Merchant of venice, Shakespeare, ICSE Drama, English Studies

 

Merchant of Venice - Critical Question Answers

1. Discuss Shylock’s dramatic function in The Merchant of Venice. What do critics mean when they suggest that Shylock is “too large” for the play? Does he fulfil or exceed his role?

 

In order to ensure that we understand Shylock as a threat to the happiness of Venice’s citizens and lovers, Shakespeare uses a number of dramatic devices to amplify Shylock’s villainy. In doing so, however, he creates a character so compelling that many feel Shylock comes to dominate the play, thereby making him “too large.” Certainly, Shylock is a masterful creation. At his cruellest, he is terrifying, even more so because all of his schemes exist within the framework of the law. Seen in this light, Shylock becomes a kind of bogeyman, turning Venetian society’s own institutions on themselves. On the other hand, Shylock is also pitiable, even sympathetic, at times. He has been harshly handled by Venetian society and has seen his daughter elope with one of the same men who despise him. His passionate monologue in Act III, scene i reveals that he feels the same emotions as his opponents, and we cannot help but see him as a man. In fact, Shylock’s character is so well-rounded and intricate that many see him as the only interesting figure in a play that is not, in theory, supposed to centre about him. Shylock’s scenes are gripping and fascinating, and many critics believe the play deflates every time he makes an exit.

2. In the end, how comic is The Merchant of Venice? Does the final act succeed in restoring comedy to the play? 

The Merchant of Venice contains all of the elements required of a Shakespearean comedy, but is often so overshadowed by the character of Shylock and his quest for a pound of flesh that it is hard not to find in the play a generous share of the tragic as well. Lovers pine and are reunited, a foolish servant makes endless series of puns, and genteel women masquerade as men—all of which are defining marks of Shakespearean comedy. In sharp contrast to these elements, however, Shakespeare also presents Shylock, a degraded old man who has lost his daughter and is consumed with a bloody greed. The light language of the play’s comedic moments disappears for whole scenes at a time, and Antonio’s fate is more suspenseful than funny. The final act redeems the play’s claims to be a comedy, piling on the necessary humour and serendipity, but the rest of the play is overcast by the fact that Antonio may soon pay Bassanio’s debt with his life.

 

3. Discuss the relationship between Jessica and Shylock. Are we meant to sympathize with the moneylender’s daughter? Does Shakespeare seem ambivalent in his portrayal of Jessica?

In looking at the relationship between Jessica and Shylock, we are again forced to walk a fine line between sympathizing with and despising Shylock. For all intents and purposes, the play should label Shylock’s mistreatment by his own daughter as richly deserved. After all, he is spiteful, petty, and mean, and in his more cartoonish or evil moments, it is hard to imagine why Jessica should stay. At other times, however, Jessica’s escape seems like another cruel circumstance inflicted on Shylock, and her behaviour offstage borders on heartless. Shylock is never more sympathetic than when he bemoans the fact that Jessica has taken a ring given to him in his bachelor days by his wife and has traded it for a monkey, the most banal of objects. Nor is Jessica ever able to produce satisfactory evidence that life in her father’s house is miserable. Her seeming indifference to Antonio’s fate—she and Lorenzo are more interested in the price of bacon—makes us wonder whether Jessica is actually more selfish and self-absorbed than the father she condemns. While Shylock is no saint, his resolve to collect his debt only seems to strengthen beyond reason after he discovers that Jessica has fled his house.

Pl visit https://www.dbhattacharjee.com/tutor.php?id=6 

& 

https://besttutorskolkata.blogspot.com/2022/02/merchant-of-venice-act-2-scene-3-4-5.html for details

 Disclaimer: Images have been taken from Google sites.

ENGLISH SPEAKING, ENGLISH GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY, SAT, GRE, TOEFL, ENGLISH WRITING SKILL, ICSE, CBSE, IGCSE, ISC

 I’ve noticed many students face difficulty in expressing their thoughts in good English. They do not have word stock. Their grammar is poor. Many guardians pay less attention in the formative days of class 5-8 to heed English learning. While specialist attention is necessary and a good teacher will charge a premium, they shy from spending when it is most needed… read on  https://besttutorskolkata.blogspot.com/2022/03/tuition-fee-expensive-tutor-low-cost.html

In our everyday lives, grammar is everywhere. We use it at home, in school, at work, and in the streets. It is the core of a language regardless of one’s culture, mastery and understanding of it. Being able to use grammar also widens one’s vocabulary. It opens doors of opportunities for us to be able to communicate freely, with no barriers and hesitations.

If you follow the conventional route to educate your children, in every likelihood, the child is going to earn average. In India, average (about 89%) people earn anywhere between Rs 10,000/- & 15,000/- per month. Do not see a flowery dream that only your child will do exceptionally well without the much needed proactive measure. What is that proaction? To change with the changing time.

World is moving towards more soft and communication skills than domain knowledge. In the very near future, repetitive work will be replaced by technology. Business will move on constant innovation and convincing capability.

Many businesses made a significant turn around only because someone convinced somebody else to start a preferential contract. Even if you are to get a high paying consultancy job or Tech job, you must convince the authority. In short, insane money will be earned by people having GOOD ENGLISH SPEAKING CAPABILITY. Others will continue to slog all their life.

Do you want to increase your child’s ENGLISH? Well, start from the scratch. Begin with vocabulary and grammar. Pay premium when the child is in class 5 or 6. The PUBLIC SPEAKING DEVELOPMENT will take the child far.

