The+Merchant+of+Venice+-+Study+Booklet

Study Booklet - What did we all think?
These are our combined discussion notes from class. The headings used are those in the book...and are not necessarily in the order they appear in the booklet.

You will need to have your booklet with you when you use these notes and as stated in class, if you were not 'part' of the discussion, these notes may be difficult for you to use.

//__Addressing Shylock – __// That man should be merciful That mercy is more powerful than justice Mercy can’t be forced…needs to be given without constraint and thought.

//__ Justice vs Mercy - __//

** Is Justice fair in the play? ** No. Loop holes can be found. Justice can be manipulated to suit one. Not fair without mercy? ** Justice – ** used as a weapon. Supposed to be used to punish. Strict, firm, condemning, harsh. Justice is one sided. ** Mercy – ** Benefits the merciful. Is compassionate.

** What is the difference between the two? ** Justice is selfish BUT mercy is selfless. Justice is blind…caters to all. Anyone can use the law to claim justice. Use it to suit themselves.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">** What is Portia saying about Mercy in this speech? ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Mercy is above justice. Can’t be given. Yet justice can be given and taken. It’s easy to ask for mercy but harder <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">to give it. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">You are the better person if you can find it in you to give mercy. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">“though justice be thy plea consider this that in the course of justice none of us should see salvation” Act4 Sc1 <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">“but mercy is above the sceptre sway”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt;">What do we learn about Portia from this speech? **
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">She is cunning and intelligent. In the beginning of the play we thought she was rather a less clever, less sensible person.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Shows her true love for Bassanio. This is the first time she has been involved in the Antonio/Shylock plot. She is only
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">involved due to her involvement with Bassanio.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Shows she has logic and that she can be serious when she needs to.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Manipulative.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">It’s a little perplexing to think about the cruel, unsympathetic Portia in the early acts of the play and then see her as the ‘heroine’ in the court scene. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Portia delivers the final blow in the courtroom. This is important because she blindsides not only Shylock but everyone else. If anyone else delivered this blow it would lead us to believe that Shylock had merely underestimated his opponents. It is more important that we see him as a worthy antagonist and so it needs to be someone who has not been involved with him till now.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Portia’s final thought and moment of brilliance when she asks to see the bond is the out she has been looking for. She decides to stand on the letter of the law as Shylock has and thus the no bloodletting aspect of the bond arises. This creates more tension in the courtroom scene. She is slowly and coldly leading Shylock into a trap and he, nor the audience, have any idea about it.

__<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The three caskets – __

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The caskets are all about a lottery. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· Each one has different meaning. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· Each represented something in you if you chose it. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· Gold – appeals to the greedy <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· Silver – appeals to arrogant(?) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· Lead – subtle, humble. More about the hidden beauty that love is. Sacrifice

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Arragon didn’t want to choose the gold casket because he thinks he deserves a lot but doesn’t want to be common and do what he thinks most will do. He’s trying to be a little too clever.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Morroco – judged on appearance and without thought. Took where he thought he ‘stands’. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Bassanio – Looks past appearances. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Lead – ‘who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath” <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Marriage = a big risk that requires a lot of sacrifice.

__<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">A pound of flesh – __

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">When does it first come up? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Act1 Sc3 Line17. Bassanio wants to secure a loan using Antonio’s good name. Shylock agrees with a pound of flesh as bond. Shylock says without interest. He’s pulling the strings. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">At this point, Shylock is using the pound of flesh as part of a game. He does believe that he will get the money from Antonio.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Revenge, pain. Anger. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Pretty grotesque so shows the evil side of Shylock and the lack of mercy.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Decides at a point that he will have his flesh. All at the same time he found out that Antonio had forfeited and Jessica had left. This is when he decides to seek his revenge and the pound of flesh comes to symbolise this.

__<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Leah’s Ring - __

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Act 3 Sc 1 Line 14

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The ring that belonged to Jessica’s mother and was given to Shylock. Jessica took it along with Shylocks money. It is said that she used it to buy a monkey.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Symbolise – family, loyalty. Something human in him.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Shylock states that he wouldn’t sell his ring for anything yet we later see Bassanio give his ring away. This parallels human qualities. At this point we are led to believe there is more humility in Shylock, albeit for a brief moment.

__<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The other rings - __

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Once again, love, faithfulness, marriage, commitment. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Shows where his heart lies – Bassanio rushes when he gives it away and that his commitment to Antonio is stronger than to Portia.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Rings are supposed to be binding. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Symbolise the power that the women in the play now herald over the men. The games Nerissa and Portia play with Bassanio and Gratiano at the end are evidence of this.

__ SO SHYLOCK - SHYLOCKS SPEECH IN COURT ROOM __
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Shylock has two sides –

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The Villain <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· He is seeking revenge. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· He is driven by hatred. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· He sees justice in destroying the life of others <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· He is bitter about all of those things below. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· He holds grudges, bottles every wrong up. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· The revenge he seeks is more than the wrong done to him.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Duke of Venice calls him in the court room “an inhuman wretch, uncapable of pity”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The Victim <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· Stuck in a country where he is a tragic outsider. He is spat at, hated. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· People don’t respect his religion <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· Jessica, his daughter leaves him <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· Everything is taken from him in the end. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· He is stripped of his identity, his wealth, his religion. He is nothing. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· He is forced to convert to Christianity. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· He is stolen from.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">Shakespeare wanted us to sympathise with Shylock and times and loathe him the next.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">//__ The speech – __// <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">The duke asks again, will he show mercy. Shylocks answer = NO. I want my pound of flesh and I’ll not justify my reasons to you.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt; tab-stops: 301.15pt;">** Shylocks motivations, what does it tells us about them? ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">He is obsessed with revenge. No is not motivated by justice. It is a desire to destroy another human BECAUSE of what he <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">represents. Antonio embodies all that Shylock hates.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">** What do we learn about money? ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">It is useless to him now. It will not satisfy his hunger for revenge. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">IRONY here – Money has governed Shylocks being till now, but money is now no longer important to him.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">The Merchant of Venice <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">Year 13 - Level 3 'Peeps