The Merchant of Venice Act II Scene 5 Workbook Answers and Explanations

ACT II Scene 5

CONTEXT QUESTIONS

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

Question 1.

(i) Why does Shylock accept the invitation to dinner? On what grounds did Shylock refuse to accept an invitation to dinner earlier in the play?
Answer: Shylock accepts the invitation to dinner out of hatred and to eat the food of the extravagant Christian, Bassanio. In Act I, Scene 3 when Bassanio invites him for dinner he refuses to dine with Christians since they were pork-eaters. He asserted then that he would never eat, drink or pray with Christians although he is ready to do business with them.
In simple words: Shylock accepts Bassanio's dinner invitation out of spite and a desire to consume his food, having previously refused to dine with Christians due to dietary and religious differences.

🎯 Exam Tip: Contrast Shylock's earlier refusal with his current acceptance to highlight his shifting motivations, especially his growing desire for revenge.

(ii) Why is Shylock unhappy to accept the invitation this time too? Who is the prodigal Christian? Give the significance of the word: prodigal.
Answer: Shylock is unhappy to accept the invitation this time too as he feels a premonition of some misfortune about to take place. The previous night he had a dream about money-bags which was considered as a bad omen. Bassanio is referred to as the prodigal Christian because he is a wasteful, who spends money extravagantly which he has borrowed from Shylock. Prodigal is a reference to the prodigal son described in the Bible who wasted his share of wealth by lavish and careless living.
In simple words: Shylock feels a sense of impending misfortune, fearing bad omens, making him reluctant to attend the dinner. Bassanio is called the "prodigal Christian" for his wasteful spending, like the biblical prodigal son.

🎯 Exam Tip: The "prodigal" reference is important for both characterization (Bassanio) and Shylock's motivations, linking to his financial grievances.

(iii) Give the meaning of:
(a) I am not bid for love
(b) I am right loath to go
Answer:
(a) I am not bid for love: I am not invited out of love.
(b) I am right loath to go: I hate to accept the invitation to dinner.
In simple words: "(a) I am not bid for love" means "I wasn't invited out of affection." "(b) I am right loath to go" means "I really hate to go."

🎯 Exam Tip: These phrases reveal Shylock's awareness of the Christians' true feelings towards him and his own reluctance, despite his vengeful motives.

(iv) How do Jessica and Lorenzo take advantage of Shylock's absence from home during dinner?
Answer: Jessica and Lorenzo taking advantage of Shylock's absence from home makes a plan to elope. Jessica uses the occasion to leave home with her father's money and jewellery. Lorenzo uses the occasion to arrange the masquerade in which Jessica will be the torch-bearer and thus easily elope with him.
In simple words: Jessica and Lorenzo exploit Shylock's absence during dinner to elope; Jessica steals his money and jewels, and Lorenzo uses a masquerade as a cover for her escape.

🎯 Exam Tip: This moment is pivotal, setting in motion Jessica's elopement and further fueling Shylock's hatred and desire for revenge.

(v) What sort of a bad omen did Shylock have which made him think that there is some evil being plotted against him?
Answer: Shylock had a dream about money bags on the previous night. To dream about money and all kinds of coins was considered as a bad omen. This made Shylock think that there was some evil being plotted against him.
In simple words: Shylock dreamt of money bags and coins, which he interpreted as a bad omen, making him suspect that something evil was being planned against him.

🎯 Exam Tip: Shylock's superstition about dreams reinforces his cautious and suspicious nature, adding a touch of dramatic irony given Jessica's plans.

Question 2.

(i) Who is the speaker of the above lines? To whom is he giving his advice? Why should the doors be locked?
Answer: Shylock is the speaker of the above lines. He is giving this advice to his daughter, Jessica. When Launcelot tells him about the masquerade, he is alarmed for fear that such revelry may become unruly. He hates their frivolity. Hence, he asks Jessica to lock the doors of the house so that no sound of foolish displays may enter his serious house.
In simple words: Shylock advises Jessica to lock the doors because he fears the masquerade's revelry will be unruly and wants to keep the foolish Christian celebrations out of his solemn home.