Grammar is important because it is the language that makes it possible for us to talk about language. Grammar names the types of words and word groups that make up sentences not only in English but in any language. As human beings, we can put sentences together even as children—we can all do grammar. But to be able to talk about how sentences are built, about the types of words and word groups that make up sentences—that is knowing about grammar. And knowing about grammar offers a window into the human mind and into our amazingly complex mental capacity.

People associate grammar with errors and correctness. But knowing about grammar also helps us understand what makes sentences and paragraphs clear and interesting and precise. Grammar can be part of literature discussions when we and our students closely read the sentences in poetry and stories. And knowing about grammar means finding out that all languages and all dialects follow grammatical patterns.

If you understand the nature of language, you will realize the ground for your linguistic prejudices and perhaps moderate them; you will also more clearly assess linguistic issues of public concern, such as worries about the state of the language or what to do about the teaching of immigrants. Studying the English language has a more obvious practical application: It can help you to use the language more effectively.

** Can you solve the above Grammar questions??**

My 38 years’ long association with guardians has found an innate tendency to neglect this area, save money by employing any gig unprofessional tutor. Often, most of them would engage a tutor who will teach multiple subjects. A SPECIALIST NEVER TEACH MULTIPLE SUBJECTS. Hence, they lose out. In teaching, grammar plays a vital role in how effectively a teacher conveys his lessons. Knowing the highs and lows of the language could make or break a lesson. In one instance, a teacher could adjust the level of difficulty of words to be used if he is familiar with grammar. This could lead to a more enjoyable experience for both teachers and students. One more thing, being able to express yourself confidently as a teacher with the right grammar commands respect and positive outlook from your students. Mastering proper grammar could inspire your students to also strive harder in learning the language.

There are certain situations in which English grammar is especially important. For example, if you’re going for a job interview in an English-speaking country, the employer will be interested in the quality of your spoken and written English.Grammar is even important for your social life. Did you know that people on online dating apps are 14% less likely to chat with someone who uses poor grammar? Plus, when you’re meeting new people or visiting new places, the last thing you want is to be misunderstood! To avoid confusing your friends, or even ordering more drinks than you intended, you need to have a firm idea of how to structure your words.

Learning proper grammar is important because it is the language that makes it possible for us to effectively talk about language. Grammar names the words and word groups that make up sentences not only in English but in almost any language. As humans, we can put sentences together even as children. But to be able to talk about how sentences are built, about the types of words and word groups that make up sentences—that is knowing grammar. With this, knowing about grammar opens a window into the human mind and into our amazingly complex mental capacity of knowing and learning a specific language. We always associate grammar with errors and correctness. But keep in mind, knowing about grammar also helps us understand what makes sentences and paragraphs clear and interesting, pleasant and precise.

** Can you solve the above Grammar questions??**

Any middle class family just can not afford the expenses to send their ward abroad for higher studies. Now, we all are aware that if the student takes a valued BBA, MBA Tech course from the reputed universities abroad, the chances of earning in Dollars/Pounds increase making him/her super rich in just 5 years !!!

Today, scholarships are available. Remember, these developed countries also need talents to oil their economy. So, they institute SAT, GRE, TOEFL every year to get the best talent. 90% of these competitive exams bear the weightage on ENGLISH APPLICATION AND VOCABULARY. Which means, your good English Skill can place you in a good university at BARE MINIMUM EXPENSE which the middle class can afford. Besides, the competition is not as CRAZY AND STEEP AS THOSE FOR ENTERING IIT, MBBS etc. Any average student may crack under the able guidance.

Grammar refers to the rules and regulations that govern spoken and written language. Grammar is the code that makes language work. Through proper grammar, we can communicate clearly in a way readers or listeners understand. Good grammar is key to effective communication, whereas bad grammar leads to surprising mistakes. Its purpose is to build a bridge between what you mean and what the reader or listeners understand. With clear, strong grammar skills, you can ensure people understand what you’re trying to say or write, even if English isn’t your native language.

Disclaimer: Images have been taken from Google sites.

NINE GOLD MEDALS, ICSE POEM, PROJECT ANALYSIS, COLLABORATION IS NOBLER THAN COMPETITION

 NINE GOLD MEDALS - COLLABORATION IS NOBLER THAN CONTEST

The poem Nine Gold Medals depicts the companionship of all eight athletes. The runners have truly justified the spirit of Special Olympics with their empathy, sportsmanship and cooperation. It doesn’t require for people to be from a country or a place to show kindness and sportsmanship. It also gives us a message that being selfless and helping others can do a lot of good not only to the person who is being helped but also to the person who is helping. David Roth’s poem depicts the human compassion and sportsman spirit eight special athletes showed in the Special Olympics racing event. When the youngest of the nine runners fell thrashing on the ground, the others stopped and came back to lift the fallen one and walked together to cross the finishing line together. This was an outstanding display of collaboration and cooperation, for which each of them was awarded with a gold medal. The message conveyed by the poet here is that the world now needs more cooperation and collaboration than competition.

The poem Nine Gold Medals highlights the true spirit of sportsmanship, cooperation, collaboration and kindness towards other humans. The poet David Roth emphasises that mere winning is not so important than participation. The generous and kind behaviour of all the athletes towards their fellow participant helped them win the heartfelt applause of the spectators.

All of them had practised hard for the Special Olympics Racing event. When the youngest contestant falls down they put aside their efforts and continue to help the lad. This shows that the world today does not need competition but cooperation and collaboration.

