KNOWLEDGE: 1 point each [3pts] 2.

List the characters and describe them Name of Main Characters Shylock Description A Jewish moneylender in Venice. Angered by his mistreatment at the hands of Venice s Christians, particularly Antonio, Shylock schemes to eke out his revenge by ruthlessly demanding as payment a pound of Antonio s flesh. A wealthy heiress from Belmont. Portia s beauty is matched only by her intelligence. Bound by a clause in her father s will that forces her to marry whichever suitor chooses correctly among three caskets, Portia is nonetheless able to marry her true love, Bassanio. The merchant whose love for his friend Bassanio prompts him to sign Shylock s contract and almost lose his life A gentleman of Venice. Bassanio s love for the wealthy Portia leads him to borrow money from Shylock with Antonio as his guarantor. An ineffectual businessman, Bassanio proves himself a worthy suitor, correctly identifying the casket that contains Portia s portrait. A friend of Bassanio s who accompanies him to Belmont. While Bassanio courts Portia, Gratiano falls in love with and eventually weds Portia s lady-in-waiting, Nerissa. Although she is Shylock s daughter, Jessica hates life in her father s house, and elopes with the young Christian gentleman, Lorenzo.

Portia

Antonio

Bassanio

Gratiano

Jessica

Lorenzo

A friend of Bassanio and Antonio, Lorenzo is in love with Shylock s daughter, Jessica. He schemes to help Jessica escape from her father s house, and he eventually elopes with her to Belmont.

Nerissa - Portia s lady-in-waiting and confidante. She marries Gratiano and escorts Portia on Portia s trip to Venice by disguising herself as her law clerk. Launcelot Gobbo - Bassanio s servant. A comical, clownish figure who is especially adept at making puns, Launcelot leaves Shylock s service in order to work for Bassanio. The prince of Morocco - A Moorish prince who seeks Portia s hand in marriage. Certain that the caskets reflect Portia s beauty and stature, the prince of Morocco picks the gold chest, which proves to be incorrect. The prince of Arragon - An arrogant Spanish nobleman who also attempts to win Portia s hand by picking a casket. He picks the silver casket, which gives him a message calling him an idiot instead of Portia s hand. Salarino - A Venetian gentleman, and friend to Antonio, Bassanio, and Lorenzo. Solanio - A Venetian gentleman, and frequent counterpart to Salarino. The duke of Venice - The ruler of Venice, who presides over Antonio s trial. Although a powerful man, the duke s state is built on respect for the law, and he is unable to help Antonio. Old Gobbo - Launcelot s father, also a servant in Venice. Tubal - A Jew in Venice, and one of Shylock s friends. Doctor Bellario - A wealthy Paduan lawyer and Portia s cousin. Doctor Bellario never appears in the play, but he gives Portia s servant the letters of introduction needed for her to make her appearance in court. Balthasar - Portia s servant, whom she dispatches to get the appropriate materials from Doctor Bellario. 3. List five new words you learned in the book. Write down their dictionary pronunciation and meaning. Gild |g ld|- (verb) To cover with or as if with a thin layer of gold Misconstrue |misk
n
stro | - (verb) interpret (something, esp. a person's words or actions) wrongly Importunate |im
pr ch
nit| - (adjective) persistent, esp. to the point of annoyance or intrusion Contrive |k
n
tr v| - (verb) create or bring about (an object or a situation) by deliberate use of skill and artifice stratagem |
strat
j
m| - (noun) a plan or scheme, esp. one used to outwit an opponent or achieve an end 7. Where did the story take place? The book takes place in Venice, Italy, and Belmont, the site of Portia s estate. Shakespeare does not identify the precise location of Belmont, but the stage

directions refer to it as being on the Continent (Europe). Presumably, Belmont is not far from Venice. Venice (Venezia) is in northeastern Italy on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. In late medieval and early Renaissance times, Venice was one of Europe s greatest centers of commerce. COMPREHENSION: 2 points each [6pts] 13. What kind of book is this? List three evidences of this . It is a fictional playwright. There are scenes and acts to decide what the how the actors are going to be acting the story. Furthermore, there are also notes on which characters would enter at which time to show that it would be a play. Also, this story is not real and thus its fictional. 17. Tell in your own words the beginning of the book Antonio, a Venetian merchant, complains to his friends, Salarino and Solanio, that a sadness has overtaken him and dulled his faculties, although he is at a loss to explain why. Salarino and Solanio suggest that his sadness must be due to his commercial investments, for Antonio has dispatched several trade ships to various ports. Salarino says it is impossible for Antonio not to feel sad at the thought of the perilous ocean sinking his entire investment, but Antonio assures his friends that his business ventures do not depend on the safe passage of any one ship. Solanio then declares that Antonio must be in love, but Antonio dismisses the suggestion.

