DRAMA – THE

MERCHANT OF VENICE
Q. - Write a character analysis on the following : Antonio, Shylock,
Bassanio, Portia and Nerissa. Write about all the suitors mentioned by
Nerissa. How did Portia react to each?

CHARACTER ANALYSIS :-
ANTONIO - The merchant whose love for his
friend Bassanio prompts him to sign Shylock’s
contract and almost lose his life. Antonio is
something of a mercurial figure, often inexplicably
melancholy and, as Shylock points out, possessed
of an incorrigible dislike of Jews. Nonetheless,
Antonio is beloved of his friends and proves
merciful to Shylock, albeit with conditions.

SHYLOCK - A Jewish moneylender in Venice.

Angered by his mistreatment at the hands of Venice’s
Christians, particularly Antonio, Shylock schemes to
eke out his revenge by ruthlessly demanding as
payment a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Shylock at times
diverges from stereotype and reveals himself to be
quite human. These contradictions, and his eloquent
expressions of hatred, have earned Shylock a place as
one of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters.

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 BASSANIO - A gentleman of Venice, a kinsman and
dear friend to Antonio. Bassanio’s love for the wealthy
Portia leads him to borrow money from Shylock with
Antonio as his guarantor. An ineffectual businessman,
Bassanio proves himself a worthy suitor, correctly
identifying the casket that contains Portia’s portrait.

PORTIA - A wealthy heiress from Belmont. Portia’s

beauty is matched only by her intelligence. Bound by a
clause in her father’s will that forces her to marry
whichever suitor chooses correctly among three caskets,
Portia is nonetheless able to marry her true love, Bassanio.
Far and away the most clever of the play’s characters, it is
Portia, in the disguise of a young law clerk, who saves
Antonio from Shylock’s knife.

NERISSA - Portia’s lady-in-waiting and confidante.

She marries Gratiano and escorts Portia on Portia’s
trip to Venice by disguising herself as her law clerk.

THE SIX SUITORS :-

The first six suitors come to Belmont, and after they depart, Portia speaks with
Nerissa about them.
1. The Neapolitan Prince : Portia, who calls him a "colt" [meaning a stallion]
describes this man as obsessed with his horse and its sterling qualities. He boasts
of his skills in shoeing his horse himself. Drolly, Portia says that she suspects that
the prince's mother must have "played wrong [had an affair] with a [black]smith"
, implying that she was a mare.
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2. The Count Palatine : Portia describes this man of royalty as perpetually
frowning. His gloomy nature permits him no joy. For instance, “He hears merry
tales and smiles not." Portia adds that if she marries such a melancholy man, it
will be like living with "the weeping philosopher"; that is, another Heraclitus, a
pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, who perceived all things as one.
3. Monsieur Le Bon : Portia cannot identify any real personality in this man: " . .
. . He is every man in no man."
4. Falconbridge : Portia says that this young baron from England speaks none of
the languages that she knows. She describes the Englishman as having no real
identity, either, since his manner of dress indicates nothing about him. He wears a
doublet from Italy, his round hose [a lower garment that functions both as
stockings and breeches] from France, and his "bonnet" from Germany. Portia
adds that his behavior also comes from everywhere.
5. The Scottish lord : With Portia's description, Shakespeare satirizes the Scots.
Portia tells Nerissa that when the Scotsman was boxed on the ear by the
Englishman, he promised to pay the Englishman back with the aid of the
Frenchman. (This is a sarcastic remark directed toward the French who failed on
several occasions to provide promised assistance to the Scots against the
English.)
6. The young German, a nephew of the Duke of Saxony : Portia indicates the
German's inclination for drinking as she finds him to be inebriated all day long.
She says that she hopes to find a way to live without him.

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 Q. - Discuss Shylock as either victim or villain, with reference to his
performance in the Merchant of Venice? Explore whether Shylock’s
speech in 3.1 changes the play's overall tone from prejudiced to
sympathy to Jews and/or Shylock.

SHYLOCK, A VICTIM OR A VILLAN?

