What's up with Jessica - Lorenzo side plot?
Answers
Explanation:
Structurally, Jessica's romance with Lorenzo helps drive Shylock over the edge. When the play opens, Shylock already feels hard-done-by. After Jessica runs away with Lorenzo, Shylock takes yet another hit, both in his pocketbook and in his self-respect. Jessica takes some money with her, which upsets Shylock.
Explanation:
Jessica is the daughter of Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (c.1598). In the play, she elopes with Lorenzo, a penniless Christian, and a chest of her father's money, eventually ending up in Portia and Bassanio's household. In the y^ prime s dramatic structure, Jessica is a minor but pivotal role. Her actions motivate Shylock's vengeful insistence on his "pound of flesh" from Antonio; her relationships with Shylock serves as a mirror and contrast to Portia's with her father; her conversion to Christianity is the end of Shylock's line's adherence to the Jewish faith.