Question

7. Read chapter 1 & 2 of Shakespeare and attempt the following questions.
(a) Write the character sketch of Shylock and Portia from ‘Merchant of Venice’ and Macbeth and Banquo from ‘Macbeth’ in Literature Section.
(b) Answer the following questions briefly :
(i) Write an account of ‘Three Caskets’ and how did it unite Bassanio and Portia. (ii) How did Portia turn the tables for shrewd Shylock and taught him a lesson?
(iii) What was the witches’ prophecy for Macbeth and Banquo at the beginning of the play? How did both of them react to it?
(iv) Write an account of ‘The moving forest’ and how was it instrumental in killing Macbeth.

Answer 1

b) Macbeth is the protagonist of the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Banquo is a foil to the character of Macbeth.

Macbeth is ambitious and he is one of the finest generals that Kind Duncan has.

However, this over ambition leads both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth to kill king Duncan and then take the power, Banquo on the other hand, did not pay any heed to the premonition of the witches although he was told that his offspring will become the king of Denmark.

A) Shylock is the Jew in the story The Merchant of Venice. Portia is the ladylove of Bassanio and Portia saves Antonio’s life by going against Shylock. In the casket scene the princes come to wood Portia and they choose the golden and the silver casket respectively.

On the contrary, Bassanio chooses the lead casket and finds Portia’s portrait.

Ii) Portia tells Shylock to cut exactly a pound of flesh from any part of Antonio’s body but there will be not a single frop of blood.

Iii) The witches told that Macbeth will be Thane of Glamis, of Cawdor and then the king herewfter.

To Banquo they pronounced that he will not be the king although he will beget kings. I

v) the moving forest refers to Birnam wood moving toward the castle in Dunsinane.