ENGLISH-1ST PAPER- MERCHANT OF VENICE(XII)

Short Answer Type Question:(answer the following question in not more than 30 words. )

Q .1) What is Merchant of Venice?

Ans. Shakespeare has written 37 plays in all. The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy. It was published in 1600.

Q.2) What is the main theme of the play ‘The Merchant Of Venice.’?

Ans. The victory of justice over wickedness is the main theme of the play ‘The Merchant Of Venice’.

Q .3) Who is Portia?

Ans. Portia is the central character in the play ‘The Merchant Of Venice.’ She is the actress of the play. She is a doctor of law. She is beautiful, honorable, witty, self confident and dutiful.

Q .4) Who was Antonio? Why was he unhappy?

Ans. Antonio was a merchant. He was unhappy because he had not enough money to marry with Portia.

Q .5) Why was shylock full of hatred for Antonio?

Ans. Shylock was a Jew and he knew that Antonio was full of hatred for the Jews. He also criticized for lending money at a very high rate of interest. So Shylock hatred Antonio.

Q .6) What was the bond against which Antonio borrowed money from shylock?

Ans. Antonio borrowed money from shylock against the bond that if the money was not paid back, shylock would have the right to cut off a pound of Antonio’s flesh.

Q .7) Why was Antonio not able to pay shylock’s money back?

Ans. Antonio not able to pay shylock’s money back because his ship was wrecked and he was ruined.

Q.8) Why was Shylock willing to give money to Antonio?

 Ans. Shylock was willing to give money to Antonio because he wanted to get an opportunity to take revenge against Antonio if he could not pay the debt.

Q.9) Who was Bassanio?

Ans. Bassanio was thye friend of Antonio. He loved Antonio very much. In return of his love Antonio borrowed money from Shylock and helped Bassanio in marrying Portia.

Q.10) Who was the Judge in the trial? How did he want to calm down Shylock?

Ans. The Duke was the judge in the trial. He wanted to calm down Shylock by appealing him to be merciful and kind to Antonio but it was useless.

Q.11) Why did Antonio borrow money from Shylock?

 Ans. Antonio wanted to help his friend Bassanio who wanted to married with Portia. But Antonio had no money at that time so he borrowed money from Shylock.

Q.12) What are the views of Portia about mercy in the court scene?

Ans. Portia glorifies mercy in the court. She describes mercy as the divine virtue. In her opinion mercy is a natural quality. Which blesses all.

Q.13) Why did Jessica run away from her house?

Ans. Jessica, the daughter of Shylock, wanted to marry a Christian and defamed Shylock’s family.

Q14) Why was Jessica not afraid of her father’s sin?

Ans. Jessica was not afraid of her father’s sin because she was sure that goodness of Lorenzo would save her.

Long Answer Type Question:

Q.1) Give a character sketch of Portia?OR

What qualities do you find in the character of Portia?

Ans. Portia is the chief character in the play ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by ‘William Shakespeare’. Indeed ‘this is Portia who changed the play’. She is blend of beauty and magical personality.

1. Dominating character – If we look upon other character of the play we find that Portia is the dominating character in the play. Her personality is the combination of both the masculine and feminine qualities. She is really the pivot of the play.

2. Her beauty - Portia is one of the most beautiful heroines of Shakespeare. The prince of Morocco is infatuated by Portia’s beauty. Bassinio is also attracted to her.

3. Witty – Portia is a lady who has witty as well as wit. this is really a rare quality in women. She delivers eloquent speech in the court and praises the noble quality of mercy.

4. Dutifulness – Portia is a women of duty and honor. She is the women believing in all the qualities which enhance the dignity of noble men.

5. Sense of justice – Portia has great sense of justice. In the court she defends Antonio on the ground of mercy. She elaborates the quality of mercy and dignifies mercy as a divine quality when mingled with justice.

Q.2) Give a character sketch of Antonio?

Ans. Antonio is a significant character in the play ‘The Merchant of Venice’. He is in the play from beginning to end. Indeed the play has been named after Antonio. The qualities in his character are given below.

1. Nobility –Antonio is a man of noble virtues. He is generous and kind hearted. He is free from ill will and is always ready to help other in need.

