MERCHANT OF VENICE ACT 2 SCENE 3

ACT II Scene 3

CONTEXT QUESTIONS

1. (i) Launcelot left Jessica's house since her father_.Shylock was a miserable.  Jew and his stay as his servant has half-famished him. He felt th_at any further stay with him would make him like the Jew. Besides Bassanio has accepted him in his service and Launcelot feels that Bassanio is a better master.

(ii)     In the above lines, Jessica says that her house is hell because of her father's avarice. Launcelot with his jolly nature and with his antics and nonsensical capering has relieved it of much boredom _and dullness.

(iii)Jessica shows in words and actions that she liked Launcelots' presence in the house. He calls him a merry devil and thanks him for reducing the boredom and dullness in her house. She offers him a ducat too.

Jessica gives to Launcelot the errand of delivering a letter to Lorenzo at supper in Bassanio's house that night. She advises him to deliver the letter to Lorenzo secretly

(vi ) Jessica shows herself as a scheming lady when she plans to elope with a Christian boy, Lorenzo without the knowledge of her father. She proves herself to be prudent when she instructs Launcelot to deliver her letter to Lorenzo at Bassanio's party secretly. Her character is entirely different from that of Portia. While Portia obeys her deceased father's will to marry the one who wins the lottery of caskets, Jessica betrays her father and religion to marry Lorenzo.

2. (i) Launcelot bids farewell to Jessica calling her 'most beautiful pagan' and later 'most sweet Jew'. He says that tears prevent his tongue from uttering his feelings. We feel happy for Launcelot and Jessica. Launcelot is leaving his miserly master and is undertaking Bassanio's service where he will be happier. Jessica too will soon escape from the 'hell' and marry Lorenzo. We feel sorry for Shylock as he is still obstinate, miserly and with evil intentions. Further, he shall lose his daughter as well as money.

(ii)      Jessica regrets being the daughter of Shylock due to his behaviour, his being a bad father to her and for making her home 'hell.' Jessica describes her feeling of being ashamed for being her father's daughter as a 'heinous sin'. It is not really a sin because even if she is Shylock's daughter by birth, she does not actually detest her father but detests his miserliness and tyrannical nature.

(iii)    The given lines mean that although I am his daughter by birth, I don't have his habits.

(iv)     Lorenzo has to keep the promise of eloping with Jessica that night. Jessica will end the struggle between her desire to marry Lorenzo and her duty to her father, Shylock.

(v)    Jessica is a lively young girl who rebels against the oppression of her father and the joylessness of her life at home. She calls her home, 'hell'. She cannot get along with her father. She detests her father's miserliness and tyrannical nature. She affirms that though she is Shylock's daughter by birth, she does not share his disposition. Besides, she is influenced by the Venetians around her to form a different attitude to life than her father's. She is ready to leave her father and elope with Lorenzo, a Christian.