MOV, ACT 3, SCENE 2, Questions and Answers

 

Act 3 - Scene 2

(Workbook Answers: 4 to 6)

Extract 4

Answer 1: In the given extract the theme of appearance and reality is highlighted. Bassanio, commenting on the caskets, says that a pretty exterior may often hide a rotten interior. Most people fall for the outward appearance instead of the inward appearance. He is highlighting this theme by providing the examples of lawyers, religious beliefs and cases of cowards who assume outward signs of valour.

 

Answer 2: Bassanio says that every wrong has some appearance of virtue. He explains it through the example of a lawyer. A lawyer can hide his weakness by his appearance and smooth talk. This gives him the appearance of a wise man in front of people. Similarly, religious preachers can justify any wrongdoing by claiming it is not a sin in god's eyes.

 

Answer 3: 'Stairs of sand' refer to a stairway made of shifting sand. Such a stairway is unreliable and easily falls off. These stairs are compared to cowards who grow beards to give them the appearance of great warriors like Hercules and Mars. They create this appearance to make the people believe that they are brave and strong.

 

Answer 4: It was the belief of the people of England that a brave man's liver was red in colour and the cowards had white livers.

 

Answer 5: Hercules was a great hero in the Greek mythology and Mars was the Roman God of war. Hercules and Mars are referred to here because they represent strength, manliness and bravery.

 

 Extract 5

 

Answer 1: Bassanio says that beauty can be easily achieved through chemicals i.e. by makeup. Cosmetics that are used in makeup can be purchased from a shop. They change the appearance of a woman. The word lightest has two meanings in the extract. One meaning is that it makes the women fair in colour. The other meaning is that the person cannot be trusted.

Answer 2: 'Crisped snaky golden locks' refer to wigs. Bassanio says that people wear wigs to increase their beauty. This hair is not real. In fact, the hair in the wigs belonged to dead people.

Answer 3: The 'dowry of a second head' refers to a wig worn by a woman. A dead woman had bred this head. The head is now in a grave.

Answer 4: Bassanio says that outward appearance is always deceptive. It is like the attractive sea shore that is very dangerous but people visit the seashore attracted by its beauty.

Answer 5: Two examples mentioned by Bassanio are:
(i) The shiny golden wig that many women wear is made from the hair of dead people.
(ii) The lovely stars that hides the ugly face of an Indian beauty.

Extract 6

 

Answer 1: The gentle scroll was in the lead casket. On the scroll it was written that since he has not chosen by outward appearances, he may be fortunate and make his choice as wisely as he has done. Since this fortune has come to him, he should be satisfied and seek nothing more for his happiness. If he is pleased with his luck and feels that fate has brought him happiness, he should go to his beloved and claim her as his own with a loving kiss.

Answer 2: The speaker has won Portia. The speaker chose the correct casket i.e the lead casket containing Portia's portrait. Bassanio was impressed by the simplicity of the lead casket. Besides the inscription on the casket said that the man who chooses it must give and hazard all he has.

Answer 3: The speaker was asked to go to the lady and claim her as his own with a loving kiss and receive a kiss from her.

Answer 4:
(a) Loud applause of joy.
(b) Completely filled with joy.

Answer 5: Bassanio compares himself to a participant who is trying to win a contest. He compares himself to someone who wins the prize in the contest.

Bassanio is full of joy after choosing the correct casket. He hears a loud applause from the people in the room. He is so much in shock that he can't believe that he has made the correct choice.

 

MOV Questiuons and Answers, Act 3, Scene 2

 

Act 3 - Scene 2

(Workbook Answers: 1 to 3) 

Extract 1

Answer 1: This scene takes place in a room in Portia's house at Belmont. The first line refers to the fact that if Portia expressed her thought, people will think bad things about her, so she can't speak of her desire. Portia says enough to convey to Bassanio that she loved him. She is doubtful whether Bassanio has understood what she has said and wanted to explain further. But then she is taken over by her maidenly modesty.