At the scene at the playfield where the event was about to start, there was a great excitement among the crowd to watch the athletes competing hard for a medal. A large crowd of spectators was present to watch the events. They were cheering the players. The people were excited and were eagerly waiting for the race to start. Finally, it was time for the race to begin, so all the participants lined up in order. The names of the nine runners who were going to participate were announced. All the participants were determined to win the competition. The race was supposed to begin at the sound of the gunshot. As soon as the pistol was shot, all the participants in the race took off from their blocks. As ill luck would have it, the youngest of the participants in the race lost his balance and fell to the ground. The event of a runner falling during the race was unexpected as it does not usually occur. The situation had become tense. The athlete cried out in frustration and was devastated. what happened next was really quite unusual, as it is impossible to imagine in today's competitive world. He had fallen out of the race and his dream of winning the race was shattered. His fall wasted all the efforts and hard work that he had put in to win the competition as the race was over for him. What happened next was not only unusual but also stunning. The other runners volunteered their fellow participant to win the event of the Special Olympics.  

On seeing the runner fall down, the other athletes stopped running. One by one they turned back and went to the athlete who had fallen down. They helped him to stand up. Although they had spent a lot of time and effort in training, they did not hesitate to stop running to help the injured athlete. This is a brilliant act of compassion and empathy for the fallen athlete by the other eight runners. After helping the fallen athlete to get up, all the nine athletes joined hands and started walking towards the finish line. Thus, the hundred-yard race was now reduced to a walk by the athletes. There was a banner hung above the racing track which said ‘Special Olympics’. That banner displayed the value of true sportsmanship of the eight other participants by helping the injured athlete and deciding to walk together to the finish line as the injured athlete was not able to run anymore. As all the athletes walked down past the finish line while holding hands, the race ended and all of them were awarded a gold medal each. There was no second or third position in the race as all the athletes who took part in the race had won the first prize—the gold medal. They were smiling in a very wide manner and were happy after winning a gold medal in the Special Olympics event. When the audience saw the noble gesture of the athletes walking together past the finish line as one of them was injured and could not run, they gave the athletes a standing ovation. All the runners stood happy and contented as everyone received the gold medal.

The poem ‘Nine Gold Medals’ brings out the theme of empathy and the celebration of human values. Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s feelings from his/her point of view. It means to put oneself into another's shoes. The poem celebrates human values pertaining to kindness, cooperation and empathy. It brings out the idea that caring and sharing is more important than winning or losing an event. The other eight runners were not selfish, as they had stopped running on seeing the youngest runner fall on the track. They also helped him get up. Their sacrifice is inspiring. These eight athletes preferred helping the fallen runner than winning the gold medal. This shows their generous nature.  

Nine gold medals show nine golden hearts. The poem celebrates human values pertaining to kindness, cooperation and empathy. The nine runners were participating in the Special Olympics to achieve their dreams of winning the gold medal. All of them had been strenuously practising for months to run and to win. But the poem brings out the idea that caring and sharing is more important than winning or losing. Sports is not only about winning medals but also about learning values of empathy and cooperation. The poem brings out a situation where the contestants set aside their desire to win and help another contestant who had fallen down. They empathised with him. The contestants came together as a group. They stood by each other and walked together to the finish line and all of them won a gold medal. By awarding gold medals to each one of them, the authorities honoured their display of empathy and human values. The poet gives the message that the spirit of sportsmanship and empathy for fellow human beings is more important than winning a sports competition.

By displaying assistance and benevolence, we prove ourselves stronger. By being selfish and self-object oriented, we consistently betray humanity. When we display commiseration, we attract peoples praise and love. The benefactor and the witnesses are all blessed and inspired. Competitiveness is welcome in sportsman spirit. But, at the juncture of humane need, we must not fall short to sacrifice with benignity.

Disclaimer: Images have been taken from Google sites.

SHYLOCK - A TRAGIC OR A CUNNING VILLAIN OR A PATHETIC CHARACTER - MERCHANT OF VENICE, SHAKESPEAREAN PLAY

 

Shylock

Shylock, in “The Merchant of Venice” has been portrayed, apparently, as an evil Jew and villain. A closer look into this character brings out otherwise notions. He is a foreigner with a deep pocket, frugal mind and devoid of pleasure-seeking emotion. He is a man of fact. But, he loves his wife Leah. He rages at the throw away deal of his engagement Tarquise ring by his extravagant daughter. He does not like Launcelot to laze away time. All his daily activities are guided by profit maximisation.

Shakespeare seems to say that he does not in any way consider Shylock a tragic character. Shylock's conduct, in general, makes a decided comic expression, and particularly in the scene of the outburst of his sorrow and rage at the elopement of his daughter and the loss of his ducats, which alternates the sharpest contrast with his diabolical expressions of joy at the losses experienced by Antonio. His behaviour at the trial scene has somewhat the flavour of comedy, because his whole being, his manner of expressing himself in word and gesture, are obviously described in such a way as to verge upon caricature. And if the punishment which overtakes him is offensive to our feelings, we must bear in mind that the scene of the play belongs to the 16th century, and that Shylock forfeits our pity owing to his inhuman wickedness and hardness of heart, and has lost all claim to human treatment.

