MERCHANT OF VENICE ACT 1 SCENE 2

                                                       ACT 1 SCENE 2

1. 

(i) Portia has just said that she can neither choose the one she likes
nor refuse the one she dislikes because the choice of her husband
depends on the lottery of caskets devised according to her late
father’s will.

(ii) The lottery refers to the choice of the right casket containing Portia's
portrait from among the three caskets of gold, silver and lead. The

suitor who will make the right choice as
father will win her in marriage.

(III)
Initially, Portia appears to be anxious over the prOSpect of ch
her husband through a lottery devised according to her fathers Will
She feels sad as she can neither choose the one she likes nor refuge'
the one she dislike as a her husband. But later on she accepts her
father’s will. She says that she would remain a virgin like Diana
unless she is won in marriage by SOme suitor fulfilling the CONditions
of her father’s will. Nerissa's reaction to the lottety was positive
She calls Portia’s father pious and asserts that good men to have 
inspirations at the time of death. She consoles Portia by saying that
she will be chosen correctly by a person whom she truly loves.

(iv)
These lines mean that Portia will be chosen correctly by a person
whom she truly loves.

(v)
Portia’s melancholy is the result of her anxiety over the prospect
of her future husband while the cause of Antonio’s melancholy is
unknown.

(vi)
The scene shows a mood of melancholy,
mood of melancholy and anxiety is due
future husband to be decided by the lottery designed according to her
deceased father’s will. This also creates an atmosphere of suspense.
The conversation between Nerissa and Portia, Portia’s comments on
the suitors and Nerissa’s reference to Bassanio as ‘the best deserving
a fair lady’ increase the elements of anxiety and suspense in the
scene.

2.

(i)

The Portia and Nerissa are in a room in Portia’s house at Belmont. They
are discussing the lottery of caskets and about the suitors who have
already come to try their luck. In this scene, Portia is in a mood of
melancholy and anxiety.

(ii)
County Palatine was the Count from Palatinate, the region on the
west bank of the Rhine in Germany. He was a powerful lord who
came to Belmont to win Portia’s hand.

(iii)
The first prince described by Portia is the Neapolitan prince from
Naples, Italy. Portia describes him as a dashing youngster and as
wild as a young horse. He does nothing but talks of his horse.
He further considers his ability to shoe a horse himself as a great
accomplishment.

(iv)
The weeping philosopher refers to Horaclitus of Esphesus. He Was a
Greek philosopher who lamented the stupidity and folly of mankind
and wept at everything in the world. Portia refers to him to describe
County Palatine. She feels that since County Palatine is unusually
gloomy in his young age, he will become a sad philOSOPher like
Heraclitus when he grows old.

(v)

(a) lf you do not want me, choose anyone you Wish

(b) ‘a skull with a bone in its mouth'. the emblem of a skull with
two bones crossed underneath was usually known as "death’s
hem “.

(vi) 

County Palatine is described as a gloomy and self-conceited person.
He is always t‘rmvning as if to saythat if Portia will not marry him,
she may choose someone else. He is morose and sullen that even
jov1al stories don’t make him laugh. He has an abrupt manner of
speech and may become a sad philosopher like Heraclitus when he
grows old.

3. (i) Earlier Portia described the Neapolitan prince as wild as a young
horse and so attached to his horse that he always spoke about the
horse only. The Count Palatine and Le Bon share the common
characteristic of frowning.

(ii)

 (a) he is way mm: in no man: He has every man’s charaCteriStics
but no personality of his own.

(b) he falls straight a—cnpering: He starts to jump about. Monsieur
Le Bon is so fickle-minded that if hears a thrush sing, he starts
to jump about.

(iii) When he hears the singing of a thrush, the French Lord starts
jumping immediately.

(iv) 

(a) It would be as if she were married to twenty husbands as he is
never one man but twenty men by turns. ‘

(b) If he were to despise Portia, Portia would not be in the least
angry and would forgive him.

(c) Portia could never return his love since she could never possibly
love twenty husbands.

(v) Portia says that the ‘French Lord is more attached to his horse than
the Neapolitan Prince and excels Count Palatine in frowning. If he
hears a thrush singing, he-starts jumping immediately. Further, if he
does not have anybody to fence with, he will take his own shadow
as adversary. ‘

4.

