THE MERCHANTS OF VENICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1. Where did Shylock live? Shylock lived at Venice. 2.

What sort of man was Shylock? Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, was cruel and hardhearted. He lent money to Christian merchants at a very high rate of interest. 3. Why was he disliked by all? Shylock was disliked by all because he lent money at a very high rate of interest and collected the money from the borrowers with severity. 4. Who was Antonio? Antonio was a young merchant of Venice. Unlike Shylock, Antonio was kind hearted and generous. He lent money to people in distress and took no interest for the money he lent. Why did Shylock hate Antonio? Shylock was a hard hearted usurer. He exacted the payment of the money he lent with severity. Antonio, unlike Shylock, helped people in distress by lending money without taking any interest for the amount. Moreover, he used to scold him for lending money at a very high rate of interest and his hard dealings. 5. What did Shylock secretly meditate? Shylock, who hated Antonio bitterly, secretly meditated revenge. 6. Who was Antonios friend? Bassanio, a noble Venetian, was Antonios friend. 7. How did Bassanio wish to repair his fortune? Bassanio, a young man of high rank with small fortune, lived beyond his means and so was in need of money. Antonio used to help him by lending him money. Bassanio wished to repair his fortune by a wealthy marriage with a rich lady. 8. How could Bassanio know that he would be no unwelcome suitor? The speechless messages sent from the eyes of the lady that Bassanio loved suggested that he would be no unwelcome suitor. 9. Why did Antonio and Bassanio go to Shylock? Bassanio wanted money to furnish himself befitting the lover about to marry the wealthy lady he loved. As Antonio had no money by him, he took Bassanio to Shylock to ask the Jew to lend him three thousand ducats. Antonio was willing to pay any interest that Shylock might charge for the money that he wanted to borrow. 10. What did Shylock think within himself when Antonio came to him for borrowing three thousand ducats? When Antonio came to Shylock for borrowing three thousand ducats, he found it the golden opportunity to take revenge on Antonio. Antony was his sworn enemy as he hated the Jewish nation. He used to lend money to others without taking any interest. Among the merchants Antony railed against his practice of charging high interest for the money he lent to others. Shylock vowed to take revenge saying

that his tribe should remain cursed if he let such an opportunity slip from his hands. 11. What did Shylock say to Antonio when he asked him once again if he would lend the money? Finding Shylock engrossed in his thoughts, Antonio asked him if he was willing to lend him money. Shylock replied that in spite of the ill treatment meted out to him by Antonio, he was ready to help him by lending him the money he wanted. He remembered how Antonio had railed at him about his monies and his usuries and then had called him unbeliever, cutthroat and dog. Telling him that he would call him so if he is given an opportunity, Antonio asked him to lend him money not to him as to a friend but to him as to an enemy. Shylock replied that he would be friends with him and lend him money taking no interest for his money. 12. What surprised Antonio? Antonio never expected that Shylock would lend him money for which he would take no interest. This seemingly kind offer greatly surprised Antonio. On what condition did Shylock promise to lend Antonio three thousand ducats? Shylock was ready to lend Antonio money on one condition. Antonio should go with him to a lawyer, and there sign in merry sport a bond, that if he did not repay the money by a certain day, he would forfeit a pound of flesh, to be cut off from any part of his body that Shylock pleased. 13. What did Bassanio say to Antonio when Antonio consented to sign the bond? Bassanio who did not like the condition imposed by Shylock. Therefore he said that Antonio should not sign to such a bond for him. 14. What was Antonios reply? Antonio did not see any danger lurking in the condition imposed by Shylock. He said that he would sign it, for that before the day of payment came, his ships would return laden with many times the value of the money. 15. Why did Shylock call the Christians suspicious people? When Shylock found Antonio being persuaded by Bassanio not to sign the bond he called the Christians suspicious people. He thought that their own hard dealings taught them to suspect the thoughts of others. 16. Was Antonio right in signing the bond? Why did he sign the bond with out a second thought? No, Antonio was not right in signing the bond. He was not practical and he lacked foresight. He signed the bond against the advice of Bassanio, who did not like his friend running the hazard of that shocking penalty for his sake.

Antonio signed the bond without a second thought, thinking it really was merely in sport. 17. Where did the rich heiress Bassanio wanted to marry live? The rich heiress that Basssanio wished to marry lived near Venice, at a place called Belmont. 18. What was her name? Her name was Portia, 18. What sort of woman was Portia? Portia was graceful and intelligent. In the graces of her person and her mind she was not inferior to the legendary Portia, who was Catos daughter, and the wife of Brutus. 19. What did Bassanio do on receiving the money from Antonio? Bassanio being so kindly supplied with money by his friend Antonio, at the hazard of his life, set out for Belmont with a splendid train, and attended by a gentleman of the name Gratiano. 20. What did Bassanio confess to Portia? Bassanio confessed to Portia that he had no fortune and that his high birth and noble ancestry was all that he could boast of.