Answer 2: At the end of her speech, Portia says that she spoke at length to stretch the time and delay Bassanio's act of choosing the caskets. This shows that she has feelings of love for Bassanio and does not want to lose him soon.

 

Answer 3: Portia cannot teach Bassanio to choose the correct casket as she has promised her father not to reveal the secret of the caskets to anyone. She would never break her promise. If Bassanio were to make an incorrect choice, Portia would have wished that she had broken her promise.

 

Answer 4: The given lines mean, 'May your eyes be ccursed. They have cast a spell on me and divided me'. Portia says that Bassanio's eyes have cast a spell on her and divided her for she no longer seems to be herself. She says that half of her belongs to him and the other half to her.

Answer 5: The extract shows that as a lover, Portia loves Bassanio and does not want to lose him and wants to detain him with her for a month or two. She says that Bassanio's eyes have cast a spell on her and divided her. She affirms that she is completely his. But as a dutiful daughter, she will never guide Bassanio to choose the right casket as it would break her promise to her father.

Extract 2

Answer 1: It means: If Bassanio were to lose Portia by choosing the wrong casket, then his end will be accompanied by the fading music. There was a contemporary belief that the swan, sang a beautiful song just before its death. The swan-song was sung only once its life.

 

Answer 2: Portia calls for music first of all to calm the excitement in her own heart. She further says that if Bassanio fails, he will bid his last farewell to Portia, with music in the background. This will be like a swan that sings before it dies. And if Bassanio succeeds, the music will create the perfect moment for celebration.

 

Answer 3: Portia says that if Bassanio fails to choose the right casket, he will have a swan-like end. Portia says that her eyes with tears will be Bassanio's watery grave, just like the river is the grave for a dying swan.

 

Answer 4:  If Bassanio chooses the right casket in midst of the music being played, then according to Portia, it is similar to the bridegroom waking up to the sound of loud music outside his window. In medieval England there was a custom that the bridegroom was woken by the sound of loud music outside his house, on his wedding day.

 

Answer 5: In the given scene, Portia acts as a romantic heroine. Her maidenly modesty and cleverness is seen when she detains Bassanio a little longer before making his choice. She expresses her affection for him. When Bassanio chooses correctly, she is happy and surrenders herself, her property and her servants to Bassanio. She also offers him a ring and makes him promise never to part with it.

The theme of love versus wealth is developed in the scene by comparing the choice of casket made by Morocco and Arragon with that of Bassanio. Morocco and Arragon were led, in their choiceby appearance of gold and silver. On the other hand, Bassanio was not deceived with outward appearance. Therefore, he rejected the glittering gold and pale silver and instead chose the unattractive dull lead. Bassanio was able to make the right choice as his motive was love rather than wealth.

Extract 3

 

Answer 1: Alcides refers to young Hercules. In Greek mythology, he is depicted as a strong and courageous young man.
'Virgin tribute' refers to Hesione, who was the daughter of King of Troy. Hesione was tied to a rock, and offered as a sacrifice to a sea-monster. Hercules saved her by killing the monster.

Answer 2: Portia compares Bassanio to Hercules. Just like Hercules saved Hesione, Bassanio can save Portia. Portia says that Bassanio has the same dignity as Hercules, but he has more love in his heart than Hercules had for Hesione.
Portia compares herself to Hesione. Hesione could have been eaten by a sea monster, and Portia could have been married by monster (a cruel man), because her marriage depends on the lottery of caskets.

Answer 3:

(a) howling Troy: the loud lamentations of the people of Troy at the sacrifice of Hesione.
(b) bleared visages: means tear-stained faces.
(c) The issue of the exploit: It means the outcome of the rescue operation.

 

Answer 4: 'The rest aloof' referred to in the extract are people in the room like Nerissa, Gratiano and others whom Portia compares to Trojan women. Dardanian wives are Trojan women. The Trojan women had assembled on the beach with tear-stained faces to wait and watch the result of the encounter between Hercules and the sea-monster.

