy of the Elizabethan stage. It’s staged between two serious scenes. This kind of comic scene gives the audience the much needed comic relief. Two of the most important members of any Elizabethan theatrical company were the actor who played the tragic hero and the actor who played the clown. 

 

Shakespeare wrote them to give his actors as much scope as was necessary for visual antics. Launcelot's opening speech takes the form of a debate between "the fiend" and his own "conscience." The paradox in his dialogue seems wavering- "Well, my conscience says, 'Launcelot, budge not.' 'Budge,' says the fiend. 'Budge not,' says my conscience".

In addition to this clowning business, verbal confusion was also a favorite device in this scene. Launcelot gives to his father: "Turn up on your right hand at the next turning, but at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at the very next turning of no hand, but turn down indirectly." To this, Old Gobbo exclaims, "'twill be a hard way to hit!"

clowning is the confusion of word meanings. Launcelot speaks of his "true-begotten father," and he uses "infection" for affection, "frutify" for certify, "defect" for effect, and so on.

Toward the close of the scene, two more details of the central plot are developed. First, Launcelot leaves Shylock's household for that of Bassanio; this gives way to much greater defection from Shylock’s house by his daughter, Jessica in the following scene. It also makes it possible for Launcelot to appear at Belmont in the final act. His clowning presence adds to the general good humor. He exchanges wits with Jessica and Lorenzo. In this scene, Gratiano announces his intention of going to Belmont with Bassanio. He needs to be there to marry Nerissa and take part in the comedy of the "ring story," which ends the play in a lighthearted mood.

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.