Wolfe Honors English 9

Act 1 Scene 2 “If he is as good as a saint but is black like the devil, I’d rather he hear my confession than marry me.” Lines (115-117)

Act 2 Scene 7 “I hope everyone who looks like him (Morocco) will make the same choice.” Lines (80-81)

Portia is explaining in the first line her opinion on her marring a person of a different race. She explains that even if he was a really good person she wouldn’t marry him because of his complexion. Another passage about this topic is brought up by Portia again in line two. She hopes that everyone who looks like or has Morocco’s complexion will make the wrong choice. This is because she doesn’t want to marry them because of their complexion. My opinion of this passage is that everyone has an opinion and a right to their opinion. People with different view of a person’s complexion may think Portia to be stuck up, narrow minded, and wrong because of her opinion. Even though I may not agree with Portia, I don’t have the right, nor does anyone else, to think that she is wrong because she has a different view on this topic. Also, it’s sometimes difficult to understand why Portia would set her mind the way that she does on different races. Some are raised that way to believe and think the way Portia might, even though it’s really their choice in the end to believe the way they want to believe, they can be conflicted with the ways they were taught and their upbringing can make them think certain ways that are not wrong, but not be everyone’s opinion. I believe on the marriage topic that if a person is in love with another, regardless of skin color, wealth, wisdom, etc, they should accept them.  Don’t look on the outside, but look what’s on the inside is the way that I believe is the best way to go. To go along with Portia’s saying, if she/he is more good looking than a model, but has the personality of ten times the worst thing that you can think of, guess what, don’t marry them!

If you were Portia, what would your standards be on the person you would want to marry?

Portia: Run through the list. As you name them, I will describe them for you.

Nerissa: First there was the Prince from Naples.
Portia: Ah yes that stallion. All he talks about is his horse.

Nerissa: Then there’s the Count Palpetine.

Portia: He does nothing but frown, even when he’s told a funny story.

Nerissa: What do you think of that French lord, Monsieur le Bon?

Portia: He was trying to outdo everyone so much that you couldn’t tell who he was.

Nerissa: What about Falconbridge, the young English baron?

Portia: I have no opinion of him. We don’t talk because we don’t understand each other.

Nerissa: What do you think of his neighbor, the Scottish lord?

Portia: I think he’s very forgiving, since he let the Englishmen slap him on the ear without hitting him back. Rather than defend himself, he just threatened to pay him back later.

Nerissa: How do you like the young German, the Duke of Saxton’s nephew?

Portia: He’s pretty awful in the morning when he’s sobering up, and even worse in the afternoon when he’s drunk.

Analysis: From this passage, you can gather that Portia is a very stuck-up woman. The only thing she did was focus on the bad things of each suitor. She did not say one good thing of any of them. Nerissa is just going along and agreeing with what Portia is saying. Do you think that Portia is a stuck-up snob? Or do you think that she is just speaking the truth and all of the suitors are bad and not for her?

(Tubal)  Yes, other men have ill luck too. Antonio, as I heard in Genoa–

(Shylock) What, what, what? Ill luck, ill luck?

(Tubal) Hath an argosy cast away coming from Tripolis.

(Shylock) I thank God, I thank God! Is’t true, is’t true?

(Tubal) I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wrack.

3.1.83

“To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me and my hindred me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies–and what’s his reason? I am a Jew.”

In this passage, Shylock is telling us everything Antonio has done to him. Shakespeare probably wants us to feel bad for Shylock right now. However, in another passage in the story Shakespeare talks about Antonio’s ships being wrecked and he might never get to see his best friend Bassanio again, because Shylock wants to kill him soon. Does Shakespeare want us to feel bad for Antonio and hate him at the same time? Who’s side is Shakespeare really on?

Act 2, Scene 7

Line 14 to Line 22, Page 86

Morocco:”Some god direct my judgement! Let me see. I will survey th’ inscriptions back again. What says this leaden casket? ‘Who chooseth me must give hazard all he hath.’ Must give–for what? For lead? Hazard for lead? This casket threatens. Men that hazard all do it in hope of fair advantages. A golden mind stoops not to show of dross. I’ll then nor give nor hazard aught for lead.”

