The Merchant of Venice Act I Scene 3 Workbook Answers and Explanations

Act I Scene 3

Context Questions

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
(i) Give the conditions to which Antonio is bound. How wise was Antonio to bind himself to such conditions?
(ii) Give the meaning of:
May you stead me? will you pleasure me?
(iii) Shylock says that Antonio is a good man. What does Shylock mean with the connotation 'good'?
(iv) Enumerate the possible threats to Antonio's business ventures as stated by Shylock, after the above extract.
(v) How can it be proved that Antonio is a prudent businessman but he is overconfident?
Answer:
(i) Antonio is bound to a bond according to which if he fails to repay the amount in due time, Shylock will be entitled to take an exact pound of flesh from any part of Antonio's body that he may wish. It was very unwise of Antonio to misjudge Shylock's intentions and sign such a fatal bond.
(ii) Can you help me and will you do me this favour?
(iii) When Shylock says the above words, he means that Antonio is a reliable man, whose surety is sufficient to give a loan.
(iv) Shylock enumerates the possible dangers to Antonio's merchandise - ships being only planks of wood are apt to be broken; the mariners being merely human beings, are liable to be drowned; there are pirates on the waters; and there are all the dangers of the ocean from the gales, tempests and dangerous rocks.
(v) Antonio can be considered as a prudent businessman as his wealth is distributed over the whole world. One of Antonio's ship is on its journey to Tripolis, another is bound for the Indies, a third is voyaging to Mexico, fourth to England and others to various other distant places. He is so overconfident of his riches that he agrees to an unreasonable and dangerous bond.
In simple words: Antonio agrees to a dangerous deal where Shylock can cut off a pound of his flesh if he cannot pay back the loan on time. Antonio is very sure of himself because he has many ships all over the world, so he thinks there is no way he will fail to pay the money.

📝 Teacher's Note: Explain the term 'surety' as financial guarantee. Help students identify the dramatic irony where Antonio's confidence in his 'distributed wealth' actually becomes the very trap Shylock uses against him.

🎯 Exam Tip: When listing the threats to the ships, use the specific terms used by Shylock like 'land-rats', 'water-rats', and 'pippin' (pirates) to score higher marks.

Question 2.
(i) What is meant by 'a fawning publican'? Give three reasons why Shylock hates Antonio.
(ii) Give the meaning of:
(a) low simplicity: childish foolishness
(b) gratis: free of interest.
(c) rate of usance: rate of interest.
(iii) Write the meaning of the following in your own words:
If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
(iv) What old grudge does Shylock have against Antonio?
(v) What does the 'sacred nation' refer to? What insults has Antonio heaped upon Shylock?
(vi) How does Shylock plan to get the money immediately? What light does this extract throw on Shylock's character?
Answer:
(i) Publicans were tax collectors for the Romans and were generally oppressive. They were hated by the Jews because they were agents of Rome, who collected taxes also from the Jews. Publican is a natural term of contempt and loathing in the mouth of a Jew. Shylock hates Antonio because he is a Christian, lends money without interest and hurls abuses on him.
(ii) (a) childish foolishness (b) free of interest (c) rate of interest.
(iii) The above words mean that if Shylock could get hold of Antonio at a disadvantage or in a weak spot, he will satisfy fully the long-standing hatred he has against him.
(iv) Shylock had a long-standing grudge against Antonio because Antonio was a Christian and looked upon the holy Jewish race with contempt. He used to lend money without interest and thus, bring down the rate of interest. He even spat on Shylock, kicked him and called him a 'cut-throat dog'.
(v) 'The Sacred Nation' is a reference to the holy Jewish race. Antonio insults Shylock for his business deals and for earning profit by lending money on interest.
(vi) Shylock plans to get money immediately from a wealthy fellow-Jew Tubal. It shows that Shylock wants to execute the bond as soon as possible and use the chance to take his revenge on Antonio.
In simple words: Shylock hates Antonio for both religious and business reasons. He wants to catch Antonio in a weak position so he can finally get revenge for all the times Antonio insulted him and hurt his profits by lending money for free.

📝 Teacher's Note: The phrase "catch him upon the hip" is a wrestling term. Explain how this metaphor reveals Shylock's predatory intent to completely overpower his opponent.

🎯 Exam Tip: Ensure you distinguish between the 'financial' reason (bringing down usury rates) and the 'racial/religious' reason (Christianity and antisemitism) for Shylock's hatred.

