Gratiano and Salerio are outside Shylock’s house, waiting for Lorenzo who arrives, in the hope of taking Jessica from the house. He calls up to the upstairs window and Jessica, dressed in boy’s clothes responds. She tells Lorenzo to catch the casket, she is throwing from the upstairs window, which contains Shylock’s gold and jewels. Read More …
Launcelot informs Shylock that he is leaving him and joining Bassanio as his servant. Shylock tells Launcelot that he will not be as well treated with Bassanio as he is with him. “Thou shall not gormandize, /As thou hast done with me.” Shylock calls Jessica and tells her that he is going to dinner with Read More …
This is a very short scene (Note how short the scenes are at the minute, as Shakespeare picks up the pace and brings the plot along) where Lorenzo is making preparations for a masque at Bassanio’s feast. Launcelot enters and gives Lorenzo the letter from Jessica and Lorenzo sends a message with Launcelot to Jessica. Read More …
In this scene, we meet Jessica, who is Shylock’s daughter and who is planning to flee her father’s house to elope with Lorenzo, a friend of Bassanio’s. She knows that Launcelot is also planning to leave her father to go to Bassanio and gives him a letter to give to Lorenzo. She tells Launcelot, “Our Read More …
We meet Launcelot in this scene, who is a servant of Shylock’s, who is considering running away from him because he no longer wishes to be his servant. He is unsure whether or not he should go and is conflicted by this decision. The fact that Shylock is a Jew seems to play a big Read More …
The story moves back to Belmont, where the Prince of Morocco has arrived to try his luck with the lottery system to win Portia’s hand in marriage. He begins his talk with Portia by asking her not to judge him based on the colour of his skin. “Mislike me not for my complexion.” He says Read More …
Act 2, Scene 1 Act 2, Scene 2 Act 2, Scene 3 Act 2, Scene 4 Act 2, Scene 5 Act 2, Scene 6 Act 2, Scene 7 Act 2, Scene 8 Act 2, Scene 9
In this scene, we are back in Venice and we meet Shylock, the Jewish moneylender for the first time. Bassanio is trying to get a loan from Shylock and Antonio will act as the guarantor. The terms of the loan are “three thousand ducats for three months and Antonio bound.” Shylock goes on to tell Read More …
The story now moves to Belmont and we are introduced to Portia, the lady, who Bassanio told us, is ‘richly left.’ She is attended by her servant Nerissa and tells her that she is tired of the world. Nerissa tells her that she would be miserable if her problems were as great as her vast Read More …
The first scene introduces us to Antonio, who is telling his two friends, Salerio and Salanio that he is really sad, but is unsure why. “In sooth, I know not why I am so sad.” His friends come up with all the possible reasons why he could be sad. They suggest that perhaps it is Read More …