Question

Imagine that you have been hired as Shylock’s lawyer to defend his case in the Venetian court of
law.

 Present your justification on why a bond of this nature was designed by your client Shylock?
[ 150-200 words]

 How would you defend Shylock in the trial scene from Portia?
[ This must be done in the form of a dialogue]

 Explain how the positive inferences drawn by you have likely altered the verdict given by the
judge to Shylock in order to enable him lead an upright life? [150 words]

 What did you learn about your client Shylock, while you defended his case and ultimately
what quality shown by him, got him through in the case dealt by you?​

Answer 1

Shylock's primary motive for seeking a pound of Antonio's flesh was to take revenge. At the time that Antonio signed the bond as surety for the loan Shylock made to Bassanio , the moneylender had no idea that Antonio would later experience misfortune and lose his ships.

Answer 2

Answer:

Justice for Shylock: A Mock Appeal

July 10, 2017 by Robert Brammer

On Wednesday, June 21st, the Law Library of Congress was pleased to host a mock appeal for the Shakespearean character, Shylock, from the Merchant of Venice. Our distinguished panel of judges included United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg;  Associate Dean for International Affairs and Professor of Law at Wake Forest University School of Law Professor Richard Schneider; Representative and Ambassador Connie Morella; Dean of Wake Forest University School of Law Suzanne Reynolds; and an Italian lawyer, who is working for the European Parliamentary Research Service, Micaela DelMonte. Michael Klotz, an associate attorney in the New York office of Jones Day, argued Shylock’s appeal; Teresa Miguel-Stearns, the Law Librarian and Professor of Law at Yale’s Lillian Goldman Law Library, represented Portia; and Eugene D. Gulland, a partner in the Washington-based law firm of Covington & Burling, represented Antonio.

Elizabeth Pugh, the General Counsel for the Library of Congress, opened the event with a quote from Portia on the quality of mercy. Elizabeth mentioned that this event was the last in a series of three Library of Congress events commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Jewish Ghetto of Venice. This event was the second time a mock appeal for Shylock has been staged. The first staged production was held last year in Venice.

David Dangoor, president of the American Sephardi Federation, discussed the importance of the Merchant of Venice in Jewish history, explaining that it reminds us of the plight of the Jewish people in Europe.