Question

Summarise the advice of the speaker in your own words. Does the person to whom is given, follow the speaker's advice? Why?

Merchant of Venice,
Act 2,
Scene 3,

No spams 5-6 line answer required!

Answer 1

Explanation:

Shylock:

I am bid forth to supper, Jessica…….dream of money-bags tonight.

1. Why does Shylock accept the invitation to dinner? On what grounds did Shylock refuse to accept an invitation to dinner earlier in the play?

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.

2. Why is Shylock unhappy to accept the invitation this time too? Who is the prodigal Christian? Give the significance of a the word: prodigal.

Shylock is unhappy to accept the invitation this time too as he feels 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.

3. Give the meaning of:

a) I am not bid for love: I am not invited our of love.

b) I am right loath to go: I hate to accept the invitation to dinner.

4. How do Jessica and Lorenzo take advantage of Shylock’s absence from home during dinner?

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.

5. What sort of a bad omen did Shylock have which made him think that there is some evil being plotted against him?

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.

Answer 2

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.