Thinking about the Text:
Q.1. Why does Shylock hate Antonio?
Ans. Shylock and Antonio both are money lenders. Shylock is a mean and greedy fellow. He is mad for money and loves it more than anything else. So, he lends money at very high rate of interest and exacts the payment of the money he lends with such cruelty that everybody dislikes him. On the other hand, Antonio is full of the milk of human kindness. He helps the people in distress. So, Shylock hates Antonio. He thinks that by doing so, Antonio is harming his moneylending business. That's why Shylock hates Antonio also because he has received insults from him many a time.
Q.2. How does Antonio help Bassanio?
Ans. Bassanio comes to Antonio and tells him that he has fallen in love with Portia and wants to marry her. But he needs money for that purpose. He asks Antonio to lend him three thousand ducats. But at that time, Antonio has no ready money to help his friend. He has invested all his money in his trade. Antonio loves Bassanio so much that he cannot see his friend in grief and he decides to borrow money from Shylock though he dislikes him and has insulted him many times so he pretends to offer the loan merely out of goodwill. But, he says that Antonio can have money without any interest. But in merry sport, Antonio should sign a bond. According to the bond, if Antonio failed to repay the loan by a certain day, he would give a pound of flesh from his body as penalty. So in last, Antonio agrees to it and signs the bond. Thus he borrows money from Shylock to help his friend Bassanio.
Q.3. How does Shylock feel when Antonio asks for money? Why is he interested to pay the required sum?
Ans. When Antonio comes to Shylock to borrow some money for his friend Bassanio, Shylock feels himself burning with rage. He called him a cut-throat dog. He spat on his Jewish garments. He spurned at him with his foot as if he were a cur. Shylock keeps his feelings of hatred for Antonio under control. He pretends to offer the loan merely out of goodwill. He says that Antonio can have the loan free of interest. But in merry sport he should sign a bond. According to the bond, if Antonio didn't repay the amount by a certain day, he would give a pound of flesh from his body as penalty. Shylock, who loves money more than anything else, is ready to lend the money to his enemy and that also without any interest. It's because of Shylock wants to have his revenge by hook or by crook and he doesn't want to spare Antonio who has fallen into his clutches. So he is interested in lending money to Antonio.
Q. 4. What condition does Shylock put forth if the debt is not paid in time?
Ans. Antonio comes to Shylock to borrow an amount of three thousand ducats to friend Bassanio. Even Antonio had insulted Shylock in public many time. He had harmed Shylock's moneylending business also by lending money to peop without charging any interest. Shylock has deep hatred for Antonio but he becom ready to lend money to Antonio and that also without any interest. He says that he wants to friendly with the Christians. So he pretends to offer the loan out of goodwill. He says th in merry sport, Antonio should sign a bond only. He puts forth a condition in the bond According to the condition, if Antonio didn't repay the amount in time, he would forfe a pound of flesh from his body as penalty.
Q. 5. How does Bassanio marry Portia ?
Ans. Portia is a rich lady of Belmont. She is very beautiful. Bassanio falls in love with her and wants to marry her. But for this he needs money and he goes to his friend Antonio and asks him to lend him three thousand ducats. So Antonio decides to borrow money from the cruel moneylender Shylock and he has to sign a dangerous bond for this. According to the bond, if Antonio did not repay the amount by a certain day, he would give a pound of flesh from his body as penalty. He begs Antonio not to risk his life by signing that strange bond. But Antonio is fully sure that he is running no risk. He signs the bond, takes money from Shylock and gives it to Bassanio. After that, Bassanio leaves for Belmont to marry his beloved Portia.
Q. 6. Why is the case brought before the Duke of Venice?
Ans. Antonio had borrowed some money for his friend Bassanio. He had got it from the cruel moneylender Shylock. Shylock lent him the amount and that also without charging any interest. But Antonio was to sign a bond for this. According to the bond, if Antonio didn't repay the amount in time, he would forfeit a pound of flesh to be cut off from any part of his body that Shylock pleased. Antonio had cheerfully signed the bond because he was sure that he was running no risk. He was sure that his ships would return before the fixed day and thus he would repay the debt. But as ill luck would have it, he could not repay the debt in time because all his ships were lost at the sea. Now Shylock wanted Antonio to pay the penalty according to the bond. So he filled a case against Antonio in the court of the Duke of Venice. He wanted to take a pound of flesh from near Antonio's heart and thus make him bleed to death.
