ACT 3 Scene 1

Extract I
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

Salanio

I would she were as lying a gossip in that as ever knapped

ginger or made her neighbours believe she wept for the
death of a third husband. But it is true, without any slips
of prolixity or crossing the plain highway of talk, that the
good Antonio, the honest Antonio,-0, that I had a title
good enough to keep his name company!-

Salarino.

Come, the full stop.

Salanio

Ha, what sayest thou? Why, the end is, he hath lost a ship.

1. Where does this scene take place? Whom does 'she' refer to in the first line
of the extract? What is said about her in the extract?

Ans: The scene takes place in a street in Venice. In the first line ‘she’ refers to the rumour or
report which is personified as a tatling old woman. When Salarino talks about Antonio’s ship,
Salanio only wishes that Rumour may prove to be a big liar in this case as any old woman,
who ever gossiped with her neighbours over her ginger bread cakes and made her neighbours
believe that she mourned sincerely for the death of her third husband.’

2. What was said earlier about the place where a ship of Antonio was
wrecked? Where did the news about the ship-wreckage spread?

Ans: Earlier, it was told that Antonio’s ship was wrecked in the waters of the English
channel at a spot known as Goodwin Sands, a most perilous sand bank. The news about the
ship-wreckage spread at the Rialto or the Exchange where merchants met for business
transactions.

3. Give the meaning of: "without any slips of prolixity or crossing the plain
highway of talk,"

Ans: The given words mean: ‘without speaking much or beating about the bush’. That is
without being guilty of any lengthy, irrelevant or tedious speech or going outside plain direct
speech.

4. How does Shylock react to the loss of Antonio's ship?

Ans: Shylock was pleased to hear about the loss of Antonio’s ship. He called him a
spendthrift and a beggar, who used to come smiling, so self-satisfied to the market.

5. What feelings for Antonio are expressed by Salarino and Salanio in this
scene? Who enters the scene at this time? What does Salanio say about his
daughter?

Ans: In the given extract, Salarino and Salanio express their feelings of concern and
sympathy for Antonio. Salanio calls him ‘good Antonio’, honest Antonio and wants a better
adjective to describe ‘him’. Salanio conveys the news that Antonio has lost a ship. Salarino
hopes that this
may be the end of his losses. Shylock enters the scene at this time. Salarino says that he is
aware of the fact that his daughter, Jessica has eloped. He then tells Shylock that there is a
difference between him and his daughter as is between black and white. Further, there is a
difference between his blood and hers like there is between ordinary red wine and the
expensive white German wine.

Extract II
Shylock
You knew none so well, none so well as you, of my
daughter's flight.

Salarino
That's certain: I, for my part, knew the tailor that made
the wings she flew withal.

Salanio
And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was fledged;
and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam.

Shylock
She is damned for it.

Salarino
That's certain, if the devil may be her judge.

1. Whose flight is being talkes about? Where has the person flown? With
whom has the person flown?

Ans: The flight of Jessica is being talked about. She has flown to Belmont. Jessica has flown
with Lorenzo.

2. What bad news, besides the flight of the bird, is given just before the arrival
of Shylock?

Ans: Just before the arrival of Shylock, the news about Antonio’s ship-wreck in the English
Channel at a spot called Goodwin Sands is given
3. Give the meaning of:

the bird was fledged;

and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam.

Ans: The given words mean that it is the nature of a fully feathered young
bird to leave the nest when it is old enough. He means to say that
Jessica was old enough to run away with her lover, Lorenzo.

4. What steps has Shylock taken to get the flown bird?

Ans: Shylock took all possible steps to get back his eloped daughter. He asked the Duke for
justice and even persuaded him to check the ship in which Bassanio left for Belmont. Later it
was said that someone saw Lorenzo and Jessica in a gondola. Shylock engaged his friend
Tubal for finding and bringing back Jessica to him

5. How does Salarino comapreafter the extract the character of the flown bird
with that of Shylock?

Ans: After the extract, Salarino compares the character of Jessica and Shylock. He says that
Jessica is a complete contrast to Shylock as
black is to white or as ordinary red wine is to expensive white Rhenish wine.

Extract III
Shylock
There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the
Rialto; a beggar, that was used to come so smug upon the mart; let him look to his bond: he
was wont to call me usurer; Let him look to his bond: he was wont to lend money for a
Christian courtesy; let him look to his bond.

Salarino
Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh: what's that good for?

1. What is meant by a 'bankrupt' as well as a prodigal? Why has the man

gone bankrupt? Why is he called a prodigal?

Ans: A ‘bankrupt’ means a person who has not enough money to pay off his just debts.
‘Prodigal’ means a spendthrift who spends money recklessly. The man has gone bankrupt
because his ship has been wrecked in the English Channel with its rich cargo. He is a
spendthrift who has mismanaged his affairs and has gone bankrupt. That is why he is called a
prodigal by Shylock.

2. What is known as Rialto? Why was the man said to go 'so smug upon the
mart?
Ans: The Venetian Stock Exchange where the merchants used to meet to transact business
deals, was known as the Rialto. The man used
to go to Rialto smiling and so self-satisfied because he was sure of his financial position as he
owned a number of ships carrying merchandise to the four corners of the world. Shylock says
these words to compare Antonio’s financial position in the past with his present bankrupt
condition.

3. Give some incidents to show that the man referred to in the extract used
to insult Shylock.

Ans: The man referred to in the extract, i.e., Antonio, used to insult Shylock. He used to
disgrace him, laugh at his losses, mock at his gains, despise his race and interfere in his
business deals simply because he was a Jew.