Question 3.
(i) What topic is referred to in the extract? Who were Jacob and Abraham?
(ii) Give the story of Jacob who got his share as his payment from Laban.
(iii) What is the difference between taking interest and receiving payment for one's labour?
(iv) What role did Jacob's wise mother play to make him the third possessor?
(v) How does Antonio interpret Jacob's success after this extract?
Answer:
(i) The topic referred to in the extract is lending money for interest. Jacob was the second son of Isaac who became the third successor to Abraham. Abraham was the founder of the Hebrew nation and Jacobs' grandfather.
(ii) Laban was Jacob's uncle. Jacob and Laban entered into an agreement that Jacob would receive as his wages the lambs which were born with spots or stripes. During the breeding season, Jacob arranged the wooden rods in such a way that the shadows of the rods should fall on the sheep. Consequently, most of the lambs were born spotted or stripped, and thus, they became Jacob's property.
(iii) Taking interest means to charge specific amounts on the money given as loan for a specified period. Receiving payment for one's labour means to take remuneration for one's service rendered. This is legitimate while taking interest is not in order.
(iv) Esau and Jacob were Isaac's sons. Isaac wanted to bless his elder son Esau but would do so after he brought him some savoury meat. Jacob's mother Rebecca overheard this conversation. She wanted to get this blessing for Jacob. She told Jacob to fetch two goats to make a savoury dish; Rebecca then asked Jacob to go to his blind father with the savoury meat. In this way, Jacob, through the crafty assistance of his mother, got the blessing of his father.
(v) After this extract, Antonio tells Shylock that it was purely a matter of chance in Jacob's case. He had no control over it himself, but providence guided and governed the event. It was not a matter in the hands of men, like the taking of interest.
In simple words: Shylock uses a Bible story about Jacob making a profit to prove that making money through interest is okay. Antonio argues that Jacob's success was an act of God (luck/chance), not a business trick like charging interest on loans.

📝 Teacher's Note: This debate highlights the conflict between the Medieval/Christian view against usury and the rising Merchant/Jewish practice of the time. Use this to discuss how different people use the same texts to justify different behaviors.

🎯 Exam Tip: Be very clear on the names: Jacob's father (Isaac), grandfather (Abraham), and uncle (Laban) to show you understand the biblical lineage referenced in the play.

Question 4.
(i) What is meant by 'shall we be beholding to you'? What is Rialto?
(ii) Give some examples to show that Shylock was ill-treated by Antonio. How did Shylock react to Antonio's insults?
(iii) Why did Shylock bear Antonio's insults patiently?
(iv) Give the causes, financial and racial, for Shylock's hatred for Antonio.
(v) What is the need for Antonio to borrow money from his enemy?
(vi) Which trait of Shylock's character emerges in this scene?
Answer:
(i) 'Shall we be beholding to you' - this statement was made by Antonio and he wants to say to Shylock, "Are you going to lend us money?" Rialto was the Venetian Stock Exchange where the merchants met for the transaction of business.
(ii) Shylock speaks of his ill-treatment at the hands of Antonio. He says that Antonio had spat upon his Jewish robe in contempt and called him an unbeliever and a cur. He had also spat upon his beard. On another day he had pushed him aside with his foot as if he were a stray dog being kicked out of his house. Shylock reacted to Antonio's insults patiently.
(iii) Shylock bore Antonio's insults patiently since, as a shrewd Jew, he was waiting for an opportune time to take revenge on Antonio. Earlier, in the scene Shylock admits that patience is the badge of his race.
(iv) Financially Antonio is a threat to Shylock's money-lending business because he lends money without charging interest and thus brings down the rate of interest charged by money-lenders. Besides, he hates Antonio since he is a Christian, who despises the Jewish race.
(v) Antonio needs to borrow money from his enemy Shylock to give it to Bassanio, his friend so that he can go to Belmont to woo the rich lady Portia.
(vi) In this scene, Shylock is presented as shrewd, cunning and crafty. However, the most evident trait of his character is that of revenge - to take revenge on Antonio for all the insults heaped on him by Antonio. He is eager to execute the bond-document for this purpose.
In simple words: Antonio has treated Shylock terribly, even spitting on him, but Shylock stayed quiet because he was waiting for the right moment to get even. Antonio is only asking for money now to help his friend Bassanio impress a woman named Portia.

📝 Teacher's Note: Discuss the concept of "The Rialto" as the center of the world's commerce in Venice. Use the imagery of spitting on the "Jewish gaberdine" to illustrate the level of social tension and discrimination present in the play.

🎯 Exam Tip: When describing Shylock's character, use keywords like 'shrewd', 'cunning', and 'vindictive'. Don't forget to mention that Antonio's hatred was also based on Shylock's practice of usury.

