Summary-The Merchant of Venice-William Shakespeare-Act IV

 Day 13: Summary-The Merchant of Venice-William Shakespeare-Act IV

The Duke invites Portia, who is disguised as a law doctor, to dine with him at his residence. But, Portia very humbly says that she has to go back to Padua immediately. So, she won’t be able to dine with him.

Bassanio and Antonio express their gratitude to Portia for the service she rendered in the court. Bassanio offers Portia three thousand ducats, but she does not accept that and says that whenever they meet again, they should remember him(Portia).

But, Bassanio still insists Portia accept money as a gift. Then Portia demands two things: the gloves from Antonio and the ring worn by Bassanio; but the latter (Bassanio ) says that he would get the most precious ring made for him (Portia), but he was unable to give the ring that he desires to have from him.

Bassanio says:

´Good Sir, this ring was given me by my wife/ And when she put it on, she made me vow that I should neither give nor lose it.’

Portia again makes an attempt to get the ring from Bassanio. But Bassanio is not ready to part from that ring. Then they leave the place with a blessing of peace to him.

Portia and Nerissa exist on the stage.

Then Antonio advises Bassanio to send the rings to the lawyer and convinces him to do that. Gratiano is sent to deliver the ring to Portia. After that, Antonio and Gratiano also leave the stage.

Act IV Scene (ii)

Portia [as a lawyer] and Nerissa are left on the stage. Portia tells Nerrisa to find out the Jew’s house and get the document signed by him. Then Gratiano also enters there. He gives the ring to Portia. He also invites them (Portia and Nerissa) on behalf of Antonio to dine with them at his home. Portia accepts the ring thankfully, but she shows an inability to dine with them.

She also asks Gratiano to help Nerrisa (clerk) to reach Shylock’s house to get the documents signed. Gratiano is ready to do that also.

Now Nerrisa talks to Portia about something aside from her desire to get the ring from her husband Gratiano. Portia allows her to do so. She tells Nerissa that later on, they would tease their husbands saying that they have given their rings to some other women and have fun. All exist. 

Act V Scene (i)  Setting: Belmont: Avenue to Portia’s house

Lorenzo and Portia are conversing together in the most romantic manner. Both of them refer to ancient Greek mythology in a very poetic manner.

The moonlit starry night adds much to the romantic atmosphere created by the dramatist. Shakespeare refers to an ancient tale of Troy. Troilus, who loved Cressida, mounted the Trojan walls and made his way to the Grecian tents, where Cressida was present there.

 

We also have another reference here about Pyramus and Thisbe, who were lovers in ancient Babylon.

 

They had promised to meet each other at night, which was similarly beautiful as it is now when Lorenzo and Jessica are talking together  on a moonlit starry night.

First, Thisbe reached the place, but she found a lion there. She at once ran away from there in fear. While running, her cloak got stuck there. It was picked up by the lion and thus, some blood stains were left on it.

When Pyramus arrived there, he found Thisbe’s cloak lying there. He noticed some bloodstains on it and concluded that his beloved must have been killed by some wild animal. so he killed himself. After some time, Thisbe also came back. She saw her lover’s dead body lying there. So, she killed herself in dismay.

 

Now, Lorenzo refers to Dido, who stood on the same type of night with a willow stick in her hand. Dido was the queen of Carthage, who had fallen in love with Aeneas, a great Trojan warrior who had founded the city of Rome.

After staying with her for a few months, he left her broken-hearted and sailed away to his native place. But love-torn Dido kept hoping against hope that her lover would one day come back. But he did not turn up. One night while walking on the seashore, she killed herself in frustration. Shakespeare writes that it was also the same type of starry, calm, and moonlit night as it was there when Lorenzo and Jessica were talking together.

One more reference we find here is about the classical hero Jason. His wife Medea practised enchantment. Here, Shakespeare says that it would have been the same type of starry, moonlit, and calm night when she gathered herbs of magical properties to be administered to her old father-in-law in order to bring back his lost youth.

It was the same type of night when Jessica stole valuables from her father's house and fled away with a Christian boy, Lorenzo.

Now they start teasing each other by blaming for infidelity. Jessica says that on such a night, Lorenzo swore to her that he loved her and promised to be true to his words forever; thus, he had stolen her heart.

At this Lorenzo also says that on such a night his beloved Jessica, like a quarrelsome woman, had slandered her lover and he had forgiven her.

After that, a messenger, named Stepheno, enters there and informs them that Portia is about to reach her mansion before daybreak. Then Lorenzo and Jessica start going back inside the house to make a presentation for giving a warm welcome to her.