Answer 5: Portia asks Bassanio, 'Go Hercules' because in her opinion the similarity between Bassanio and Hercules is complete and perfect. Portia tells Bassanio to go ahead and choose the casket. While he is choosing she will be watching the test with much more anxiety than Bassanio. She says that if he succeeds, she lives. If he fails, it is death for her. 

MOV, ACT 3, SCENE 1 Question and Answers

 Page 1

Extract I.

Q1. Where does this scene take place? Whom does 'she' refer to in the first line of the extract? What is said about her in the extract?

Ans. The scene takes place in a street in Venice. In the first line 'she' refers to the rumour or report which is personified as an old woman. When Salarino talks about Antonio's ship, Salanio wishes that rumour may prove to be a big liar in this case as any old woman who ever gossiped with our neighbours over her gingerbread cakes and made her neighbours believe that she mourned sincerely for the death of her third husband.

Q2. What was said earlier about the place where a ship of Antonio was wrecked? Where did the news about the ship-wreckage spread?

Ans. Earlier, it was told that Antonio's ship was wrecked in the sea, at a spot known as Goodwin. The news about the ship's wreckage spread at the Rialto, the place where the merchants met for transactions.

Q3. Give the meaning of: "without any slips of prolixity or crossing the plain highway of talk".

Ans. The given words mean: without speaking much. That is, coming directly to the point without wasting much time.

Q4. How does Shylock react to the loss of Antonio's ship?

Ans. Shylock was pleased to hear about the loss of Antonio's ship. He calls Antonio a beggar who used to come to market with a huge smile. He says that Antonio must keep his promise of paying back the loan.

Q5. What feelings for Antonio are expressed by Salarino and Salanio in this scene? Who enters the scene at this time? What does Salanio say about his daughter?

Ans. In the scene, Salanio and Salarino express their feelings of concern and sympathy for Antonio.

Shylock enters the scene at this time. When Shylock blames Salarino and Salanio for his daughters' elopement, Salarino says that there is difference between him and his daughter as there is between the colours black and white or as there is between red wine and white wine.

Extract II.

Q1. Whose flight is being talked about? Where has the person flown? With whom has the person flown?

Ans. The flight of Jessica is being talked about. She has flown to Belmont. Jessica has flown with Lorenzo.

Q2. What bad news, besides the flight of the bird, is given just before the arrival of Shylock?

Ans. Just before the arrival of Shylock, the news about the wreckage of Antonio's ship is given.

Q3. Give the meaning of: the bird was fledged; and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam.

Ans. The given words mean that it is the nature of a fully feathered young bird to leave the nest when it is old enough. He means to say that Jessica was old enough to leave her parents and start her own life.

Q4. What steps has Shylock taken to get back the flown bird?

Ans. Shylock took all possible steps to get back his daughter. He asked the Duke for justice and even persuaded him to check the ship in which Bassanio left for Belmont. Later, it was said that someone saw Lorenzo and Jessica in a gondola. Shylock took the help of his friend Tubal for finding and bringing back Jessica to him.

Q5. How does Salarino compare after the extract, the character of the flown bird with that of Shylock?

Ans. After the extract, Salarino compares the character of Jessica and Shylock. He says that Jessica is a complete contrast to Shylock just as black is to white or as ordinary red wine is to expensive white wine.

Extract III.

Q1. What is meant by a 'bankrupt' as well as a 'prodigal'? Why has the man gone bankrupt? Why is he called a prodigal?

Ans. A 'bankrupt' means a person who does not have enough money to pay off his debts. 

'Prodigal' means a spendthrift who spends money carelessly. 

The man has gone bankrupt because his ship was wrecked in the sea. He is a spendthrift who has spent his money carelessly and has gone bankrupt. That is why he is called a prodigal by Shylock.

Q2. What is known as Rialto? Why was the man said to go 'so smug upon the mart'?

Ans. The Venetian stock exchange, where the merchants used to meet to do their business deals, was known as the Rialto. The man used to go to Rialto smiling and satisfied, because he was sure of his financial position as he owned a number of ships. Shylock says these words to compare Antonio's financial position in the past with his present condition.

Q3. Give some incidents to show that the man referred to in the extract used to insult Shylock?