 (i) The baron’s external appearance is described as odd and strange. He
isoddly dressed and very odd in behaviour too. He wears an Italian
jacket and breeches in the French fashion. He seems to have got his
hat from Germany and his manners from everywhere. Englishmen
of Shakespeare’s days had fondness for the manners and clothes of
foreigners.

(ii) Portia’s statement that the Englishman did not know Latin, French
or Italian shows that he had very poor knowledge of European
Languages. Portia found it difficult to converse with him as he did
not know Latin, French or Italian and Porfia's knowledge of English
was very poor

(iii) 

(a) He is a proper man picture. he is a  handsome and fine looking.

(b) How oddly he is suited He is dressed very strangely

(iv) 

The word dumb—show refers to a play in which all Character act
Without speaking, that is by gestures. A pantomime is a dumb
show. Here it means that the Englishman is unable to Speak to”.
languages and had to converse by means of Signs as in a dumb 
shows

(v) The Scottish Lord is in a sarcastic way by calling him k
the Englishman’s blow immediately.

(vi) The description of the Sottish Lord is a reference to the freque
alliances between the Scots and the French against England Wh in
Scotland was at war with England. ”1

5. (i) When sober, the young German is less than a man in b€haviou
and when drunk he is no better than a beast. If the worse happen:
to Portia, she will manage to do without him.

(ii)

 (a) When he is drunk, he is no better than a beast.

(b) Place a tall goblet of Rhenish wine on the wrong Casket,

(iii) To prevent the young German from choosing the right casket, Portia
instructed Nerissa to place a tall goblet of Rhenish wine on the Wron
casket. Portia was sure that the German suitor will not be able té
resist the temptation of his national drink even if the picture of the
devil himself was within.

(iv)

 A sponge constantly absorbs water. Similarly, a drunkard, Who
constantly takes liquor is called a ‘sponge’. Since the young German
is a drunkard, Portia calls him a ’sponge’.

(v) Nerissa tells Portia to set aside her fears concerning the suitors She
says that they have informed her of their decision to go back home
and not to press their comtship further unless Portia’s father’s decree
concerning the caskets can be set aside and they may woo her in
an ordinary way.

6.

 (i) Portia’s father’s will was that her marriage will be decided by the
lottery of the three caskets. The suitor, who chooses the right casket
containing Portia’s picture will be her husband.

(ii) In Qvid’s metamorphoses, Sibyl was a prophetess. She was granted
a wrsh by goddess Apollo that she would live for as many years
as the grains of sand she held in her hand. She was the ageless 0ld woman.

Diana was the g0dd€SS 0f moon and hunting. She is known as the
Virgin goddess. They are referred to here to explain Portia’s resolve
to Remain a virgin like Diana even if she lives to be as old as Sib,VI
0t Cumae unless she is won in marriage by some suitor in the lottery
of caskets. not impressive. Portia speaks about his coward
ind-hearted as he did Not remember

(iii)
 To introduce Bassanio, Nerissa recalls the visit of a young
Venetian along with the Marquis of Montferrat, when Portia’s father
was alive. He was a scholar and a soldier. In this scene, I’ortia’s
feelings for Bassanio are quite positive. She recalls his name and tells
Nerissa that he fully deserves her praise. Her simple reply shows
that she is already in love with Bassanio.

(iv) The opening of the first two scenes of Act I gives the plots of the
play. The two main plots of the play are the bond—story and the
casket-story. The bond-story is initiated in Scene 1 while the casket-
story is initiated in Scene 2 of Act I.

(v) The six suitors given in this scene are:

(i) The Neapolitan Prince from Naples, Italy, was a dashing youngster,
as wild as a horse. He always talked about his horse.

(ii) The County Palatine was always frowning and unusually gloomy.

(iii) Monsieur Le Bon from France, had the characteristic of every
man and had no personality of his own.

(iv) Mr. F alconbridge from England, though handsome was strangely
and unmannerly dressed and did not know Latin, French or
Italian.

(v) The Scottish Lord, was a coward and did not repay the Englishman
who gave him a blow.

(vi) The Duke of Saxony was a drunkard. He in his sober moments,
behaved less than a man and when drunk no better than a beast.