In this scene, Morocco is showing that his personality is self-centered and over confident. He thinks that he deserves the best, and that lead is not valuable enough for him to choose that box. Also, he looks down on anything that isn’t gold or valuable. I think that he is so shallow that he can’t think deep enough about the meaning of each box and he is judging the boxes by their semblance and nothing else.

What can you tell about the type of men Portia attracts? Why does she attract these type of men?

Act 2, Scene 5

Line pg. 76, 44-48

Shylock talking about Launcelot (after he just left):

“The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder,

Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day

More than a wildcat. Drones hive not with me.”

Many wonder why everyone in the story hates Shylock, and even more specifically Launcelot and Jessica. Is it because he doesn’t like them? When Shylock talks about Launcelot, although he mentions how he is lazy, a huge eater and a waste of money; he doesn’t seem to hate him (“The patch is nice enough”). So if he doesn’t hate him, or his own daughter Jessica,  he could just be taking his anger out on them, rather than being a straight up rude person. So is Shylock really the villain?

To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies – and what’s his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? 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? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I willl execute – and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.

This whole passage is a speech given by Shylock. In the beginning when he talks about fish bait he is telling Salarino and Solanio what he is going to do with Antonio’s flesh. He said if he can’t use it he will have it for revenge/pride. Later in the speech Shylock tells us that he is human too,  and he should be treated like a human. Then at the very end he talks about Revenge. And how if a Christian does him wrong he will take revenge on them. I think Shylock is very upset with Christians especially Antonio. When he says “He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million…” (3.1.44-45) He is talking about Antonio and how he is terrible to Shylock. I think Shakespeare makes you feel bad for Shylock during this scene, and also shows you that there might be a meaning behind this play. Personally, I think there is a meaning, and it is Treat people how you want to be treated. Especially in this speech it comes out a lot, but I think that is the general message for the whole play.

Do you think Shylock is overreacting, or do you think that Antonio has severely damaged Shylock, emotionally?

You know me well, the herein spend but time
To wind about love with circumstance.
And out of doubt you do me more wrong
In making question of my uttermost
Than if you had made waste of all I have.
Then do but say to me what i should do…
(1.1.153 -Antonio)
In this passage you can truely see Antonio’s affection for Bassanio. Even though Bassanio has borrowed from Antonio many times before, not yet to repay him, Antonio is still very willing to lend him money. If I were Antonio I wouldn’t be to reluctant to give out money to someone who wasn’t dependent with money. Antonio actually goes as far as saying that if he doesn’t help Bassanio it would hurt their friendship.

Would you lend out your money so freely, like Antonio did? Ecspecially when you don’t even have any money at the moment?
Also do what do think the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio? Would Bassanio do the same thing for Antonio?

to bait fish withal.  If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge.  He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million, laughed at my looses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies— and what’s his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? 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? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that . If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why revenge. The villainy you teach me i will execute—and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.

Act 3, scene 1: In this passage Shylock is saying that people that are Jewish are just like people that are Christian. Meaning the things they do are the same but they are treated differently. In the last line Shylock is saying that like the Christians taught him, he will get revenge.

Do you agree with Shylock’s opinion? If not how so?

“This kindess will I show.
Go with me to a notary, seal me there
Your single bond, and- in a merry sport-
If you repay me not on such a day,
In such a place, such sum or sums are
Expressed in the condition, let me forfeit
Be nominated for an equal pound
Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken
In what part of your body pleaseth me.”

(Shylock Pg#36 Line 140)

I think that in this passage Shylock is the villian.
I do not think that he is putting the clause in for a joke at all,
and I do not think he wanted it to come off as a joke.
I think he was trying to say it in a nicer way then saying im going to kill you, because
of all of the rude things Antonio said to him. In the scene Antonio calls him devil, and earlier he spits on him.
There is obviously not a good relationship here.
Do you think he actually meant it as a joke?