How has Launcelot helped Jessica
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he helped Jessica by transferring letter to Lorenzo
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The Merchant of Venice Questions and Answers
by William Shakespeare
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What can we learn about Launcelot and Jessica from Act 2, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice with respect to the following: 1. What are Launcelot's reasons for leaving Jessica's house? 2. How does Jessica show in words and actions that she liked Launcelot's presence in her house? 3. What errand does Jessica give to Launcelot? 4. What precautions does she ask him to take while doing the errand? 5. How does Jessica show herself as a scheming but prudent young lady? In what way is her character different from that of Portia? 6. What does Jessica mean in the lines, "Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil, / Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness"?
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TAMARA K. H. eNotes educator | CERTIFIED EDUCATOR
As we are limited in space, here are a few ideas to help you understand the passage better and help get you started:
Jessica is the daughter of Shylock, the rich Jew that Launcelot was employed under; hence, when in Act 2, Scene 3 it says that he is leaving Jessica's house, he is really leaving Shylock's house because he no longer wants to be under Shylock's employment. We are actually told his reasons for wanting to leave Shylock's household in the previous scene, Act 2, Scene 2, but we are actually not told many reasons and need to speculate about his reasons based on what we know of Jewish stereotyping.
Based on what Launcelot tells his father in Act 2, Scene 2, we know that Launcelot wants to leave Shylock's services because apparently Shylock treats him horribly. One thing Launcelot says, is that he is "famished in [Shylock's] service," meaning that he is underfed (98). In his opening soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 2, he declares that Shylock is "the devil himself" (22). We also know that Shylock is characterized according to stereotypes of Jews being greedy moneylenders who care more about revenge than about mercy. In short, we know that Shylock is characterized as being a very cruel person and that that is the reason why Launcelot wants to leave Shylock's house.