THE MERCHANT VENICE

Act Four, Scene One

What does the Duke believe Antonio intends to do?

He believes Antonio is going to show Shylock mercy.

What does Shylock intend to do?

Shylock intends to receive his pound of flesh from Antonio immediately, the reasoning for this is that both of them agreed on the proposed bond that Antonio failed to repay.

Why must this law be allowed to stand (why can't the judge dismiss this case)?

Because if this bond is overruled it would threaten the legal security in Venice. 

Shylock is very clear about the restrictions in the wording of the deed. How does Portia use these loopholes? 

Portia found and used three loopholes- the first being no blood is to be spilt or else his land will be confiscated. The second is that Shylock is not to take more or less than the agreed pound of flesh or his land would be confiscated. The third is that any foreign person who attempts to murder someone in Venice would have half of his possessions given to the victim and half to the state. 

What penalties does Shylock now have to pay? Are they fair?

Shylock now has to have half of his possessions taken and given to Antonio, and the other half given to the state of Venice. They are fair because Shylock did break the law. 

How do Lorenzo and Jessica gain by the result? 

Antonio said that he would go along with Shylock's punishments as long as his money was put in a trust to give to Lorenzo and Jessica. The pair receive a large sum of money due to this.

What reward has Portia claimed and why is this significant?

She claimed the wedding ring of her husband, the ring that Bassanio agreed not to ever lose or give away. 

Portia tells Shylock 'the quality of mercy is not strained'. How does she try to persuade Shylock to show mercy, how much mercy is she willing to show him?

Portia makes a long speech about mercy, quoting, "No one shows mercy because he has to." She is willing to show him mercy. 

In A4S1 Antonio gives us three short images of how useless any attempt by Bassanio to save his life will be. 

What are they? 

"You might as well go stand on the beach and ask the ocean to get smaller. You might as well ask a wolf why he killed the lamb and made its mother cry. You might as well tell the pine trees on the mountain to stop waving their treetops when the storms blow through them."

- Do you think this is an effective way of demonstrating the problem?

Yes - by using these words it portrays a sense of helplessness that Shakespeare wanted to demonstrate in this situation. 

- Each example is an extreme and an impossible, what influence does this have on how your expect the rest of the scene to develop.

In Act Four Scene One, Shylock uses vivid comparisons when he wants to make a point.

- What example does he use to illustrate the fact that the pound of flesh is his ('tis mine and I will have it). 

The example Shylock uses is comparing the terrible living conditions slaves are resorted to, and how the owners of these slaves (such as Antonio and other Christians) ignore other people telling them to stop just because they are their own slave and they think they can treat them how they want because of this. Shylock compares this to himself refusing to listen to other people because the pound of flesh is already his, he claims.

- It is much longer than the three used by Antonio but do you think it is more striking/effective/convincing?

Yes, I believe it is more effective because he relates Antonio personally to his own doing.