4. How did the 'bankrupt' cause loss to Shylock in Venice?

Ans: The bankrupt caused loss to Shylock in Venice by lending money without interest and
thus, affecting Shylock’s business of lending money at exhorbitant rate of interest.

5. How is the bankrupt likely to go into a loss? How will such a loss affect
Shylock as far as his revenge and financial position is concerned?

Ans: The bankrupt is likely to go into a loss as his ship has been wrecked with its rich cargo.
Besides, he is to pay three thousand ducats he
had borrowed from Shylock for Bassanio. Such a loss will favour Shylock to pursue his plan
of revenge against Antonio..

Extract IV
Shylock

...why thou loss upon loss! the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief; and no
satisfaction, no revenge: nor no ill luck stirring but what lights on my shoulders; no sighs but
of my breathing; no tears but of my shedding.

Tubal
Yes, other men have ill luck too: Antonio, as I heard in
Genoa-

1. Who is the thief referred to in the extract? What had the thief stolen? What
loss has Shylock suffered due to the theft?

Ans: The thief referred to in the extract is Shylock’s daughter, Jessica. The thief had stolen
his money, gold and gems, including a diamond costing two thousand ducats. After the theft,
Shylock has to spend money to locate Jessica. So he has suffered loss upon loss due to the
theft.

2. Who is Tubal? Why did he go to Genoa?

Ans: Tubal is another Jew, a friend of Shylock. He went to Genoa to
search for Jessica, who has eloped with Lorenzo

3. What news did Tubal bring from Genoa about the thief?

Ans: Tubal brought the news that he went to the places in Genoa where he heard some news
about Jessica but could not find her.

4. The extract refers to 'satisfaction' and 'revenge'. In what context are these
expressions used by Shylock?

Ans: Shylock uses the expressions ‘satisfaction’ and ‘revenge’ in the context of his efforts
to retrieve his lost money and eloped daughter. His daughter, Jessica had stolen money,
precious stones, and many other jewels. His efforts to locate her and retrieve them have not
succeeded. So, he has neither the satisfaction of getting back his lost daughter and money nor
taking revenge on the Christians, who caused her elopement.

5. State what ill-luck befell Antonio. Why was Shylock happy over the news?

Ans: One of Antonio’s large ships has been wrecked on the way back from Tripolis. This
was the ill-luck that befell Antonio. Shylock was happy over the news as his chances of
taking revenge on Antonio became brighter.

Extract V
Shylock
Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my turquoise; I had it of Leah when I was a
bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.

Tubal
But Antonio is certainly undone.

Shylock
Nay, that's true, that's very true. Go, Tubal, fee me an officer; bespeak him a fortnight before.
I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for, were he out of Venice, I can make what
merchandise I will. Go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue; go, good Tubal; at our
synagogue, Tubal.

1. Why does Tubal say that Antonio is undone? What makes him say with
certainty that Antonio is undone? Who is Leah? Why is she referred to in the
extract?

Ans: Tubal says that Antonio is undone because he has heard from some of the sailors he
met in Genoa that one of Antonio’s large ships has
been wrecked on the way back from Tripolis. Leah was Shylock’s wife. In the context of the
theft, Shylock makes a reference to his bachelor days. His wife Leah gave a turquoise ring to
him before their marriage. His daughter Jessica stole that ring before eloping and exchanged
it for a monkey.
2. In what mood is Shylock in this scene? How is Tubal said to be torturing
him?

Ans: In this scene, Shylock is in a mood of grief. He feels as if he is the only one in the
world suffering from ill luck. Tubal is said to be torturing Shylock by giving alternate
accounts of Antonio’s losses and Jessica’s extravagances. He alternately makes Shylock
elated and depressed for apparently no reason. He elates him by the news of wreckage of
Antonio’s ship on its way back from Tripolis, while he depresses him by saying that he could
not find Jessica and that she had spent eighty ducats on one evening and exchanged a ring
with a merchant for a monkey.

3. What is Shylock's reaction on hearing about Antonio's misfortune? How is

he going to punish Antonio? What would he gain by his revengeful action?

Ans: Antonio’s misfortune makes Shylock elated because he will be able to take his
revenge on Antonio. He will punish Antonio by exacting a pound of flesh from any part of
his body. By his revengeful action, he would avenge his hatred for Antonio and the
Christians. Further, if Antonio is removed from Venice he can make profits as he likes.

4. What is a synagogue? What can you conclude from Shylock's journey

towards the synagogue?

Ans: A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. Shylock’s journey to the synagogue gives us
the clue that he will take revenge on Antonio.
Shylock believes in the old Mosaic law, which prescribed an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a
tooth. So, Shylock feels he is justified in taking revenge against an enemy of his religion and
race.

5. In what way, by the end of the scene, does Shylock convince the audience
that his attack on Antonio is without any mercy? Which character trait of
Shylock is shown in this scene?

Ans: Shylock’s passion for revenge and his complete justification of it is given in this scene.
He explains the insults he has suffered unjustly and his right to take revenge. He believes that
he is doing as his enemies would do. The fierceness of his thirst for revenge is expressed in
his final threat ‘I will have the heart of him’. In this
scene, Shylock appears as a blood-thirsty, vindictive and self-centred man. He is more
worried about the loss of his money than the loss
of his daughter. He is determined to take a pound of Antonio’s flesh to take his revenge on
him. But when he expresses his deep anguish at his daughter’s act of exchanging his dead
wife’s ring in exchange for a monkey, he appears as an affectionate husband and as a
tormented alien.