The conception of Shylock as a comic character was formerly a common one. He was shown in pictures as a hook-nosed bearded buffoon, with a knife in one hand and weighing scales in the other. He had no more sympathy than a captured hyena would get from the village people. He is a man who was "more sinned against than sinning." It is not open to serious questions that this was passe. The text itself preserves sufficient evidence of the author's fixed intent to exhibit his Shylock as an inhuman scoundrel, whose diabolical cunning intent is bent on gratifying Satanic lust for human flesh. This, indeed, is how Shylock is described by every character in the play who is cast to secure the sympathy of the audience.

His daughter Jessica and his servant Launcelot, are enrolled to heap up the ignominy. This is particularly remarkable, because these characters are invented, and are not in the original story. Another invention-the penalty finally imposed on Shylock, that he become a Christian-is a sufficient indication not only of the dramatist's intention to expose Shylock to shame, but, by the callousness of the punishment, of his unrelenting antipathy to the figure he had been minded to create.

It is most likely that in his racial passion, Shakespeare never consciously meant the character Shylock to be entitled to more sympathy or to less callous cruelty than is meted to him when Salarino and Salanio allow themselves to be merry with him over the flight of Jessica, a disgusting exhibition two of sheer heartlessness (Act III, sc. i). Indeed, Shylock's moral deformity might in great measure be justly attributed to the influence of social circumstances; and he felt that the Jew, even in a temper of malignity, might convincingly show to Christians that their persecuting spirit impressed on his tribe the character that the Jew bore in society. 

Shylock is a man whose intellectual prowess is not to be despised, a man who can deeply feel and powerfully protest against the indignity to which he is subjected. He cannot be allowed any Christian advocate among the dramatis personae, but he himself can demonstrate that it is far more reasonable for him to act according to what was said by them in olden times; 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth' than it is for the Christians to boast of the excellence of Gospel charity which their conduct habitually violates. 

Does Antonio’s treatment justify Shylock’s pound of flesh?

Had the Jew been able to present in proper time, and with proper impunity, any wrongs that might have been inflicted on him, his resentment would have had vent and have left his heart capable of charity, but he might had to endure injury and insult, time after time, until his heart became hardened as a stone that would whet keenly the knife of vengeance should legal justice ever give him an opportunity of obtaining redress. Antonio is a philanthropist, doing g0od to others, in contrast.

Shylock is a sharp man of business lacking in sentiments. The Jew can inflict suffering in order to fill his own coffers. Antonio holds the belief that to take interest on lent money is immoral. Antonio insulted Shylock, mocked at his religion, defamed him socially and caused his financial losses. This shocks us, and is far removed from Christian charity. This was an adequate explanation for Shylock's revengeful attitude later on. There is justification for such a view, but too much can be made of it.

The typical "blood-sucking" money lender is a repugnant character. The rich man who makes a fortune by interest on loans is deemed to the poor as evil and a menace to society. Such a man would surely be obnoxious to Antonio. We cannot approve of the manner in which Antonio showers his hot scorn and contempt, but we must conclude that such a man as Shylock deserve scorn and contempt. And the manner in which Antonio had shown this had caused a deep and revengeful hatred to grow up inside Shylock. This hatred is perfectly natural and understandable, but we must not on that account assume that it is legitimate or justifiable. Shylock's ill treatment of Antonio has been largely deserved.

Shylock is a direct foil and contrast to Antonio in every respect. He is loved by all, whereas Shylock does not possess a single friend. His associate, Tubal, goes in search of the runaway Jessica, but on return he reports to Shylock of her acts of extravaganza and has no word of sympathy for him. No one supports Shylock in the court, while all are on the side of Antonio.

Antonio's chief dramatic defect is his want of prudence, which makes him impotent and Lear himself, not an agent of mercy rather at the mercy of others. His attitude towards danger and possible death, in the trial scene, shows calm fortitude. Shylock is an important and dynamic character who has aroused interest and a variety of conflicting criticisms. In him, cruelty and malicious revenge are the main features.

He is of independent character, and this earns him a certain respect. Shakespeare hardly designed him as a villain for whom we should feel only hatred. He knew that a character who is wholly evil aroused only detestation. Shakespeare meant him to be defeated and humiliated, but it was necessary first to arouse interest in him, before making it appear that his punishment was deserved. So he is shown as unyielding in his hatred, and unmoved by the strong appeals of Antonio's powerful friends, even by the Duke himself. We can admire strength in a villain.

Like Macbeth, another wicked character, Shylock retains some sympathy as a strong fighter. He is not given any redeeming qualities to set against his evil. He has a deep pride in his nation and a fanatical love towards his religion. 

Shylock is unlike all other Jews. Tubal and Jessica are also Jews, but entirely different from Shylock, who is not to be accounted for by religion or nationality. He is unusual, possibly because he has brooded over his wrongs so much. He has nursed a sense of injury in his heart till it has become overpowering. Shylock brings on his downfall by his own acts, and they are such as to raise the best feelings of men against him. Strangers are against him, and his overthrow is brought about by the courage of a lady and the skill of a lawyer, neither of whom he has ever seen.

Shakespeare seems to have felt the need of some motive to account for the malignity of Shylock. He makes him speak bitterly for nis treatment at the hands of Antony.

MERCHANT OF VENICE PROJECT, SHAKESPEAREAN WOMEN CHARACTERS, COMPARING SHAKESPEAREAN CHARACTERS WITH MODERN WOMEN

SHAKESPEARE’S WOMEN CHARACTERS INCLUDING PORTIA -THEIR CONTEXTUALITY IN MODERN WORLD

WHY DO WE HAVE TO READ SHAKESPEAREAN PLAY? WHAT CONTEXT LIES BETWEEN HIS WOMEN CHARACTERS AND THE MODERN DAUGHTERS?

