Important-Extracts-The Merchant of Venice ( 9 to 11)

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 the Christians have taught him to do cruelty, he would prove crueler to them.

Thus, Shylock justifies his revenge on Antonio in the above lines.

Extract 10.

How many cowards, whose hearts are all as false
As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins
The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars,
Who, inward search'd, have livers white as milk;
And these assume but valour's excrement(90)
To render them redoubted! Look

Context: These lines have been taken from The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare, Act III, Scene (II). The speaker is Bassanio. He is thinking deeply to make a decision about the right casket. He is giving logic upon logic to reach the right decision.

Explanation: Bassanio speaks that there are so many fake people in the world. They wear a false look on their faces. They try to show that they are as courageous a Hercules and as powerful as Mars were. They pretend to look fierce and brave just to frighten others. But, when they face real danger, they turn out to be chicken-hearted. Bassanio just wants to say that outward appearances are often deceptive in this world. So he reaches the conclusion that the gold casket has an outward shine to deceive people.

Extract 11.

First go with me to church, and call me wife,
And then away to Venice to your friend;
For never shall you lie by Portia's side
With an unquiet soul.

Reference to the Context: These lines have been taken from The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare, Act III, Scene (II).Bassanio has won Portia’s hand by choosing the right casket. Both of them are extremely happy. But at the same time, Bassanio receives a message that his friend Antonio is in great trouble. Shylock has filed a case against him in the Duke’s court to take revenge on him. Bassanio tells everything about the loan case to Portia. At that time, she utters the above lines to Bassanio.

Explanation: Portia also feels shocked and sad as Bassanio tells her all the reality about the loan and Antonio. She at once advises Bassanio to help his friend at once. But before that, they would go to Church and marry each other. After that, Bassanio would go to Venice to help Antonio. She also says that her husband, Bassanio, would never be peaceful as long as his friend Antonio is in difficulty. So their unmarried life would be disturbed until or unless Antonio comes out of his difficult time.

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?

Important Extracts from the Merchant of Venice

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 inherited from his father. Second, Bassanio appreciates her beauty by calling her ‘fairer’ than the word ‘fair’. Third, she is a virtuous lady. After that, Bassanio tries to prove his point that it was not his one-sided infatuation. He had received ‘speechless messages’ from her. It means that her facial expression also show that she also likes Bassanio. Lastly, he tells Antonio her name. He says that she is Portia. He also adds that one cannot undervalue her to Cato’s daughter and Brutus’ wife Portia of antique, who was the Roman heroine. By referring to the Roman Portia, he brings about the point that Portia of Belmont is no less rich and virtuous than Portia of the antique world.

  

Extract 2: Act 1, scene III

Mark you this, Bassanio,
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing holy witness
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek;
A goodly apple rotten at the heart;(100)
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!

Reference to the Context: The above lines occur in Act I scene III of the Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare. These lines  are spoken by Antonio to Bassanio. Both of them are in Shylock’s house. They are talking about loan of three thousand ducats to be taken from Shylock. But Shylock demands a very high rate of interest. To justify this, he, he quotes (gives) an example from the Bible he says that profit is a blessing as long as one does not steal it.

Explanation: Antonio tells Bassanio that a devil-like person can also cite (quote/give) an example from a religious book like the Bible to gain profit. He wants to serve his selfish motive of convincing others to show that he is not doing any wrong by charging high rate of interest. An evil-minded person using holy books to justify his wrong action is like a villain with a smiling face. He is like an attractive apple that is rotten at the very core. Antonio expresses his surprise as to how people, to quote Hamlet, ‘may smile and smile’ and are villains from inside.

Extract 3. Act II, Scene VII

All that glitters is not gold,
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold,
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.(70)
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Reference to the Context: These lines have been taken from The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare, Act II, Scene VII. The Prince of Morocco decides to open the gold casket. He demands the key from Portia. She gives it to the Prince.

Explanation: The Prince of Morocco opens the gold casket. He is terribly shocked to see a human skull inside it. There is also a scroll of paper in the empty socket of its one eye. Then he reads that ‘All that glitters is not gold…’. It means that the outward shine of things may be misguiding. Many men may become slave to the shine on a human face. They do not care for their own voice of conscience. They do not try to find the truth at the deeper level of the things or human beings. People are impressed by the gilded (covered with gold plate) tombs. In reality, inside the shiny tombs, there may be worms in thousands. A shiny apple may be rotten at the very core.

This applies in real life also. People may be attractive outwardly, but they may be villains from inside.

The human skull farther tells the Prince of Morocco that if he had been as wise as he was bold, young in body and wise in his judgment, he had not got the answer written on a scroll of paper. Rather he would have received the portrait of beautiful Portia instead of the human skull with a scroll of paper.