Important Extracts from The Merchant of Venice (4 to 6)

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 laughed at his losses and made fun of his gains. He has looked down upon his nationality, disturbed his business, misguided his friends, and provoked his enemies against him. He asks Salarino as to why he has done all that. Has he done all that because he was a Jew?  

Extract 5.

If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you
tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not
die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are
like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.

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 continues expressing his anger against Antonio in front of Salarino. He tells Salarino that the Jews also have the same feelings and sensitivities. If someone pricks them, they also feel pain and bleed. If someone tickles them, they also laugh; if they are poisoned, they also die. He asks Salarino if they would not revenge when they are wronged. He further tells him that the Jews react like those of the Christians in the same manner, so, they are also human beings like them. He wants to convey to Salarino as to why the Jews are treated differently in the places where they are in minorities.

Extract 6.

Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?
fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is?

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 continues his speech to Salarino by asking him several questions as are quoted in the above lines. He asks Salarino if a Jew has not got eyes, hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, and passions. He also asks him if a Jew does not eat the same type of food, gets hurt with the same weapons, falls ill of the same diseases, recovers with the same medicines. affected by the same seasons like winter and summer in the same manner as is a Christian. He means to tell Salarino that the Jews are also made up of the same elements as flesh, bones, and blood. They have the same feelings as other human beings of other religions. Then as to why they are differentiated?