These questions haunt young and adult minds alike.~~~The Internet has brought about the chances to be precocious. Most daughters are seen as rebellious today. Fathers are worried about their daughters’ security, education and above all, settlement with a good moral husband. As usual, like the father of Portia, today’s fathers also plan proper mentorship to imbibe value and loyalty in their daughters. Most of them turn Jessica while a few intelligent scholastic daughters give in to the erudition and obey father’s choice.

Let’s delve into the play itself to pick the jewel from the abyss of Shakespearean comedy…

MERCHANT OF VENICE: THE PLAY

Antonio, a leading merchant of Venice, is a wealthy, respected, and benevolent man. Among his many friends is a young man named Bassanio, who owes Antonio a substantial amount of money. Bassanio wants to repay his friend, but so far he has been unable to do so. However, he now feels that he may have found a way — but he will again need a loan from Antonio. In Belmont, there lives a beautiful and young and wealthy heiress. Bassanio anticipates that he can win her hand in marriage, but he cannot go courting as a broke. He needs to make a good impression, he has to appear at least as well off as her other wealthy suitors. Antonio tells his young friend that he would gladly lend him whatever amount of money he needs, but at the present time he himself is short of cash. All his capital is tied up in his merchant ships, which are still at sea. However, Antonio will not disappoint Bassanio. He knows of a moneylender who will probably lend him the necessary amount, and Bassanio can use Antonio's good name as security for the loan.

At Belmont, Portia speaks to Nerissa, her confidante and paid-companion. She tells her how tired she is of the constant stream of suitors, and how she wishes to be free of the nagging obligation of her father's will: Portia cannot choose her own husband; she can marry only the man who chooses the correct one of three caskets — one gold, one silver, and one lead; one contains her portrait and that one is the lucky casket. So far, none of her suitors has been able to choose the right casket. Besides, Portia has no liking for any of them. However, when Nerissa mentions the name of Bassanio, a possible suitor, Portia's mood brightens. He was once a visitor at Belmont, and Portia was impressed with him. They fell in love at first sight.

Meanwhile in Venice, Shylock, a rich Jewish moneylender who harbors a secret hatred for Antonio, has agreed to lend Bassanio three thousand ducats for three months, on Antonio's bond. Foregoing his usual high interest rate, Shylock demands instead that if the day for payment falls due and the money is not returned, he may cut off one pound of flesh from Antonio's body. Antonio agrees because all of his ships are due back in Venice a full month before the bond falls due.

A romantic subplot develops when Lorenzo, a close friend of Antonio and Bassanio, falls in love with Shylock's daughter, Jessica. He manages to elope with her by disguising her as a boy, and she manages to steal with herself a good amount of her father's ducats. Of course, this infuriates Shylock, and he vows revenge.

Shortly thereafter, Bassanio and Gratiano leave for Belmont, where the "fair Portia" has just sent away the Prince of Morocco and the Prince of Arragon, two more disappointed, unsuccessful suitors. When Bassanio asks to choose one of the caskets, Portia falls immediately in love with him, and she begs him to wait a few days before choosing one of the caskets. He has fallen in love with Portia and insists on taking his chances. He rejects the gold one, then the silver one; he chooses, finally, the lead casket, and on opening it, he finds a portrait of Portia. Both he and Portia are overjoyed, and they make plans to be married at once, along with Nerissa and Gratiano, who have also fallen in love along with them too. Happiness reigns in Belmont until Salarino brings a letter from Antonio bidding him farewell since his ships have been lost at sea and since it is impossible that he will live after Shylock collects his pound of flesh. Horrified, Bassanio leaves instantly for Venice with money which Portia gives him to pay the bond.

In Venice, Shylock is no longer interested in the mere payment of the money due him. He wants revenge. A Christian stole his daughter (and she took his money), and nothing will satisfy Shylock except the legal fulfillment of the bond. In the court of justice, presided over by the Duke of Venice, Shylock faces his enemy, Antonio. Antonio is surrounded by his friends and is quietly resigned to death. On all sides, Shylock is surrounded by enemies. Bassanio pleads with Shylockto accept double the money due him, but Shylock refuses.

At this point, Portia, disguised as a lawyer, and Nerissa, dressed as her law clerk, enter the court and tell the Duke that they have been sent from Padua by a learned attorney, Doctor Bellario, to plead the defendant's case. Portia entreats Shylock to be merciful, but he will not listen. She offers the moneylender triple the amount owed him, but again Shylock will have none of it. She then solemnly informs the court that Shylock is entirely within his lawful rights. She then informs Shylock that he must be very careful. He must cutoff exactly one pound of flesh, and he must not spill one drop of Antonio's blood. If he fails, all of Shylock's lands and goods will be confiscated. Shylock hastily decides that he will accept the triple payment of the bond, but Portia says no; Shylock then offers to take only the original three thousand ducats, but again Portia refuses, reminding him that it was he himself who demanded the strict interpretation of the law. Furthermore, she says, the law has another hold on him. Since he is an alien in Venice and since he tried to "seek the life" of a Venetian citizen, all his wealth can be divided between the citizen whom he attempted to destroy and the public treasury; in addition, Shylock's own life is in peril because of what he attempted to do.