🎯 Exam Tip: Shylock's instructions to Jessica highlight his stern, traditional Jewish values contrasting sharply with the Christian revelry he despises.

(ii) Where is the speaker going? What reason does he give for his going out? Who was Jacob? Why does the speaker swear by Jacob's staff?
Answer: The speaker is going for Bassanio's dinner party. He is going out for dinner out of hatred for the Christians and to eat the food of the extravagant, Bassanio. Jacob was the grandson of Abraham, the founder of the Jewish race. According to Bible, Jacob, the ancestor of Shylock had a staff that proved a blessing to him. In Genesis 32:12, Jacob boasts that he had crossed river Jordan only with a staff yet returned with companies of men.
In simple words: Shylock is going to Bassanio's dinner party, motivated by hatred for Christians and a desire to exploit Bassanio's extravagance. He swears by Jacob's staff, an ancestral symbol of prosperity, emphasizing his Jewish heritage.

🎯 Exam Tip: Shylock's swearing by Jacob's staff underscores his religious identity and pride, which are central to his conflict with Antonio.

(iii) Give the meaning of:
(a) Clamber not you up to the casements.
(b) sound of shallow foppery.
Answer:
(a) Clamber not you up to the casements: Do not climb up to see from the windows.
(b) sound of shallow foppery: shrill notes of the fife.
In simple words: "(a) Clamber not you up to the casements" means "Don't climb up to look out the windows." "(b) sound of shallow foppery" refers to the high-pitched, frivolous music of the fife.

🎯 Exam Tip: These instructions from Shylock reveal his desire to keep his household insulated from the perceived frivolity and moral laxity of the Christian world.

(iv) Who are the 'Christian fools with varnished faces'? What were they planning against the speaker? What warning did the speaker have of it earlier?
Answer: Christian fools with varnished faces refer to the Christians taking part in the masquerade at Bassanio's dinner party. They were planning to make the speaker's daughter to elope with a Christian, Lorenzo with the speaker's money and jewellery. The speaker had warning of this in the form of a 'dream where he saw money bags and coins'.
In simple words: The "Christian fools with varnished faces" are the masqueraders at Bassanio's party, planning to help Jessica elope with Lorenzo and steal Shylock's money and jewels. Shylock had a premonition of this betrayal through a dream about money bags.

🎯 Exam Tip: This question highlights the dual betrayal of Jessica and the Christians, linking the imagery of "varnished faces" to deception and the "dream" to foreshadowing.

(v) Does the person to whom the advice is given, follow the speaker's advice? Why?
Answer: The advice was given to Jessica by her father, Shylock. She did not follow the advice and used the occasion of masquerade to elope with Lorenzo.
In simple words: No, Jessica ignores Shylock's advice, using his absence at the masquerade as an opportunity to elope with Lorenzo.

🎯 Exam Tip: Jessica's defiance of her father's wishes is a central act of rebellion and a driver of conflict in the play.

(vi) Summarise the advice of the speaker in your own words.
Answer: The speaker advices his daughter, Jessica to lock up the doors. He tells her not to go upto the windows when she hears the drums and the shrill notes of the fife. He tells her not to stretch her neck out to gaze over the public street to look at Christian fools with painted faces. He instructs her to close all the windows of his house so that no sound of the foolish display enters his sober house.
In simple words: Shylock advises Jessica to secure the house by locking doors and closing windows, urging her not to look out at the noisy, frivolous Christian masquerade with its drums, fifes, and painted faces.

🎯 Exam Tip: The advice emphasizes Shylock's desire to isolate his household from Christian influence and revelry, reflecting his deep cultural and religious differences.

Question 3.

