The Merchant of
Summary
Shylock informs
Lancelot that he will have to judge for himself whether Bassanio
is a better master. He then calls Jessica, hands her keys to the house, and
tells her that he must leave for dinner that evening. Lancelot tells Shylock
that there will likely be a masque that night. At this news, Shylock forbids
Jessica from leaving the house. As Shylock gets ready, Lancelot privately tells
Jessica that Lorenzo will come for her that night.
Motifs &
Connotations
Submissive role
of women:
·
In this scene, Jessica is portrayed
as submissive and subservient towards Shylock. “Call you? What is your will?”
Furthermore, she is depicted as if a belonging. This is seen when Shylock says,
“Jessica, my girl, Look to my house.” The use of “my” indicates Shylock’s
dominance within the household. During Shakespearean time, this would be seen
as a norm as men tend to make the decisions.
Loyalty:
·
Loyalty is a lasting motif
throughout the play. However, in Act 2 Scene 5, we see a lack of loyalty where
both Shylock’s servant and daughter conspire to leave him. Jessica’s soon-to-be
departure indicates how distant she is to her father as we as readers do not
learn of her reasons.
Negative
portrayal of Shylock:
·
Shylock is portrayed as vampiric
and money hungry. “…to feed upon the prodigal Christian…” “…dream of
money-bags…” Furthermore, even in the stage instructions, Shylock is introduced
by his religion- a Jew. His portray aims to stereotype the perception of Jews during
Shakespearean times where Christianity and Judaism were in conflict. By
presenting Shylock as a villain, it makes depicts Antonio as a victim of
malicious intent.
Themes
Prejudice and
stereotypes:
·
This play has been labeled as
anti-Semitic as Shylock has been presented outwardly as a villainous character.
In some scenes (Act 2 Scene 5), he is ridiculed as a comic character. “’Fast
bind, fast find’- A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.” The use of rhyming
couplets at the end creates a comical contrast against the beginning of his
speech.
Characters
Shylock:
·
presented
as money hungry, vampiric and a Puritan. All this further dehumanizes him.
Jessica:
·
presented
as submissive, and to the audience, would be seen as trapped. The audience
would be supportive of her flight.
Setting
This scene takes
place in front of Shylock’s house. This is perhaps to emphasise his Puritan
beliefs when he forbids Jessica to participate during the masques. This would
go against Christian beliefs, further alienating Shylock and making him a
villain. “Let not the sound of shallow fopp’ry
enter my sober house.”
Narrative Style /
Structure
The length of
speech by Shylock exceeds both Launcelot and Jessica
put together. This shows that Shylock is in control under his own roof. As Launcelot is a clown, Shylock is still of a higher social
class despite their difference. Jessica, although his
daughter, has the fewest lines, indicating that women, in terms of social
power, were below men.
Relation of Part
to Whole
Shylock's
character starts to emerge very strongly within this act. We see him now not
only as a moneylender demanding interest, but also as a villain. He shows an
aversion to fun, demanding that Jessica lock the door and close the windows
when he finds out there will be a masque that night. This scene also
foreshadows Jessica’s flight. Much of this act therefore develops the negative
aspects of Shylock character.