The Duke decides to spare Shylock's life, but he does give half of Shylock's money to Antonio, and he gives the rest of it to the state. Antonio says that he will not accept the money if Shylock will agree to become a Christian and if, in his will, he will agree to leave his money to his daughter, Jessica, and her new husband, Lorenzo. Shylock, broken and defeated, agrees to all these conditions and leaves the court. Overjoyed, Antonio and his friends offer to pay the young lawyer whatever they can, but, oddly enough, the lawyer wishes only for a certain ring which Bassanio is wearing. Bassanio is embarrassed because his wife gave this ring to him and asked him to wear it always. But the lawyer insists and, finally, Bassanio reluctantly gives away Portia's ring. Nerissa likewise cleverly manages to get from Gratiano a ring she gave him. The two ladies then hasten back to Belmont to tease their husbands about the rings.

When Bassanio and Gratiano, along with Antonio, return to Belmont, their wives inquire about the missing rings. Portia and Nerissa insist that the men no doubt gave the rings away to two other women. The husbands swear that it is not true, and it is not until Portia and Nerissa have put their husbands through some long, comically agonizing moments of discomfort that they confess that they themselves were the "learned doctor" and the "clerk" to whom the rings were given. Thus all ends happily, as Portia gives Antonio a letter informing him that three of his ships have arrived safely in port.

PORTIA

Quick-witted, wealthy, and beautiful, Portia embodies the virtues that are typical of Shakespeare’s heroines—it is no surprise that she emerges as the antidote to Shylock’s malice. At the beginning of the play, however, we do not see Portia’s potential for initiative and resourcefulness, as she is a near prisoner, feeling herself absolutely bound to follow her father’s dying wishes. This opening appearance, however, proves to be a revealing introduction to Portia, who emerges as that rarest of combinations—a free spirit who abides rigidly by rules. Rather than ignoring the stipulations of her father’s will, she watches a stream of suitors pass her by, happy to see these particular suitors go, but sad that she has no choice in the matter. When Bassanio arrives, however, Portia proves herself to be highly resourceful, begging the man she loves to stay a while before picking a chest, and finding loopholes in the will’s provision that we never thought possible. Also, in her defeat of Shylock Portia prevails by applying a more rigid standard than Shylock himself, agreeing that his contract very much entitles him to his pound of flesh, but adding that it does not allow for any loss of blood. Anybody can break the rules, but Portia’s effectiveness comes from her ability to make the law work for her.

Portia rejects the stuffiness that rigid adherence to the law might otherwise suggest. In her courtroom appearance, she vigorously applies the law, but still flouts convention by appearing disguised as a man. After depriving Bassanio of his ring, she stops the prank before it goes to far, but still takes it far enough to berate Bassanio and Gratiano for their callousness, and she even insinuates that she has been unfaithful.....Portia is the romantic heroine of the play, and she must be presented on the stage with much beauty and intelligence. Of her beauty, we need no convincing. Bassanio's words are enough; thus we turn to her love for Bassanio. Already she has given him cause to think that it is possible that he can woo and win her, for on an earlier visit to Belmont, Bassanio did "receive fair speechless messages" from her eyes. And when Nerissa mentions the fact that Bassanio might possibly be a suitor, Portia tries to disguise her anxiety, but she fails. Nerissa understands her mistress. Portia is usually very self-controlled, but she reveals her anxiety concerning Bassanio a little later when he has arrived at her mansion and is about to choose one of the caskets. She has fallen in love with him, and her anxiety and confusion undo her. "Pause a day or two," she begs, for "in choosing wrong, / I lose your company." She thus makes sure that he knows that it is not hate that she feels for him.Bassanio's correct choice of the casket overwhelms Portia. She wishes she had more of everything to give Bassanio: "This house, these servants and this same myself / Are yours, my lord: I give them with this ring." She willingly shares all she owns with Bassanio. Once master of her emotions, she has fallen completely under the spell of love's madness. Love is a reciprocal giving and receiving, and so it is with perfect empathy that she sends her beloved away almost immediately to try and save his friend Antonio. They will be married, but their love will not be consummated until his friend is saved, if possible.Portia's second characteristic that is most readily apparent is her graciousness — that is, her tact and sympathy. Despite her real feelings about the Prince of Morocco, Portia answers him politely and reassuringly. Since the irony of her words is not apparent to him, his feelings are spared. She tells him that he is "as fair / As any comer I have look'd on yet / For my affection." She shows Morocco the honor his rank deserves. But once he is gone, she reveals that she did not like him. "A gentle riddance," she says; "Draw the curtains."

When the Prince of Arragon arrives, Portia carefully addresses him with all the deference due his position. She calls him "noble." But after he has failed and has left, she cries out, "O, these deliberate fools!" To her, both of these men are shallow and greedy and self-centered; yet to their faces, she is as ladylike as possible. Lorenzo appreciates this gentle generosity of spirit; when Portia has allowed her new husband to leave to try and help his best friend out of his difficulty, he says to her: "You have a noble and a true conceit / Of god-like amity." In the courtroom, Portia (in disguise) speaks to Shylock about mercy, but this is not merely an attempt to stall; she truly means what she says. It is an eloquent appeal she makes. Her request for mercy comes from her habitual goodness. She hopes, of course, to soften his heart, knowing the outcome if he refuses. But the words come from her heart, honestly and openly and naturally.