Q. 7. Who is disguised as the learned counseller (Doctor Balthasar)? Why has he come to the court of Venice?
Ans. Bassanio's beloved wife Portia is disguised as the learned counsellor, Doctor Balthasar. In fact Shylock, a cruel moneylender of Venice, has filed a suit against Antonio, her husband's dear friend. Antonio had borrowed for her husband some money from Shylock when Bassanio wanted to come to Belmont to marry her (Portia). Poor Antonio had to sign a bond for that. According to the bond, if Antonio did not repay the money by a fixed day, he would give a pound of flesh from his body as penalty. Unfortunately. Antonio could not repay the money in time. So Shylock brought the case before the Duke of Venice. He wanted Antonio to pay the penalty according to the bond. Antonio wanted to see his dear friend before his death. So he wrote a letter, to Bassanio. When Bassanio read the letter, he immediately set out for Venice to help his friend. Then Portia sent a word to her cousin Bellario. She told him about Antonio's situation and asked for his advice. Bellario quickly sent her a lawyer's clothes and a letter for the Duke of Venice. In the letter, he requested the Duke to let Balthasar (so he called Portia) to plead in his stead because he himself had fallen ill. Thus Portia disguised herself as a male lawyer named Balthasar and came to Venice to plead for Antonio.
Q.8. How did the counsellor start his argument and how was he able to get the judgement in Antonio's favour?
Ans. The counsellor was, in fact, Portia herself. She started her argument favouring Shylock at first and said that by the laws of Venice, Shylock had every right to the penalty, at the same time, she made a passionate plea for mercy. She appealed to Shylock for mercy. The counsellore said that he should not insist on having a pound of Antonio's flesh and she requested him to accept the money he had lent to Antonio. In her last attempt to save Antonio's life she said, "Shylock, you must have some surgeon by lest he should bleed to death." But Shylock's whole intent was that Antonio should bleed to death. He said, "It is not so named in the bond." Then he stepped forward to cut off Antonio's flesh. But Portia stopped him saying, "The bond gives you only a pound of flesh; it gives you no drop of blood. If in cutting off the pound of flesh, you shed one drop of his blood, the law will have hold on you." Now it was impossible for Shylock to cut off Antonio's flesh without shedding any blood. Thus Portia turned tables on Shylock and got judgement in the favour of Antonio. Shylock had conspired agains the life of a Christian. So by the laws of Venice, all his property went to the state and h life was at the mercy of the Duke.
Q. 9. How does Portia get back her ring!
Ans. At the time of her marriage Portia had given her husband Bassanio a ring as a her love. She had asked Bassanio never to part with it. It happened that Portia appeared disguised as a male lawyer in the trial at the court, Portia, by her intellige turned the tables on Shylock and saved the life of her husband's friend and Bassanio felt very grateful to the young lawyer. He wanted to give her some gilt. Yo refused to accept any gift. But when pressed hard, she said that she would take the ring that he had on his finger.
However, Bassanio couldn't give that ring because that was a gift from his wife. And he promised never to part with it. At this Antonio said to him, "Dear Bassanio, he has s my life. Let him have the ring." So Bassanio had to give that ring to the young, lawy After taking the ring, Portia hurried to Belmont. When Antonio and Bassanio reach Belmont, Portia pretended to be angry on not finding the ring on Bassanio's finger rebuked Bassanio for breaking his promise. Antonio asked her to forgive Bassanio, J then, Portia took out a ring and said to Bassanio, "Here is another ring. See that don't lose this one too !" and Bassanio was cheerfully surprised to look at the ring and it was the same ring. Thus, Portia gave laugh and told them the whole story.
Q.10. Describe the theme of the story.
Ans. We find several themes in the story. One of the leading themes that is reflected in de story is that we should not insist on the letter of the law. Any such insistence dangerous and even leads to injustice. The writer also supports justice mixed with mercy This story is also an attack on usury, that is charging a heavy amount of money a interest. The story also brings forth an idea of true friendship. The friendship betwee Bassanio and Antonio is ideal. Antonio is ready to sacrifice his all for the sake of hi friend. As a proof, he signs a dangerous bond for his friend. He gets ready to get a pound of flesh cut from near his heart by Shylock's knife and he wishes Bassanio to be by his side when he dies. Bassanio is also willing to sacrifice his all for his friend. In the trial, he offers a bigger amount of money than that borrowed from Shylock to rescue his friend We can say that Bassanio and Antonio teach us the value of true friendship.
Q.11. Sketch the character of Portia.
Ans. Portia is the central character in the play. She is full of self-confidence. She can take independent and quick decisions. She plans her own course of action to help he husband's friend. Her intellect acts with a lightning speed. She disguises herself as a lawyer and reaches the court. With her superior intelligence, she very easily turns the tables on Shylock. She makes a passionate plea for mercy. One feels as if it were Portia's last resort to save Antonio. But only Portia knows what she has up her sleeve. The foolish Jew sticks to his demand for flesh and Portia has the Jew in her trap. Shylock has now no way of escape. Portia completely outwits him with her superior intellectual jugglery.
