Merchant of Venice Key Quotations
ACT 3 SCENE 1 – THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
Prejudice – lack of tolerance
(Guarantor)
Contempt – hate / contemptuous = hateful /despicable
Villainised Shylock
Shrewd businessman/moneylender – cruel/ruthless
Theme of loyalty predominates the scene
Feel a sense of sympathy for Shylock due to treatment received
Denigrate – to make someone feel inferior
Vindictive – Revengeful
Camouflage – hide
Shylock is cunning and wise – will be able to trick them
Sly Shylock is very wise in the way he tricks Antonio
‘A merry sport’ – Dramatic irony – that isn’t a happy transaction
Unrealistic request for a clause
Shylock is deceitful/ full of treachery/trickery
Antonio is complacent (over confident) does not realise he is being tricked – Similarity with Mercutio
Venice – setting – similarity with R&J – Italy + Public place
Reporting news that Antonio’s ship wrecked – Imagine his loss
Gossip – Rumours will predominate this scene
‘My gossip – an honest woman’
Shakespeare makes this scene more interesting through the use of personification of gossip to emphasise that tragedy that Antonio is about to face. It builds tension as it forebodes the clause that has been drawn.
‘Good Antonio’ – Depicts his character as a gentleman further emphasised by the word ‘honest’
Between the two plays –look at the similarities in timing – Mercutio stepping in for Romeo
Solanio and Salerio – loyal to Antonio
Likeness of a jew – racial prejudice – a derogatory remark – reminds of the insult by Tybalt and Mercutio
Shylock’s entrance resembles the tension that Tybalt brings in R&J
The punctuation ‘-, ? - tone of hostility (unfriendliness)
There is a divide between Christians and Jews
Pun ‘None so well, none so well as you’ – subtly taunting the men
Salerio – quite arrogant – openly acknowledges that he has held the couple elope through the metaphor ‘The tailor that made the wings’
Solanio – further adding salt to injury – their lack of sensitivity towards Shylock
Prejudice – lack of tolerance
(Guarantor)
Contempt – hate / contemptuous = hateful /despicable
Villainised Shylock
Shrewd businessman/moneylender – cruel/ruthless
Theme of loyalty predominates the scene
Feel a sense of sympathy for Shylock due to treatment received
Denigrate – to make someone feel inferior
Vindictive – Revengeful
Camouflage – hide
Shylock is cunning and wise – will be able to trick them
Sly Shylock is very wise in the way he tricks Antonio
‘A merry sport’ – Dramatic irony – that isn’t a happy transaction
Unrealistic request for a clause
Shylock is deceitful/ full of treachery/trickery
Antonio is complacent (over confident) does not realise he is being tricked – Similarity with Mercutio
Venice – setting – similarity with R&J – Italy + Public place
Reporting news that Antonio’s ship wrecked – Imagine his loss
Gossip – Rumours will predominate this scene
‘My gossip – an honest woman’
Shakespeare makes this scene more interesting through the use of personification of gossip to emphasise that tragedy that Antonio is about to face. It builds tension as it forebodes the clause that has been drawn.
‘Good Antonio’ – Depicts his character as a gentleman further emphasised by the word ‘honest’
Between the two plays –look at the similarities in timing – Mercutio stepping in for Romeo
Solanio and Salerio – loyal to Antonio
Likeness of a jew – racial prejudice – a derogatory remark – reminds of the insult by Tybalt and Mercutio
Shylock’s entrance resembles the tension that Tybalt brings in R&J
The punctuation ‘-, ? - tone of hostility (unfriendliness)
There is a divide between Christians and Jews
Pun ‘None so well, none so well as you’ – subtly taunting the men
Salerio – quite arrogant – openly acknowledges that he has held the couple elope through the metaphor ‘The tailor that made the wings’
Solanio – further adding salt to injury – their lack of sensitivity towards Shylock