Finally, of course, what we most remember about Portia, after the play is over, is her wit and her playfulness. Even when Portia is complaining to Nerissa about the terms of her father's will, she does so wittily: "Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none?" And then she ticks off, like a computer, the eccentricities of the six suitors who have arrived at Belmont to try for her hand. They are either childish, humorless, volatile, ignorant, too fantastically dressed,weak, or have a drinking problem. She is clearly glad to be rid of them all when it is announced that they are departing. We recall too the humorous way that she imagines dressing like a man and aping the mannerisms of all of the men she has observed in her short life. She bets Nerissa that she can out-man any man when it comes to swaggering and playing the macho bit: "I have within my mind / A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks, / Which I will practise." Men are as transparent as stale beer to her; she revels in turning the tables and having a bit of fun even while she is on a daring mission to try and save Antonio's life. And even in the courtroom, when Bassanio extravagantly offers his life for Antonio's, Portia quips in an aside that "Your wife would give you little thanks for that, / If she were by, to hear you make the offer."

The entire ring plot is Portia's idea, and she and Nerissa relish the prospect of the jest at their husbands' expense. Bassanio swears over and over that he never gave his ring away to another woman (and he is more than a little embarrassed to admit that he gave it to another man), but with a fine sense of comedy, Portia plays the role of the "angry wife" just as well as she played the role of the "learned young lawyer" at Antonio's trial.

Only when Portia first falls in love with Bassanio does she lose all self-control; once she regains control of herself, she takes matters in hand until the very end of the play, and there she displays total command of the situation. "You are all amazed," she tells them, and then she shows them a letter from Padua, explaining everything, and she gaily invites them inside where she will continue to explain and entertain. She is a delightful creature, one of Shakespeare's most intelligent and captivating heroines. 

JESSICA

Portia is generally considered the de facto heroine of William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice, while the play’s second-most prominent female character, Shylock’s daughter Jessica, is largely ignored in feminist criticisms of Merchant of Venice. This might be due to Portia’s more evident adherence to the formula Shakespeare used in his comedies to create the class of characters we now view as modern feminist ideals: she is witty, confident, brave, and altruistic, and Jessica is none of those things. Portia is also part of the main plot, while Jessica’s marriage is a subplot that could be perceived as inconsequential, although in light of the turn of events immediately after, it has been argued that Jessica’s actions caused Shylock to have acted even more harshly than he otherwise would have.

Jessica is basically a modest girl even though she takes the initiative in eloping with Lorenzo. It is because she is feeling desperate that she decides to quit her father’s home; and she goes to the extent of arranging for a boy’s clothes so that she can disguise herself as a boy in order to join Lorenzo when the masked procession is passing through the street. At this time she tells Lorenzo that she is feeling very ashamed of her boy’s disguise, and that she is glad that he cannot see her in this disguise because of the darkness of the night. When Lorenzo asks her to carry a burning torch to light the way for the maskers, she says that she cannot “hold a candle to her shames”, meaning that she would not like to be seen by anyone in her boy’s disguise. Jessica is Shylock’s daughter and at the start of the play is living in his house. She is in love with a Christian, Lorenzo. Jessica is the daughter of the Jew, Shylock, but a daughter who is ashamed of having that man as her father. She finds the atmosphere of her father’s home to be suffocating and almost intolerable. She is a sensitive girl having an artistic temperament; and she is unable to endure the narrow-mindedness, the miserliness, and the tyrannical nature of her father. Although her father is a fanatical Jew who is intolerant of Christians, she falls in love with a Christian and runs away from home with a bag full of her father’s money and jewels. Her conduct in running away from home and stealing her father’s cash and jewels is certainly objectionable in the extreme. However, we feel inclined to take a lenient view of her conduct because we know that her father is really a close-fisted and suspicious man with a dictatorial nature and that he imposes all kinds of restrictions on his daughter’s movements. Jessica knows that her father will never give his consent for her to marry a Christian and so she plans to secretly escape one night in order to run away with Lorenzo, marry him and convert from Judaism to Christianity.

Jessica impresses the Christian Lorenzo as a very beautiful, wise, and faithful girl; and she strikes us as a charming girl with a strong sense of humour and a poetical nature. Lorenzo tells his friends that he would “place her in his constant soul”, meaning that he would always remain loyal to her. For his sake, she doesn't mind giving up her own religion and becoming a Christian.

The two characters come from vastly different backgrounds, and their characters cannot be divorced from their circumstances. While Portia manages to marry the man she loves, Jessica’s elopement can be considered a step taken in light of her father’s uncompromising nature, and the religious discord between the two communities. 

COMPARING OTHER FEMALE CHARACTERS

Portia is wealthy heiress from Belmont, and her beauty is matched only by her intelligence. Bound by a clause in her father’s will that forces her to marry whichever suitor chooses correctly among three caskets, Portia is nonetheless able to marry her true love, Bassanio. More importantly, she is the cleverest character in the play. It is Portia, in the disguise of a young law clerk, who saves Antonio from Shylock’s knife. Portia proves herself to be highly resourceful, and her effectiveness comes from her ability to make the law work for her. Portia rejects the stuffiness that rigid adherence to the law might otherwise suggest. In her courtroom appearance, she vigorously applies the law, but still flouts convention by appearing disguised as a man. Her intelligence is what turns the arc of the story and leads the climax to a happy conclusion. Apart from her mental agility, we also see she is extremely generous.

