English Literature Made Easy for Students

Extract 9. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute; and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. Context: The above lines have been taken from The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare, Act III, Scene (i) Salarino asks Shylock what good he would do with Antonio’s flesh in case he does not pay him loan on time. Then Shylock speaks the above lines to him. Shylock continues explaining why a Jew should not take revenge on Antonio by taking a pound of his flesh. Explanation: He tells Salarino that if a Jew wrongs a Christian, then he is severely punished. But when a Christian does the same type of harm to a Jew, in that case, the same treatment should be given to a Christian also. He further adds that Shylock must take revenge on Antonio because he has also been wronged by Antonio, a Christian. Since ...

Important Extracts from The Merchant of Venice (According to the List) Extract 4. To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew:… Reference to the Context: These lines have been taken from The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare, Act III, Scene (i).Salarino asks Shylock what good he would do with Antonio’s flesh in case he does not pay him a loan on time. Then Shylock speaks the above lines to him. Explanation: Shylock tells Salarino that he would use Antonio’s flesh for bait to catch fish. He adds that it would feed his anger if it does not feed anything else. Then vents (expresses) his anger by saying that Antonio has disgraced him publically. He has caused a loss of at least five lakh ducats. Antonio has la...

Important Extracts from the Merchant of Venice According to the list: Extract 1. Act I Scene (I) In Belmont is a lady richly left, And she is fair, and, fairer than that word, Of wondrous virtues. Sometimes from her eyes I did receive fair speechless messages: Her name is Portia; nothing undervalued(170) To Cato's daughter, Brutus'   Portia. Reference to the Context: These lines occur/have been taken from ‘The Merchant of Venice’, Act I, Scene(i) written by William Shakespeare. Bassanio is speaking to Antonio, his friend. We already know that both are very good friends. Bassanio needs money, so he is making the background to borrow it from Antonio. He wants to go to Belmont to impress Portia to make his life-partner. Antonio had also asked Bassanio to tell about the lady he was so much interested in. Explanation: In the above lines, Bassanio is trying to explain the qualities that Portia possessed. First, he tells him about a ‘huge amount’ she had inh...

                                  A.     Elements of Theatre 1.The Text/Script/Scenario/Plan: The text or the script: The text or the script is the basic need of theatre. Without text or script, no performance on stage can take place. The dramatist or the playwright writes text. Various characters speak the text according to the roles given to them. 2. Performance/Process: Performance takes place when the script is given to the characters of the play. The director guides the characters and helps them to take best performance out of them. The characters are also helped directly or indirectly by several other crew members like junior actors, designers, technicians, dancers, musicians, make-up men, etc. to produce best performance on the stage. 3. The Audience: The audience is also one of the most imp...

 ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Chapter One Importance of the title of the first scene or the opening scene of the first chapter. Ans. The title ‘Sherlock Holmes’ given to the first chapter of the novel is quite appropriate. After reading it, we come to know that Sherlock Holmes is going to play a pivotal (important) role in the novel. This chapter also introduces us with another character whose name is Dr. Watson, who is an assistant to Sherlock Holmes. This character has been introduced here to highlight the outstanding qualities of the main character, Sherlock Holmes. The situation is that a person, whose name they come to know in the later part of this chapter, visits their office in their absence. His stick is found in the office. Now they are   to reveal the mystery of that stick. They forward inferences according to their understanding. Dr. watson’s observations prove to be erroneous and Sherlock Holmes studies the case minutely and...