Ans. The man referred to in the extract is Antonio. He used to insult Shylock. Antonio insulted Shylock's business, made fun of his profit, spat on him, kicked him, heated his enemies and cooled his friends. Antonio hurt Shylock by doing these things because Shylock was a Jew.

Q4. How did the bankrupt cause loss to Shylock in Venice?

Ans. The bankrupt caused loss to Shylock in Venice by lending money without interest, and affecting Shylock's business of lending money at high rate of interest.

Q5. How is the bankrupt likely to go into a loss? How will such a loss affect Shylock as far as his revenge and financial position is concerned?

Ans. The bankrupt is likely to go into a loss as his ship has been wrecked. Besides he needs to pay back the 3000 ducats he had borrowed from Shylock for Bassanio. Such a loss will help Shylock to get his revenge.

Extract IV.

Q1. Who is the thief referred to in the extract? What had the thief stolen? What loss has Shylock suffered due to the theft?

Ans. The thief referred to in the extract is Shylock's daughter Jessica. The thief has stolen his money, gold and gems. After the theft, Shylock has to spend money to find Jessica. So he has suffered loss upon loss due to the theft.

Q2. Who is Tubal? Why did he go to Genoa?

Ans. Tubal is a friend of Shylock. He is also a Jew. He went to Genoa to search for Jessica who had eloped with Lorenzo.

Q3. What news did Tubal bring from Genoa about the thief?

Ans. Tubal brought the news that he went to the places in Genoa where he heard some news about Jessica but could not find her.

Q4. The extract refers to 'satisfaction' and 'revenge'. In what context are the expressions used by Shylock?

Ans. Shylock uses the expressions satisfaction and revenge in the context of his efforts to find his daughter and his money stolen by her. His efforts to find her and get the money back were failures. So he doesn't have the satisfaction of getting back his daughter and money. He also can't get revenge on the people who hurt him.

Q5. State what ill-luck befell Antonio. Why was Shylock happy over the news?

Ans. One of Antonio's large ships has been wrecked in the sea. This was the ill-luck that befell Antonio. Shylock was happy over the news as he could now take revenge on Antonio, if Antonio couldn't pay back the loan.

Extract V.

Q1. Why does Tubal say that Antonio is undone? What makes him say with certainty that Antonio is undone? Who is Leah? Why is she referred to in the extract?

Ans. Tubal says that Antonio is undone because he has heard from some sailors that one of Antonio's large ships has been wrecked in the sea. Leah was Shylock's wife. She is referred to in the extract because she had given a ring to Shylock, which was stolen by Jessica, who later sold it to buy a monkey.

Q2. In what mood is Shylock in the scene? How is Tubal said to be torturing him?

Ans. In this scene, Shylock is very sad. Tubal is said to be torturing him when he tells the news about his daughter. Tubal tells Shylock that he could not find his daughter, that his daughter spent eighty ducats in one night and that she exchanged his wife's ring for a monkey.

Q3. What is Shylock's reaction on hearing about Antonio's misfortune? How is he going to punish Antonio? What would he gain by his revengeful action?

Ans. Antonio's misfortune makes Shylock happy because he will be able to take his revenge on Antonio. He will punish Antonio by exacting a pound of flesh from any part of his body. By his revengeful action, he can remove Antonio from Venice, which will help to increase his business.

Q4. What is a synagogue? What can you conclude from Shylock's journey towards the synagogue?

Ans. A synagogue is a place of worship of the Jews. Shylock's journey to the synagogue shows us that he is a religious man and that he feels pride in his Jewish heritage.

Q5. In what way, by the end of the scene, does Shylock convince the audience that his attack on Antonio is without any mercy? Which character trait of Shylock is shown in this scene?

Ans. In this scene Shylock explains the insults he has suffered, for years, from Antonio. He says that he will do the same as his enemies. He says that he will take Antonio's heart. This shows that Shylock is a vengeful man who will suffer patiently and wait for the perfect opportunity to take his revenge.

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AWARD PHOTOS 18: SL. NO 32