Merchant of Venice Quotes

"Play with them for the first boy for a thousand ducats"

Highlights the role of women to produce children within the 17th century context. This would be an inconsistency in our 21st century context as a women's role isn't just to produce children. Technique: External conflict, humour.

Belmont is symbolic of love and women and Venice, men and money

The difference in geographical ares in the play exhibit different hierarchies. Technique: Setting.

Antonio and Shylock

Character Foil which mirrors the external conflict of Jews and Christians

"Dog Jew" or "the Jew

Dehumanising and alienates him from Venetian society. Highlights discrimination at the time and enables the audience to see shylocks justifications for his motivation to harm Antonio but christians generally. PAIM: Motivation. Technique: Pejorative term.

"[he] hates him for he is a christian"

Demonstrates inconsistencies of the human condition. It positions the audience to see shylocks anterior motives and consider their own motivations in conflicting situations. PAIM: inconsistencies with the expectations of christians, motivations of shylock. Technique: Dramatic irony and suspense.

"Sweet Portia, If you not know who i gave the ring..."

Dramatic irony when Bassanio is explaining why he gave away the ring. PAIM: Motivations.

characterisation of Lancelot as a "clown"

Dramatises the choice he makes to go against his master the Jew. Technique: comically dramatises the play.

Jessica and Lancelot character foil

Jessica's decision to leave her father reflects Lancelots to leave his master. Audience have sympathy as they understand why he is motivated by anguish. In Elizabethan times by jessica deciding to do this she would be going against the GCOB but the audience would have had sympathy due to her horrible father and the fact she was marrying a christian.

"are the Jason's [and] have won the fleece"

Symbolic of the kingship and authority of the golden fleece for the Greek hero Jason. Enforces the idea that men are only given authority and status though the acquisition of wives. PAIM: At the time it would have been a paradox as men would have had status and authority no matter what. Technique: allusion, symbolism.

"[aside]... I hate him for he is a Christian" CHANGE

This aside specifically is where Bassanio and Antonia come to Shylock for money and if foreshadows what is going to happen. Asides within the play often signify deception which is a feature of the play as the form of it enables the audience to know something which the characters do not, therefore creating dramatic irony.

multiple plot lines throughout the play

Through the use of multiple plot lines Shakespeare is able to express and reflect individual lives and particular cultures through each of the individual characters personal stories. Through the use of religious conflict, we see the different cultures expressed or portrayed by the religions. Technique: Structure and form of the play.

"two headed Janus"

The play contains many reference to figures from Classical mythology. In this situation aolanio alludes to janus, a roman god who faced in two different directions at the same time. solanio uses this reference to demonstrate his belief that all humans have the capacity to be happy and sad simultaneously. CRIS: Challenges audience to see the world differently.

"kind"

Further, the ambiguous double meaning of "kind" as both good-heartedness and revenge challenges the Christian ideals of mercy, presenting the possibility that their core values align with those of hate and revenge, raising questions of who the villain in the play is.

"the sins of a father are to be laid upon the children"

Jessica cannot escape the sins of her parents, is forced to be responsible for them, and as a result cannot be accepted into a Christian community. PAIM???

my daughter is my flesh and my blood-Shylock

My-constant use can show she isn't her own person-woman at the time, all beliefs and everything she had/did came from him How controlling he is-belongs to him Alt=can't live w/out flesh and blood-can't live without her. Iambic Pent-talking in pros=out of character

"[Portia and Nerissa] are both accounted like young men"

Plot device of deception to show that men hold the power and authority in the context of the time. PAIM: Paradox as this would be out of the ordinary. Technique: Dramatic irony.

"complexion of a devil"

Portia racially stereotypes each of the suitors in the Casket scene. In this scene Portia describes Morocco through visual imagery as in the Elizabethan era devils were said to be black. This effectively relates to the human experience as it is common for people not to accept others simply because they are different from themselves. CRIS: Reflect personally.

"end this strife, become a Christian and thy loving wife"

The dramatic irony engages the audience as they are positioned to empathise with Jessica despite the choice to go against the Elizabethian contextual value of obeying her father. It is deemed acceptable because he is a Jew. PAIM: Paradox as we feel bad she has to live with shylock. Technique: Rhyming couplet, foreshadowing, dramatic irony.

"living daughter curbed by the will of her dead father"

There is a sense of a lack of control and not wanting to break the GCOB which is demonstrated though the character or Portia. The audience reflect personally about feeling obliged to follow their parents desires. PAIM: Paradox. CRIS: Reflect personally. Technique: Irony.