The three men encounter Bassanio, Antonio s kinsman, walking with two friends named Lorenzo and Gratiano. Salarino and Solanio bid Antonio farewell and depart. When Gratiano notices Antonio s unhappiness and suggests that the merchant worries too much about business, Antonio responds that he is but a player on a stage, destined to play a sad part. Gratiano warns Antonio against becoming the type of man who affects a solemn demeanor in order to gain a wise reputation, then he takes his leave with Lorenzo. Bassanio jokes that Gratiano has terribly little to say, claiming that his friend s wise remarks prove as elusive as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff . Antonio asks Bassanio to tell him about the clandestine love that Bassanio is harboring. In reply, Bassanio admits that although he already owes Antonio a substantial sum of money from his earlier, more extravagant days, he has fallen in love with Portia, a rich heiress from Belmont, and hopes to win her heart by holding his own with her other wealthy and powerful suitors. In order to woo Portia, however, Bassanio says he needs to borrow more money from Antonio. Antonio replies that he cannot give Bassanio another loan, as all his money is tied up in his present business ventures, but offers to guarantee any loan Bassanio can round up.

20. What did the title have to do with the book? Antonio is the title character in Shakespeare s The Merchant of Venice, he is the merchant that the story is talking about. Furthermore, there are two merchants

in the play, which immediately creates "confusion" or ambiguity. There is Antonio, a merchant and friend of a man named Bassanio, and Shylock, a Jewish merchant. Antonio is also hated by Shylock, constant scolding of him as a Jew. In the story, he is bound by a bond that forces him to give up a pound of flesh should he not be able to return three thousand ducats to Shylock. Either Antonio or Shylock might be the title character of the play, so from the start we don t get a real sense of who the main character is. This provides questions such as: Do we know is that ambiguity will be a central point of this play. Who does Shakespeare side with? Does he take a side? Who is his protagonist? This questions the feelings we should have for Shylock. Although he is wicked hearted and cruel, it is due to him being hated for being a Jew and being discriminated by Christians. APPLICATION: 3 points each [9 pts] 24. Did this book give you any new ideas about yourself? Why? Yes. I realised that I should be more merciful and forgiving to the people around me. This story shows that hating people and bottling up your emotions is bad. This causes Shylock to be angry enough to think of taking a pound of flesh from his enemy Antonio, which would kill him. We should not follow his bad example and be able to forgive others and be merciful to them. On the other hand, we also should not treat others badly, knowing that they would always forgive you. In the story, Antonio accepts that he keeps scolding and mocking Shylock for being a Jew, discriminating him. This makes him hated by Shylock. 27. What lesson did you learn from the story? I have learnt the importance of mercy and the divine quality of it. The conflict between Shylock and the Christian characters comes to a head over the issue of mercy. The other characters acknowledge that the law is on Shylock s side, but they all expect him to show mercy, which he refuses to do. When, during the trial, Shylock asks Portia what could possibly compel him to be merciful, Portia s long reply, beginning with the words, The quality of mercy is not strained, clarifies what is at stake in the argument. Human beings should be merciful because God is merciful: mercy is an attribute of God himself and therefore greater than power, majesty, or law. I now understand the power of mercy and why we should always practice it. 32. What changes would have to be made if the book occurred 200 years ago? The story happened when Venice was focusing on trade and exports for its economy which meant that there would be merchants such as Antonio. Therefore, his gold and money would be on other ships, explaining why he was worried about losing his property. However, 200 years from now, Venice became a major agricultural and industrial exporter. Thus, there would be less focus on merchanting and trading and this would affect the whole storyline. Antonio might have another job and not have to agree to bond with Shylock.

ANALYSIS: 4 points each

[12pts]

35. Pick one of the main characters. Think of a shape that fits that person's traits. Draw the shape. Then describe the character inside the shape. Afterwards complete a paragraph explaining in detail the reason for your choice.

This diamond represents Shylock, one of the main characters hearts. The sharp edges show how his heart is very sharp also as he keeps thinking of getting revenge with those who have ridiculed him. This hatred of other Christians makes him vindictive and even attempts to take a pound of flesh from Antonio showing his cruel and vengeful nature. Also, diamonds are hard and this also represents Shylock s heart for being hard and cold, not even showing mercy to Antonio even after others expect him to show it. 39. Find one word that describes a character in your book very well. Give five reasons for your choice of words. I choose the word vindictive. Shylock shows a strong desire for revenge to Antonio for treating him like a dog due to him being a Jew. His desire for revenge goes to the extent of wanting to kill him under the bond that they make. Should Antonio fail to return three thousand ducats to Shylock, he would be able to take a pound of flesh from him. Even asked to show mercy, he stills to carry on and kill Antonio. Shylock argues that Jews are humans and calls his quest for vengeance the product of lessons taught to him by the cruelty of Venetian citizens. 40. In a good paragraph, state the main idea of the book. A main idea of the book is hatred as a cyclical phenomenon. Throughout the play, Shylock claims that he is simply applying the lessons taught to him by his Christian neighbors; this claim becomes an integral part of both his character and his argument in court. In Shylock s very first appearance, as he conspires to harm Antonio, his entire plan seems to be born of the insults and injuries