Shakespeare presents his most liberated female protagonist in Much Ado About Nothing. Beatrice is refreshingly forward. She is articulate and opinionated like Kate, intelligent, like Portia, and as selective when it comes to men as her predecessors, but there is a freedom of spirit about Beatrice that Kate and Portia lack. Additionally, Beatrice is not restricted by patriarchal influence. Uncle Leonato exhorts little, if no, control over a niece who declares she will not take a husband until “God make men of some other metal than earth” (II.i.55-56), for she has no intention of making “an account of her life to a clod of wayward marl” (II.i.57-58). Indeed, Beatrice exhibits such an emphatic disregard for rigid social conventions that it would appear almost as if Shakespeare found himself reluctant to have his female protagonist fall prey to any form of male superiority.

Shakespeare begins to mature when he creates Portia in the Merchant of Venice, and he shows a peak of maturity through Helena in his problem play, All’s Well That Ends Well. Despite the few years between these two plays and the development of characters during Shakespeare’s maturation period, he makes two very similar female characters. They understand love more than their lovers, and they see potential in the men they have chosen that no one else seems to notice. They exhibit similar character traits, but they use their qualities in different ways to achieve the same purpose. Both Portia and Helena display intelligence, love, and grace in choosing their husbands.

Nerissa 

Nerissa is Portia’s waiting woman and friend. They have a close relationship and Nerissa both teases and advises her boss. She also assists Portia in helping to get Antonio freed and goes with Portia to Venice, dressed as a lawyer’s clerk. Nerissa is Portia’s lady-in-waiting, verbal sparring partner, and friend. She is a merry wench.Fully supportive of her mistress in all, she has high hopes that Bassanio will return to Belmont. She agrees to marry Gratiano on condition that Bassanio succeed in the task of the caskets. When this is accomplished, she is quite happy to do so. At his request, she takes care of Jessica when the latter arrives at Belmont. She joins Portia in dressing up as men to save Antonio’s life, playing the part of a law clerk. Hearing Gratiano swear that he’d prefer her dead if that might save Antonio’s life, she is not best pleased, and in return convinces Gratiano to give her (as the law clerk) the ring that she gave him (as herself) which he had sworn never to remove. On his return to Belmont, she rants at him upon hearing it, and manages to twist him around her little finger, swearing that she’s slept with the clerk before doing so with her husband. Nerissa falls in love with Bassanio’s friend Gratiano, who asks for her hand in marriage after Bassanio ‘wins’ Portia. She lives in Belmont. She has been working for Portia since Portia’s father was alive. She has a close friendship with Portia.

IMPLICATION IN MODERN WORLD

This angle examines The Merchant of Venice from a social viewpoint. It explores the types of social control on the two daughters, Portia and Jessica, and studies the ways of their resistance. In the play,the male-dominated society controls the two daughters through the rules and traditions of the Venetian society, and the daughters resist theserules and traditions through writing, cross-dressing, sexuality, and elopement. Therefore, through analyzing the two female characters in this play, this paper provides a literary analysis on the ways and means by which the two daughters are controlled, and at the same time it presents the ways that empower the daughters' resistance.

Shakespeare serves two father-daughter pairings in the play. Portia’s relationship with her father, though not perfect, was probably the most healthy of the three, even though she presently resents her father’s method of securing her happiness. Portia’s father constructed his will to protect her from fortune hunters and to ensure that she married a man who would value everything Portia is and not merely her money and beauty; however, it is also possible to see in his actions a lack of faith in Portia’s good sense—he doesn’t trust her to make a wise choice on her own. Portia is obedient and loyal to her father even after his death, though, undeniably, she feels frustration and resentment, which she vents by insulting her suitors when they are out of earshot. Nevertheless, she honors her father’s wishes even when the quality of her suitors tempts her to use sabotage. When faced with “the young German, the duke of Saxony’s nephew” as a marital prospect, Portia asks Nerissa: “For fear of the worst, I pray thee set a deep glass of Rhenish wine on the contrary casket, for if the devil be within and that temptation without, I know he will choose it” (1.2.94–97). Fortunately, Portia is not put to the test, since this troublesome suitor leaves without venturing a guess at the caskets, and whenever Portia considers rebellion (as she does when she says, “And the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall make shift to go without him” [1.2.88–90] and “I will do anything, Nerissa, ere I will be married to a sponge” [1.2.97–98]), Nerissa is there to remind her of her duty: “If he should offer to choose, and choose the right casket, you should refuse to perform your father’s will if you should refuse to accept him” (1.2.91–93). Portia is later strongly tempted to cast a few hints in Bassanio’s direction about the correct casket, but she refuses to dishonor herself and disobey her father even though she risks losing the only suitor she can stand. Verbalizing her faith in her father’s wisdom, she tells Bassanio, “If you do love me, you will find me out” (3.2.41).

Jessica, in contrast, is the least loyal of the children in the play, meeting secretly with Lorenzo and allowing him to court her, lying to her father, abandoning him, and stealing from him; she’s hardly the docile, obedient daughter that Shylock takes her for. Although she feels some pangs of guilt (“Alack, what heinous sin is it in me / To be ashamed to be my father’s child! / But though I am a daughter to his blood, / I am not to his manners” [2.3.16–19]), Jessica rejects her father, his way of life, and his religion—though not, interestingly, his wealth, a great deal of which she takes along with her.

The Internet has brought about the chances to be precocious. Most daughters are seen as rebellious today. Fathers are worried about their daughters’ security, education and above all, settlement with a good moral husband. As usual, like the father of Portia, today’s fathers also plan proper mentorship to imbibe value and loyalty in their daughters. Most of them turn Jessica while a few intelligent scholastic daughters give in to the erudition and obey father’s choice.

DISCLAIMER: Images have been taken from Google sites