TEST WEDNESDAY, PAPER THURSDAY

Review for Merchant of Venice

Characters:

Tubal
Shylock
Antonio
Bassanio
Portia
Nerissa
Lorenzo
Jessica
Lancelet Gobbo
Old Gobbo
Gratiano
Salarino
Morocco

How like a fawning publican he looks!
I hate him for he is a Christian;
But more for that in low simplicity
He lends out money gratis, and brings down
The rate of usance here with us in Venice.
Act I Sc. 3

If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
Act 3

The quality of mercy is not strained,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway,
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's,
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.
4.1

Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that:
You take my house when you do take the prop
That doth sustain my house; you take my life
When you do take the means whereby I live.
4.1

The moon shines bright: in such a night as this,
When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees
And they did make no noise, in such a night
Troilus methinks mounted the Troyan walls
And sighed his soul toward the Grecian tents,
Where Cressid lay that night.
5.1

I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano,-
A stage, where every man must play a part;
And mine a sad one.
1.1

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose!
An evil soul producing holy witness
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!
1.3

1.3.116-139

3.5.1-19

Themes
Friendship requires sacrifice.
Appearances are deceiving.
Revenge ultimately destroys its perpetrator.
Jews suffer bigotry and other forms of mistreatment because of the homogeneity of Britain.
Women can be just as competent as men; sometimes more.
Don't count your ships until they're in port.
Great wealth and privilege breed apathy and disquietude.

IMAGERY (NOT THE ONLY TWO)
The weakest kind of fruit
Drops earliest to the ground. (4. 1. 120-121)

I never knew so young a body with so old a head. (4. 1. 157)