What cruelty is referred to in the extract " which makes me think that this Antonio being the bosom lover of my lord must needs be like my lord. If it be so how little is the cost I have bestow'd in purchasing the semblance of my soul from out the state of hellish cruelty! " ? Why is it called " hellish "?
Answers
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Please do not write the answer in points. This is only for easy understanding. Put the same information in paragraphs.
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This extract has been taken from The Merchant of Venice, Act 3 Scene 4. The speaker is Portia. Bassanio and Portia have just got married and she has hurriedly sent him to Venice, to save Antonio from Shylock.
'The state of hellish cruelty' refers to Antonio being unable to pay Shylock on time and so needs to follow the terms of the bond, which is allowing Shylock to take 'a pound of flesh' from near Antonio's heart. This is as good as Antonio's death. The thought of losing one's life, that too to one's enemy (Shylock) in a legal manner is not a comforting. Instead, it is torturous and makes the person (Antonio) go through hell.
The word 'hellish' is used because :
1. Shylock is a Jew- For Christians, non-Christians were non-believers and hence almost evil. Evil, Satan and hell are closely related. Therefore, any cruel act by a Jew automatically becomes 'hellish'.
2. Shylock's bond was inhumane- Shylock, who had sealed the bond with Antonio only to take revenge, had purposely set heartless terms. He intended to take a pound of flesh from Antonio's heart, so that he could kill Antonio in a legal manner. Such inhumane terms are hellish. It shows not just cruelty, but the degree of cruelty.
3. Taking someone's life is the opposite of divine- Giving life is considered 'divine'. Going by the same logic, taking someone's life is a hellish act.
4. Antonio's suffering is too much- It was commonly believed that hell was a place where humans suffered a lot. Antonio and his well-wishers are in a very uneasy state of mind, full of anxiety and helplessness. They are all suffering just like people sent to hell suffer.
The bottom line is that Shylock's idea of the bond and attempting to take Antonio's life was a lowly act.