Merchant of Venice Act 1 Test (Faustina Academy)
What year was the Merchant of Venice first registered?
1598
Usance
A charge for borrowed money
Ducat
A former European gold coin
What is a pun?
A joke showing the different possible meanings of a word
What loan does Bassanio ask Shylock for?
A loan of 3000 ducats. It must be repaid in 3 months
Edifice
A massive building
Imputation
Accusations
Cur
An inferior dog
Why does Shylock hate Antonio?
Antonio is Christian. He also brings down interest rates by lending money for free. Antonio also hates Shylock and all Jews
How does Antonio respond to Bassanio's request for money?
Antonio says his money is tied up in his merchant ventures but he will help secure a loan for Bassanio
Why do Salerio and Solanio leave Antonio?
Bassanio arrives and he is Antonio's best friend, so they think Bassanio can help Antonio with his grief
Why does Bassanio ask Antonio for money?
Bassanio is broke but needs money to win over Portia, the lady he wants to marry
What are the differences between Belmont and Venice in the play?
Belmont offers a height from which to view the world, whereas Venice is the gutter of vice
Prodigal
Carelessly spending money
Shakespeare saw the Merchant of Venice as "a work overflowing with ________"?
Christian morality
Gratis
Free
Mirth
Gladness or gaiety
Melancholy
Gloominess, depression of spirits
Why is Antonio so confident about repaying the loan?
He claims that he will earn 3 times the value of the loan within 2 months from his merchant ships
What is Bassanio's simile about Gratiano's advice?
He said it is like bushels of chaff with grains of wheat hidden within. He meant that Gratiano's advice had no value and that Gratiano just likes talking
What does Shylock demand if the loan is not repaid on time?
He says Antonio must give him a pound of flesh
Shakespeare borrowed the plot for Merchant of Venice from what three texts?
Il Pecorone Confessio Amantis Gesta Romanorum
Pilgramage
Journey
What are the moral concerns of the play?
Justice and mercy
Exortation
Language intended to encourage
What were Shakespeare's company of actors called?
Lord Chamberlain's Men
What does Belmont mean?
Mountain of Beauty
Is Belmont a real place?
No. Belmont is fake
Who is generally accepted as the heroine of the play rather than the drama's eponymous character, Antonio?
Portia
What two virtues does Portia speak about in contrast to unruly passion?
Prudence and temperance
Requite
Repay, offer something in return
Hazard
Risk
What two men who were executed inspired the story for the Merchant of Venice?
Rodrigo Lopez (Queen Elizabeth's physician) Robert Southwell (A Jesuit priest and poet)
Why does Bassanio love Portia?
She is beautiful and her virtue is even more beautiful than her looks, indicating his love for her as a person
What are the three main events of plot?
Test of caskets, test of trial, and the test of rings
Shakespeare's contemporary, Christopher Marlowe, wrote an anti-semetic play called what?
The Jew of Malta
Which casket does Bassiano choose?
The lead casket
Why is Antonio willing to pay interest on this occasion even though his policy is to pay/charge no interest?
The loan is for Bassanio so Antonio is willing to pay interest for his friend
How do Salerio and Solanio explain Antonio's melancholy?
They first assume Antonio is concerned about his merchant ships, but then they think Antonio is sad because of love
Spurn
To reject or disdain
Ado
Trouble