The Merchant of Venice - Court Scene (Act 4 Scene I)

The Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene I

Summary:

“The Merchant of Venice” is a play written by William Shakespeare. In the Act 4, Scene – I, the court scene appears. The important characters are – Antonio, Bassanio, Portia, and Shylock. Antonio is a merchant. Antonio and Bassanio are good friends. Portia is wife of Bassanio. She is very intelligent. Shylock is a cruel Money lender. He is a Jew. Antonio takes money from Shylock. But Antonio fails to pay the money in time. The agreement says that if Antonio fails to repay the money in time, Shylock can take one pound of flesh from the body of Antonio.

In the Court scene, Shylock brings Antonio to the Duke’s court and demands justice. He says that he will not accept repayment but wants Antonio's flesh. Bassanio offers to give more money. But, Shylock’s evil mind does not change. He demands only for a pound of flesh from the body of Antonio. This means the death of Antonio.

At that time, Portia enters the court dressed as a Doctor of law, Bellario (Lawyer). She asks Shylock to show mercy upon Antonio. She says that mercy is a quality of the God.  But, Shylock does not want to show mercy. He still demands for Antonio’s flesh. At the last minute, Portia tells Shylock that he may have the flesh, but he cannot draw even a drop of blood as it is not written into the bond. Shylock realizes that he cannot take flesh without drawing blood. So, he wants to take money. But Portia tells him that he is liable to be punished. She says that he faces the death penalty. Half of Shylock’s wealth goes to the Duke and the other half to the victim. Duke spares Shylock's life.  Antonio his share to Shylock's daughter.

Antonio and Bassanio do not know that the lawyer is Portia. She takes Antonio's gloves and Bessanio's ring as gifts. Thus she saves the life of Antonio by showing her intelligence.

Characters:

Note:  In the examination, highlight the character you are writing about in the introduction:

Example: (Portia): “The Merchant of Venice” is a play written by William Shakespeare. In the Act 4, Scene – I, the court scene appears. Portia is the heroine of the Play. She plays very important role in the Court Scene. She saves the life of Antonio by showing her intelligence.

Example: (Antonio): “The Merchant of Venice” is a play written by William Shakespeare. In the Act 4, Scene – I, the court scene appears. Antonio is the merchant of venice. His life falls in danger in the hands of Shylock. Then he is saved by Portia’s intelligent argument in the court.

Example: (Bassanio): “The Merchant of Venice” is a play written by William Shakespeare. In the Act 4, Scene – I, the court scene appears. Bassanio is one of the important characters in the play. He loves and marries Portia. His friend Antonio’s life is in danger. The cruel merchant Shylock demands flesh from the body of Antonio. Then Bassanio’s wife Portia appears in the dress of a lawyer and saves the life of Antonio.

Example: (Shylock): “The Merchant of Venice” is a play written by William Shakespeare. In the Act 4, Scene – I, the court scene appears. Shylock is the villain in the play. He is a money lender. He is a Jew. He gives money to Antonio. When Antonio fails to repay the money, he demands for one pound of flesh from the body of Antonio. Then, Portia comes in the dress of a lawyer and saves the life of Antonio. Finally Shylock is punished. He loses all his property.

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NOOJILLA SRINIVAS

Lecturer in English

Govt. Degree College, 

Alamuru, E.G.Dist., 

Andhra Pradesh, India.

noojillasrinivas@gmail.com 

M: 7981862200