A Pound of Flesh
Question and answers.
Pg 60. Shylock justifies his demand for the
pound of flesh by establishing it as a purchased product of which he is the rightful owner. He
extends the metaphor by comparing it to purchased slaves who work according to the whims
and fancies of their masters.
Pg 61. After hearing the talk on the quality of mercy Portia emerges as a smart and clever
lawyer. Not only she epitomizes the talents of oratory but also of humanity and sensitiveness to
human suffering. She emerges as a strong and rational person in the play.
Comprehension:
A.
1. Antonio was a businessman who borrowed money from Shylock, a moneylender. Shylock
was a miserly and cunning person. Antonio did not trust Shylock, and Shylock was jealous of
him. They both hated each other.
2. The bargain that was struck between Antonio and Shylock was that if Antonio could not pay
back his loan which he took without interest, then on the designated day, Antonio would have to
give a pound of his flesh in return.
3. The Duke of Venice played the role of a mediator. He tried to convince Shylock to forgo his
claim. His views on the matter were that ultimately Shylock would show mercy on Antonio. He
also said that all the people were thinking that Shylock will lessen his monetary debt with
compassion.
4. Portia's solution was very intelligent. She said that Shylock had asked for a pound of
Antonio's flesh. So, Shylock, while cutting the flesh would not spill even a single drop of blood. If
a drop was spilled, Shylock's property would be confiscated.
5. Shylock was adamant on taking the pound of flesh. He was not willing to take even thrice the
amount he had lent. However, Portia's presence of mind brought an end to Shylock's unjust
claim. So he met with his doom. He had to give away half of his property to Antonio as a
punishment.
6. The moral of the play does not confine itself to a single message. It shows what friendship is
all about. From this play, we learn that it is
always best to show mercy because it is an attribute of God himself and therefore greater than
power.
B. Reference to context.
1.
(a) The speaker of the line is Shylock.
(b) Antonio had borrowed money from him.
(c) He wanted to take a pound of Antonio's flesh instead of money because he hated Christians
and there was great animosity between them. He wanted to take revenge as previously, Jews
were shown no mercy.
2.
(a) According to the above lines, a person shows mercy not just for the sake of it. However,
mercy comes naturally to one, and it comes like rain as a double. blessing. These lines are
spoken by Portia who had come to the court in the guise of a lawyer.
(b) Mercy is a characteristic of strong and brave people. It is greater than the king. Mercy is a
quality of God himself.
(c) According to the speaker, Shylock should show mercy he wants it. The speaker also if said
that Shylock must show mercy because he was being unreasonable. Shylock's reason for not
showing mercy was that he had paid a lot for the pound of flesh, and he wanted justice.
3.
(a) The speaker of the above line is Bassanio.
(b) He is requesting the Duke to use his authority and do justice.
(c) The cruel devil is Shylock.