Antonio has inflicted upon him in the past. As the play continues, and Shylock unveils more of his reasoning, the same idea rears its head over and over he is simply applying what years of abuse have taught him. Responding to Salarino s query of what good the pound of flesh will do him, Shylock responds, The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction (III.i.60 61). Not all of Shylock s actions can be blamed on poor teachings, and one could argue that Antonio understands his own culpability in his near execution. With the trial s conclusion, Antonio demands that Shylock convert to Christianity, but inflicts no other punishment, despite the threats of fellow Christians like Gratiano. Antonio does not, as he has in the past, kick or spit on Shylock. Antonio, as well as the duke, effectively ends the conflict by starving it of the injustices it needs to continue.

SYNTHESIS: 5 points each [15pts] 43. What part would you change in the story, and why? I would change the part where Gratiano and Nerissa confess their love for each other and decide to marry. I feel there is too little lines allocated to that part and too boring. The part could be changed where they are alone together and each notice how much they love each other and say it. Then, they decide to marry. 55. The climax of any book or story is the exciting or interesting part. Tell what you think is the climax of the book and why. I think the climax is Act IV, scene i, lines 1 396. This is the scene where Antonio is trial for him failing the bond, which results in him losing a pound of flesh. The trial scene is the longest in the play and stands as one of the most dramatic scenes in all of Shakespeare. During the trial, the Duke stands on the side of the law and can not prevent Shylock from taking what he should get which is a pound Antonio s flesh. Even though Shylock is legally allowed to kill Antonio, everybody expects him to show mercy, however, Shylock is very determined to kill Antonio as a form of revenge for all the discrimination that Antonio inflicted on Shylock for him being a Jew. Therefore, the interesting part is how others can be able to stop Shylock from killing Antonio. Shylock is on the verge of cutting into Antonio when Portia suddenly reminds him that the bond stipulates a pound of flesh only, and makes no allowances for blood. She urges Shylock to continue collecting his pound of flesh, but reminds him that if a drop of blood is spilled, then he will be guilty of conspiring against the life of a Venetian citizen and all his lands and goods will be confiscated by the state. In the end, Shylock loses everything and converts to Christianity. This Act and Scene is the climax because it shows how Shylock refuses to show mercy, a main theme of the book and also how Portia intelligently turns the tables on Shylock and saves Antonio. This also provides conflict from the readers point of view, providing more depth to this scene. Many readers find it difficult to rejoice in Portia s victory. Ultimately, Shylock s pursuit of a strict letter-of-the-law brand of justice, which makes no allowance for anything that even approaches compassion, undoes him.

He proves blind to everything other than the stipulations of his bond, refusing even to summon a doctor to attend to Antonio s wounds. But we may feel that the punishment Portia exacts is too heavy. Perhaps the court s verdict fits Shylock s crimes, but the court indulges in an equally literal and severe reading of the law in order to effect the same vicious end: the utter annihilation of a human being. 57. Identify one problem in the book and give an alternate solution one not given by the author. The main problem is Antonio deciding to borrow three thousand ducats for Bassanio to woo Portia from Shylock. He insists that Shylock lend him the money as an enemy due to the fact that Shylock does not charge interest for the loan. Therefore, Shylock wants a pound of flesh if Antonio does not return the money owed. This creates the whole story. However, if Antonio had just borrowed money from a fellow Christian or from a bank, this problem would n ot occur.

EVALUATION:6 points each [18 pts] 60. Is the title a good one or a poor one and why? Yes, it fits the story because Antonio is the Merchant of Venice and the book mainly focuses on him. 61. Did you like the way the story ended? Why or why not? Yes I do. It is a happy ending as both couples are reunited and Antonio s boats returned safely. Jessica and Lorenzo also get Shylock s property and in the end, everybody is happy. 62. Which character in the book would you choose for a friend? Why? Portia. Quick-witted, and wealthy, Portia embodies the virtues that are typical of Shakespeare s heroines. She is also smart enough to think of a legal solution to stop Shylock s malice. She is also filial because she respects her father s wishes for her suitors to choose the right casket before marrying her.