(i) What is meant by the 'patch' in the extract? What reasons does Shylock give to Jessica for parting with Launcelot?
Answer: The word 'patch' in the extract means the clown or the fool or the jester. In olden days, the professional fools or jesters used to wear multicoloured patched costume. So the word patch is used in the extract for Launcelot. Shylock says that he is sending Launcelot to Bassanio as he would assist Bassanio in his spendthrift habits and waste his borrowed money.
In simple words: "Patch" refers to Launcelot, the jester. Shylock dismisses Launcelot to Bassanio, believing the clown will help Bassanio squander the borrowed money.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding "patch" as a term for a fool is important. Shylock's strategic calculation in letting Launcelot go reveals his cunning.

(ii) Whom does Shylock wish to be ruined? Why?
Answer: Shylock wishes Bassanio to be ruined because he wants to take revenge upon Antonio and can do so if Bassanio and Antonio fail to repay the loan on a stipulated date.
In simple words: Shylock desires Bassanio's ruin as a means to achieve his revenge against Antonio, which depends on the timely repayment of their loan.

🎯 Exam Tip: This question highlights Shylock's deep-seated desire for revenge, which is a core motivation for his actions throughout the play.

(iii) What does Shylock mean by saying, 'drones hive not with me'?
Answer: By the above words, Shylock means that lazy people cannot live with him. Shylock says that Launcelot is lazy and cannot be his servant, so he allows him to join Bassanio's service.
In simple words: Shylock means that he doesn't tolerate lazy people. He dismisses Launcelot, calling him a drone, and allows him to serve Bassanio.

🎯 Exam Tip: This phrase reveals Shylock's work ethic and his perception of Launcelot's laziness, which he uses to justify his actions.

(iv) What is meant by the 'borrowed purse'? For what purpose was it borrowed?
Answer: 'Borrowed purse' refers to the three thousand ducats borrowed by Bassanio from Shylock on the basis of the bond signed by Antonio. The money was borrowed to enable Bassanio to go to Belmont and win Portia in marriage after participating in the lottery of caskets.
In simple words: The "borrowed purse" is the 3,000 Rs. that Bassanio obtained from Shylock, guaranteed by Antonio, to finance Bassanio's trip to Belmont to woo Portia.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly linking the "borrowed purse" to the 3,000 Rs. bond and its purpose is essential for understanding the play's central conflict.

(v) Why does Shylock ask Jessica to shut doors? Give the meaning of: 'Fast bind, fast find.'
Answer: Shylock asks Jessica to shut the doors to make his house safe from revellers taking part in the masquerade. He quotes an old proverb 'fast bind, fast find' which means that if you lock a thing up, you will find it safe. (Leave secure and you will find all secure.)
In simple words: Shylock tells Jessica to shut the doors to protect his house from the masquerade. "Fast bind, fast find" means that if you secure something tightly, you'll find it safely later.

🎯 Exam Tip: Shylock's concern for security, juxtaposed with Jessica's plans, creates dramatic irony. The proverb highlights his cautious, materialistic nature.

(vi) Describe briefly how Shylock becomes an instrument of fate in this scene.
Answer: In this scene, Shylock becomes an instrument of fate to further the action in the plot. On the one hand, his desire for revenge upon Antonio is revealed because he goes to the supper to help to consume Bassanio's borrowed money. He overlooks his religious principles which forbade him dining with Christians. He even ignores the premonitions of impending evil because of his revengeful nature. This provided Jessica an occasion to flee from home with money and jewellery and to elope with Lorenzo, a Christian. Thus, fate has used Shylock to further its plans.
In simple words: Shylock, driven by revenge, ironically helps fate by attending Bassanio's dinner. This act, despite his religious scruples and bad omens, provides the perfect opportunity for Jessica to elope with his money and jewels, propelling the plot forward.

🎯 Exam Tip: This situation illustrates dramatic irony, where a character's actions, motivated by one purpose, inadvertently serve a different, fated outcome.