Question 5.
(i) What were the 'shames' which stained Shylock?
(ii) What is meant by 'the present wants'? On what terms is the speaker willing to supply the wants?
(iii) How does Antonio storm Shylock? Why was Shylock willing to lend money without interest?
(iv) What did the speaker propose to do immediately after this?
(v) What is meant by Shylock when he says, "This is kind I offer?"
(vi) Who is the third person, present at the scene? Why is he reluctant to agree to Shylock's terms?
Answer:
(i) Shylock is referring to the insults hurled on him by Antonio such as speaking abusively of him and his money-lending, spitting on him, kicking him, calling him a dog and ridiculing the Jews.
(ii) 'The present wants' refer to the immediate need of Antonio - three thousand ducats to provide for Bassanio's trip to Belmont to woo Portia. The speaker is ready to supply the wants provided Antonio signs a bond, according to which if Antonio is unable to pay him the money on the specified date, the penalty to be paid will be an exact pound of flesh from any part of Antonio's body.
(iii) Antonio storms Shylock by saying that in future too he is likely to abuse and disgrace him and that he should lend the money as to an enemy rather than a friend. He challenges him to exact the penalty if he fails to repay on time. Shylock is willing to lend the money without interest because he wants to trap Antonio in a fatal bond and take his revenge.
(iv) Immediately after this, the speaker proposes to Antonio to accompany him to a lawyer and execute a bond with his signature wherein the forfeit to be paid will be an exact pound of flesh from any part of Antonio's body.
(v) 'This is kind I offer you' means this is the kindness that I offer you. This refers to his lending of money without charging any interest on it.
(vi) The third person present at the scene is Bassanio. He is reluctant to agree to Shylock's terms because he did not trust the kind words uttered by Shylock. He tells Antonio that he will not have him make such an agreement on his account. He would rather remain as poor as he is now and do without his wants supplied at such a price.
In simple words: Antonio keeps insulting Shylock even while asking for a loan. Shylock pretends to be "kind" by not charging interest, but he is actually setting a trap with a bond for a pound of flesh. Bassanio doesn't trust Shylock and tries to stop Antonio from signing it.

📝 Teacher's Note: The phrase "This is kind I offer" is a masterful example of verbal irony. Shylock uses the word 'kind' to mean both generous and 'according to nature' (like for like), while hiding his murderous intent.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always mention the specific amount involved—3,000 ducats—and the duration of the bond—three months—to show accuracy.

Question 6.
(i) Who is a notary? Whom does Shylock want to take to the notary? Why?
(ii) Give the meaning of:
(a) single bond: agreement in which Antonio will be the only signatory.
(b) merry sport: for a pleasant joke.
(iii) What does Bassanio say to prevent Antonio from signing the bond?
(iv) Why is Antonio confident that there is no danger in signing the bond? What aspect of Antonio's character is shown in this incident?
(v) Why does Shylock insist on a pound of Antonio's flesh in the bond? Which aspect of his character is shown in his absurd demand?
Answer:
(i) A notary is a lawyer who has the authority to execute official and legal dealings and agreements. Shylock wants to take Antonio to the notary to sign the bond document which stipulates that the forfeit to be paid will be a pound of flesh from any part of Antonio's body.
(ii) (a) agreement in which Antonio will be the only signatory. (b) for a pleasant joke.
(iii) Bassanio tells Antonio that he will not have him make such an agreement on his account. He adds that he would rather remain as poor as he is now and do without his 'wants supplied at such a price.
(iv) Antonio is confident that there is no danger in signing the bond because he is confident that one month before the date of payment, his ships will have brought nine times the amount they are borrowing and they will not have to pay the penalty. This incident shows Antonio's overconfidence and generosity towards Bassanio.
(v) Shylock insists on a pound of Antonio's flesh to take revenge on him and to put him completely at his mercy. Shylock's hatred for Antonio and Christians is shown in his absurd demand. Taking advantage of the situation, he wants to take revenge on Antonio and all Christians, who persecuted him and his race.
In simple words: Shylock uses a "joke" about a pound of flesh to make a very serious legal contract. Antonio signs it because he thinks his ships will bring back nine times the money he owes before the deadline. His love for his friend Bassanio makes him blind to the danger.

📝 Teacher's Note: Discuss the concept of a 'merry bond'. Shylock uses humor to mask his malice, which is a common tactic used by Shakespearean villains to deceive noble characters.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight Antonio's "fatal flaw" here—his overconfidence. Examiners love it when you link character traits to the progression of the plot.