2. A man of struggle – Antonio is a man of real strength. He is really indifferent to pleasure and pains. He takes them naturally. In the beginning his melancholy when he says,

                       ‘In sooth, I know not why I am sad.’

3. his grudge for shylock – Antonio is full of great grudge for shylock because Shylock is a Jew and lends money at a very high rate of interest. Antonio compares Shylock with a Dog. He comments,

                           “I am as like to call thee a dog so again,

                            To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.

4. His flaws – Antonio has some flaws too. He hates all the religious except Christianity. He is so simple that he fails to see through the tricks of Shylock on an illogical condition.   

Q.3) Give a sketch of Bassanio?

Ans. Bassanio is an important character in the play. He is married to Portia, the heroine of the play. He is the friend of Antonio.

1. His personality -  Bassanio is a man of impressive personality. His charms of personality of attract all. Portia praises him by saying, “he of all men that ever my foolish eyes looked upon was the best deserving a fair lady.”

2. Spend thrift – Bassanio is a spend thrift man. His friend and servant flatter him because of his extravagant nature. He gives his good clothes to his servants. He gives free food to friend and servant and he is pleased by his generosity.

3. A true friend – Bassanio is a man who values friendship above everything in life. He loves Antonio and is full of great respect for him. About Antonio he speaks

“The greatest friend for me, the kindliest man.”

Again he says to Antonio

                         “Antonio, I would sacrifice, myself, my wife, dear to me as life and all the world to save you from the devil.”

4. Wise – Bassanio is a wise man who takes life wisely. He shows wisdom in selecting the right casket and winning the hand of Portia.

Q.4) Give a character sketch of Shylock?

Ans. Shylock is a negative character in the play ‘The Merchant of Venice’. He is misery money lender and a rich Jew of Venice.

1. His personality – Shylock is a physically strong. He has sharp eyes and long hair. He is intellectual. He has suspicious nature. He is really a hypocrite.

2. Greedy and selfish – Shylock is selfish and greedy. Money is really his religion. When his daughter Jessica runs away with her lover with his gold, Shylock does not lament for her so much as for his gold.

3. His hatred for Antonio – Shylock is full of hatred for Antonio because Antonio is a Christian. He loves the Jews In his opinion. “Endurance of wrong is the characteristic of the whole Jewish race”.

4. Scheming and revengeful – Shylock is a scheming and revengeful person. He is very cunning. He lends money to Antonio with an evil plan in his mind. He takes Antonio in his faith and cunningly makes him sign the bond.

         Shylock is a wicked person but he has some good qualities too. He is firm, bold and’ intelligent but he uses these qualities wrongly.

Q .5) Why did shylock hate Antonio?

Ans. Shylock is a significant character in the play. His hatred is the chief theme of the play. His hatred for Antonio is deep rooted. The hatred reason are given below:

1. Antonio was a Christian and shylock was a Jew. Antonio had a strong faith in his religion. Shylock hates Antonio because he is a Christian and he shows his strong faith in his religion.

2. There was business deal between Shylock and Antonio. Antonio was an honest and hard working trader. He used to lend money others at normal rate of interest. He was ready to help the needy but Shylock was a different kind of man. He lent money at very high rate of interest. Shylock did not like Antonio’s habit of helping the needy. So Shylock hated Antonio.

3. Antonio damn shylock for charging so much interest. He scolded shylock in public. This was an insult for shylock. So he was full of hatred of Antonio.

Q .6) What are the views of Portia about the quality of Mercy?

Ans. The Merchant Of Venice is one of the best and most popular plays of Shakespeare. This play appeals to all to merciful and forget the feeling of revenge. Portia, The heroine of the play define the virtue of  mercy and tries to be merciful on Antonio as a blessing of Shylock.

Mercy- A Noble Virtue: Portia is trying to change the mind of Shylock. She says that mercy is noble and natural quality which can never be forced. It flows freely from the heart of the man as the rain falls freely from the sky upon the earth. It is beneficial for both- the giver and the receiver.

A divine virtue: Portia disclose the prestige of Mercy. She says that it is a divine virtue. It is the quality, always lives in God’s heart. It is more powerful than any other quality in the world. She also says to judge specially that The decision of a king becomes divine and popular when Mercy is mixed in to Justice.

So Shylock should have mercy on Antonio.