What is the importance of act 3 scene 2 of merchant of Venice?
Answers
Explanation:
In Belmont, Portia begs Bassanio to delay choosing between the caskets for a day or two. If Bassanio chooses incorrectly, Portia reasons, she will lose his company. Bassanio insists that he make his choice now, to avoid prolonging the torment of living without Portia as his wife. Portia orders that music be played while her love makes his choice, and she compares Bassanio to the Greek hero and demigod Hercules. Like the suitors who have come before him, Bassanio carefully examines the three caskets and puzzles over their inscriptions. He rejects the gold casket, saying that the world is still deceived with ornament, while the silver he deems a “pale and common drudge ’Tween man and man” After much debate, Bassanio picks the lead casket, which he opens to reveal Portia’s portrait, along with a poem congratulating him on his choice and confirming that he has won Portia’s hand.
The happy couple promises one another love and devotion, and Portia gives Bassanio a ring that he must never part with, as his removal of it will signify the end of his love for her. Nerissa and Gratiano congratulate them and confess that they too have fallen in love with one another. They suggest a double wedding. Lorenzo and Jessica arrive in the midst of this rejoicing, along with Salarino, who gives a letter to Bassanio. In the letter, Antonio writes that all of his ships are lost, and that Shylock plans to collect his pound of flesh. The news provokes a fit of guilt in Bassanio, which in turn prompts Portia to offer to pay twenty times the sum. Jessica, however, worries that her father is more interested in revenge than in money. Bassanio reads out loud the letter from Antonio, who asks only for a brief reunion before he dies. Portia urges her husband to rush to his friend’s aid, and Bassanio leaves for Venice.
Answer:
This scene is important in context to the entire play because it provides a crucial change of mood.This scene, in one respect, is the climax of the dark, tragic half of the play. The sombre undertones of jealousy, betrayal, anger, regret, grief and sorrow are relieved by the light hearted, slightly comic scene which follows. How the scene is a climax, the events which make the scene tragic, will both be exploredin this essay.
The play begins with a sudden burst of dramatic and irrational jealousy from Leontes. Leontes convinces himself that Hermione is betraying him with Polixenes and reality quickly gets re-defined by his diseased imagination. As King, he has the power to enforce his suspicions on others and attempts to do so on camillo. Leontes commands Camillo to kill polixenes. The jealousy and irrationality of Leontes is made effective because with every word spoken he is able to find a double meaning which cinfirms his belief further.His obsession with the idea that Hermione has committed adultery and made him a cuckold is obvious through his language. The rhythm of his speech is affected; it becomes fractured and repetitive. Gestures even become significant in consolidating his suspicions,
"How she holds the neb, the bill to him!"
The audience are aware that Hermione is innocent and therefore see the absurdity in Leontes accusations and actions. This is very compelling and consequently becomes gripping for the audience. Leontes unpredictability and insaneness creates dramatic excitement.