When we take into account circumstances that took place before the play, as
well as what happens over the course of the plot, Shylock begins to seem a
victim than a villain, and his fate seems excessively harsh. In addition to the
abuse Antonio and other Christians routinely subject him to, Shylock lost his
beloved wife, Leah. His daughter, Jessica, runs away from home with money
and jewels she has stolen from him, including a ring Leah gave him before
she died. Although, Solanio reports that Shylock was equally upset by the
loss of his money as his daughter (“My daughter! O my ducats! O my
daughter!”)
As we learn from Shylock himself, the Christians of Venice are happy to
borrow money from him, but refuse to accept him as part of Venetian society
because they equate his religion with Satan. Shylock has been treated as less
than human his whole life, because he is not a Christian. Hence I believe that
Shylock was a Victim rather than a Villian.

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 SHYLOCK’S SPEECH IN ACT 3 SCENE 1
Yes, Shylock’s speech in Act 3 Scene 1
changes the play's overall tone from
prejudiced to sympathy to Jews and Shylock.
This speech is a very famous one; it exhibits
empathy and understanding of its antagonist’s
motives in a way that only Shakespeare can
muster. Shylock’s following speech denotes
his lack of sympathy towards Antonio’s
current situation and how he now has to
provide a pound of flesh to Shylock.
Along with this, the speech provides a further understanding to the deep rooted
history of Shylock’s mistreatment by Antonio and other Christians. Shylock’s
speech of his past mistreatments by others, stirs resentment in Shylock and further
fuels his need to seek out revenge. Overall, Shylock’s mistreatment by others creates
a character that has been victimized and mistreated by others. Shylock provides the
connotation that not much difference exists between Christians and Jews, and both
are equal as human beings. He does this comparison in order to further add to the
justification that he is in his every right for revenge just as a person of Christian
faith. While the conflict between Antonio and Shylock is a major part of the play, it
can be interpreted as representing the greater conflict between Jews and Christians.

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 POEM : THE HEART OF
THE TREE
Q. - In what ways is the poem relevant in our times? How can trees save
the earth from Global warming and Climate Change?

HOW IS THE HEART OF THE

TREE RELEVANT?
Henry Bunner’s poem “The Heart of
the Tree” is undoubtedly a wake-up
call for the human race in the wake
of the growing environmental
pollution and global warming of late.
The poem is very relevant in an age
when rapid and reckless development
and urbanisation are taking their toll on the environment.
It can therefore be truly said the poet sees this impending destruction of
the world and the human race if some immediate steps are not taken to
save nature and this poem is his voice for raising an appeal to plant more
and more trees, as only trees can save the world from this probable
calamity. Henry Bunner’s poem truly motivates people in plantation as it
chooses to show the greatness of the man who plants a tree rather than
just saying the usefulness of trees. Bunner hails that man not only plants
a tree but also beautifies the surroundings, gives home to birds and
animals, brings rains and cool shade, helps the future generations by
planting their harvest and a forest’s heritage, shows his love and

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blessings for his neighbours as well as his civic sense, and most
importantly helps in the nation’s growth. Thus, the poet goes on to
highlight the theme of environmental awareness and appeals people to
plant more trees in a brilliant way through his poem.

SHORT STORY : A FACE

IN THE DARK
Q. - Mr. Oliver's encounter with the boy and the watchman could either
be real or a figment of his imagination. Give your comments in the
context of the story. Explain why you think so.

OLIVER’S ENCOUNTER : REAL

OR IMAGINATION?
As per my thoughts and experience, I do not believe in supernatural
being. Based on this opinion, I believe that Mr. Oliver's encounter with
the faceless boy and the watchman could be seen as a figment of his
imagination.
Mr. Oliver who was a bachelor, was not a nervous or imaginative man
yet it is possible that out of his fear, anxiety and loneliness he might
really be imagining some strange things. It is ironical that Oliver gets to
see the ''face in the dark'', and when the torch light falls on the boy he is
rendered faceless. It can be deducted that human being, like Oliver
experience bliss in ignorance. Till the time he is not aware of the reality,
he has concern for the boy, a moment later, the strange scene frightens
him and he runs to save his life. Ruskin Bond's stories generally have
revelation of many moments of loneliness and anxiety. It can also be

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read in a way that Oliver being a bachelor is lonely and needs company
but all he gets are ''faceless'' faces. It might also have happened that a
mischievous school boy might have played a prank with him.

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