Places
What is the setting (time and place) of the play?
place: Venice, Italy
time: the 1500s/16th century/Renaissance/ Elizabethan times
Who is the "merchant of Venice"?
Antonio
Who is the "villain" of the play? What is one of his character traits? Give evidence.
Shylock
He is portrayed as "greedy" - he lends money for interest (usury).
What is the term that describes prejudice or discrimination against Jews?
anti-semitism
What is the term for comparing two things using "like" or "as"? Give an example.
simile
"She is as pure as snow."
Where were Jews forced to live in Venice?
the ghetto
Who is a rich heiress?
Portia
Who is Portia's best friend? What is one character trait? Give evidence.
Nerissa - trustworthy. She discusses and critiques the suitors with Portia.
What is the central conflict of the play?
the bond between Antonio and Shylock
What is the term to describe the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in a phrase or line? Give an example.
alliteration
"lady richly left"
Where does Portia live?
Belmont
Who needs to borrow money in Act I?
Bassanio
Who elopes with Jessica? What is one character trait?
Give evidence.
Lorenzo - tolerant and loving
He helps Jessica run away so they can be married, despite her Jewish identity.
Which 2 themes are connected to Portia's suitors having to choose one of the caskets?
Appearance v Reality and Fathers & Daughters
or Gender Inequality
What is a literary device that compares a person to an animal? Give an example.
zoomorphism
He is a dirty dog.
Where do Jessica and Lorenzo go on their honeymoon?
Genoa
Who is in love with Lorenzo?
Jessica
Who are the characters who discuss Antonio's sadness and also his ships? What is one character trait? Give evidence.
Solanio and Salarino
Prejudiced - they make fun of Shylock losing his daughter and his money.
Why is Jessica's decision to run away so distressing to Shylock?
She is sacrificing her religion and her identity, thereby giving up her relationship with Shylock, and is also taking his money and jewels.
What is the term that mentions something (a book, a character, a religious term or mythological figure) without directly explaining it? Give an example.
allusion
Cupid shot me in the heart.
What is the name of the main "street" of Venice, also known as the center of business?
the Rialto
Who is Shylock's servant who leaves to work for Bassanio?
Lancelot
Who is Shylock's friend? What is one character trait? Give evidence.
Tubal - knowledgable
He reports to Shylock about Jessica and Lorenzo in Genoa and also reveals that Antonio has lost his ships.
Explain the following quote. Who says it? Which theme is present here?
"I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano:
A stage where every man must play a part,
And mine a sad one." (I, i, 77-79)
Antonio is saying it to his friend Gratiano to express his sadness. He thinks he is destined to be sad, that somehow it is his fate. The theme is Appearance v Reality, indicating that the face people show the world is not truly who they are inside.
What is the term for asking a question without expecting an answer? Give an example.
rhetorical question
"Hath not a Jew eyes?"