Scene 1
- Again, Solanio and Salarino are present to narrate the off-stage
occurrences to the audience. The scene also suggests that weeks or
months have passed since the end of Act 2.
- Antonio’s ship has been shipwrecked at the English Channel, and
they hope that this will be the end of his losses. This creates a sense
of doom, as now the audience suspects that it isn’t the end of his
misfortunes and losses.
- Shylock is still distraught over his daughter’s elopement with Lorenzo.
Instead of sympathising with him, they mock him and his words;
finding the situation humorous.
- Shylock has also grown bitter over his daughter’s betrayal and
proclaims that she’ll be damned. When Tubal returns from Genoa,
where he had gone to inquire after her - he finds out that Jessica has
spent 80 ducats in one sitting. Upon hearing this, the frugal natured
Shylock goes into a frenzy. He wishes his daughter dead - yet again
showing more remorse over losing his wealth than his own child. He
wishes she were dead at his feet and that he had his ducats back.He
indulges in self-pity saying no one suffers bad luck but him.
- Tubal is quick to tell him news about Antonio’s bad luck (see below
for more.)
- Earlier in the play, Jessica had wondered whether you are related to
someone because you share the same blood or similar manners.
Shylock believes that flesh and blood are the true measures of
relatedness. The exclusivity of VC is also seen her as they are quick
to jump to Jessica’s defence and say that flesh and blood are not the
mark of relatedness, rather one’s manners, or even one’s willingness
to be Christian, define relatedness. They compare Shylock and
Jesscia to red wine and Rhenish, emphasising that they couldn’t be
more different. Shylock is dark-skinned and Jesscia is fair.
, ❖ Although the bond between Shylock and Antonio is a perfectly legal
contract, the VC see it as cruel, as they feel protective of their
generous and kind friend Antonio. They go on to ask him what he’ll
gain from taking a pound of Antonio's flesh.
❖ IMP - Shylock says that it will feed his revenge. He expresses his
pain at being abused and hated by Antonio and other VC (who have
caused him immense amounts of pain and suffering throughout the
years by tarnishing his reputation) just because he is a Jew.
❖ He says that Jews are similar to Christians based on their identical
animal functions: they are all human.
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.
- He gains some sympathy from the reader as he points out that he is
similar to them in all biological, natural aspects - yet he is
discriminated against as he is a Jew. He then points out that if they
are similar in all other aspects, then they must be similar in their
desire for exacting revenge. He will do what he has learned from
them, only one step further, only harsher.
- Even VC of lower classes take every opportunity to insult Jews.
Shylock has poured his heart out to S&S and subsequently the
audience, but s&s are unbothered by it - which shows that VC will
never see Jews as human - just as devil incarnate.
- Shylock and Tubal share a sort of camaraderie that is similar to that
shared by the Venetian Christians. Also, them agreeing to meet at the
- Again, Solanio and Salarino are present to narrate the off-stage
occurrences to the audience. The scene also suggests that weeks or
months have passed since the end of Act 2.
- Antonio’s ship has been shipwrecked at the English Channel, and
they hope that this will be the end of his losses. This creates a sense
of doom, as now the audience suspects that it isn’t the end of his
misfortunes and losses.
- Shylock is still distraught over his daughter’s elopement with Lorenzo.
Instead of sympathising with him, they mock him and his words;
finding the situation humorous.
- Shylock has also grown bitter over his daughter’s betrayal and
proclaims that she’ll be damned. When Tubal returns from Genoa,
where he had gone to inquire after her - he finds out that Jessica has
spent 80 ducats in one sitting. Upon hearing this, the frugal natured
Shylock goes into a frenzy. He wishes his daughter dead - yet again
showing more remorse over losing his wealth than his own child. He
wishes she were dead at his feet and that he had his ducats back.He
indulges in self-pity saying no one suffers bad luck but him.
- Tubal is quick to tell him news about Antonio’s bad luck (see below
for more.)
- Earlier in the play, Jessica had wondered whether you are related to
someone because you share the same blood or similar manners.
Shylock believes that flesh and blood are the true measures of
relatedness. The exclusivity of VC is also seen her as they are quick
to jump to Jessica’s defence and say that flesh and blood are not the
mark of relatedness, rather one’s manners, or even one’s willingness
to be Christian, define relatedness. They compare Shylock and
Jesscia to red wine and Rhenish, emphasising that they couldn’t be
more different. Shylock is dark-skinned and Jesscia is fair.
, ❖ Although the bond between Shylock and Antonio is a perfectly legal
contract, the VC see it as cruel, as they feel protective of their
generous and kind friend Antonio. They go on to ask him what he’ll
gain from taking a pound of Antonio's flesh.
❖ IMP - Shylock says that it will feed his revenge. He expresses his
pain at being abused and hated by Antonio and other VC (who have
caused him immense amounts of pain and suffering throughout the
years by tarnishing his reputation) just because he is a Jew.
❖ He says that Jews are similar to Christians based on their identical
animal functions: they are all human.
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.
- He gains some sympathy from the reader as he points out that he is
similar to them in all biological, natural aspects - yet he is
discriminated against as he is a Jew. He then points out that if they
are similar in all other aspects, then they must be similar in their
desire for exacting revenge. He will do what he has learned from
them, only one step further, only harsher.
- Even VC of lower classes take every opportunity to insult Jews.
Shylock has poured his heart out to S&S and subsequently the
audience, but s&s are unbothered by it - which shows that VC will
never see Jews as human - just as devil incarnate.
- Shylock and Tubal share a sort of camaraderie that is similar to that
shared by the Venetian Christians. Also, them agreeing to meet at the
