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)

Answer #1, 4, 6 (1 paragraph)

ACT V First 150 lines....

Finish 4.1 for Wednesday

Act I assignments

Bassanio

Barrus, Sarah
Biggs, Garrett
Boyce, Veronica
Jain, Shrreya
Smith, Talliya
Wainwright, Gabrielle
Witzke, Claire

Shylock

Paz, Jennifer
Scheel, Benjamin
Sutter, Nancy
Vorsatz, Victoria
Rafie, Ali
Rodden, David
Smale, James
Beers, Allison

Antonio

Brenneman, Abigail
Carp, Samuel
Hochberg, Jack
Nolan, Claire
Amos-Grosser, Gabz
Longbottom, Haley
Mapa, Angelina
Peri, Apoorva

PREPARE YOUR CHARACTER FOR ACT 1, SCENE 1

Using the assignments below, prepare your character for class. You don't need to memorize the passages, but you do need to know what your character is feeling and who their friends are.

ANTONIO
Barrus, Sarah
Biggs, Garrett
SALARINO
Boyce, Veronica
Brenneman, Abigail
SOLANIO
Carp, Samuel
Hochberg, Jack
BASSANIO
Jain, Shrreya
Nolan, Claire
LORENZO
Paz, Jennifer
Scheel, Benjamin
GRATIANO
Sutter, Nancy
Vorsatz, Victoria

QUESTIONS FOR MERCHANT OF VENICE-DUE TUESDAY

1. What was your favorite scene in the movie? What do you think it meant?

2. Who is your favorite character and why?

3. Do you think Venice is a Christian state or a business state? Explain.

4. Explain your opinion of Jessica? What role does she take in the Shylock's emotional spiral?

5. What is more important to Shylock? His money or his daughter?

6. Do you think Bassanio and Antonio are in love? What makes you think so?

7. Portia is a very complex character. How does she change from beginning to end?