Act 4, Scenes 1–2 Summary and Analysis
Scene 1
The Duke and other wealthy members of society enter, along with Antonio, Bassanio, Gratiano, and Salerio. The duke expresses his condolences to Antonio for having come up against a pitiless individual such as Shylock. The duke has done everything in his power to talk Shylock out of collecting his pound of flesh, but Antonio is ready to receive his punishment.
Shylock enters, and the duke asks if Shylock plans to change his mind and show mercy like a proper human being. Shylock responds that he has sworn by the holy Sabbath that he will collect his bond, and he will not be swayed. His reasons for wanting to collect it are his own, but the contract stipulates a pound of flesh, and he plans to see the contract through. He does not feel that he needs to explain his reasons to the court; it is simply his preference, and preferences cannot be rationally explained.
Bassanio begins arguing with Shylock, claiming that he must have some better reason, but Antonio stops the argument because Shylock has proven to be unwavering. He says that it is as useless to argue with Shylock as it is to ask the ocean to shrink or to ask trees to stop waving in the wind, and so he has resolved to accept his punishment. Bassanio then offers six thousand ducats to Shylock, which he refuses. Shylock asks why he should show any mercy, given that the pound of flesh is his own property. Others show no mercy to their slaves or animals because these things are their property—why, he asks, should he not treat Antonio’s pound of flesh any way he wants? Thus, he demands justice.
Before making a decision, the duke says that would like to consult Bellario, a legal expert from Padua. Bellario’s clerk has just arrived, and Bassanio tells Antonio to keep up hope. Bassanio even volunteers to give up his own flesh and bones before Shylock will have Antonio’s, but Antonio says that Bassanio must live to write his epitaph.
Bellario’s clerk enters, but it is in fact Nerissa disguised as a legal clerk. She gives the duke a letter as Shylock begins sharpening a knife on the sole of his shoe. In a bit of wordplay, Bassanio tells Shylock that he is sharpening the knife on his soul rather than his sole, and asks if any prayers could change his mind. When Shylock denies his plea, Bassanio delivers a tirade about how animalistic Shylock’s soul is and claims that he deserves to die. Shylock tells him that he is wasting his breath.
The duke then tells the court that Bellario, who is ill, has recommended a legal expert named Balthazar to replace him. In the letter, Bellario explains that he has studied with Balthazar and commends Balthazar’s intelligence. Portia then enters disguised as Balthazar. She asks Shylock and Antonio to identify themselves and then comments on how strange the case is. She asks if Antonio is guilty, which he affirms. She then claims that Shylock must be merciful, and he asks her to explain herself.
Portia states that mercy is a virtue beyond mere justice. Mercy is what saves souls, and it is beyond royalty or legality. She recommends that Shylock stop pursuing justice, for if he does, Venice will have to allow him to collect his bond. Shylock states that he craves the law over mercy, and Portia asks if Antonio can pay back the loan. Bassanio speaks up, stating that he is willing to pay back whatever it takes to save Antonio; he beseeches the duke to...
(This entire section contains 1728 words.)
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break the rules slightly for this righteous cause. Portia states that the duke has no power to do this, and Antonio praises her for her wisdom.
Portia then asks to see the contract. Upon reading it, she agrees that Shylock is entitled to Antonio’s flesh, but she asks him to take the money Bassanio offers and show mercy. He refuses, so she tells Antonio to bear his chest and ready himself for the knife. She further calls for a surgeon to stop him from bleeding to death, but Shylock reminds her that this is not in the contract. Antonio asks for Bassanio’s hand and asks that he not blame himself or be sad. Many men become poor and live on, into old age, broken. This contract will allow him to avoid that.
Antonio passes on his well wishes to Bassanio’s wife and bids goodbye. Bassanio says that he would be willing to give up his marriage for Antonio’s life, and Portia replies that his wife probably wouldn’t appreciate such an offer. Portia gives Shylock permission to begin cutting Antonio’s flesh. Shylock readies his knife, but then Portia stops him, noting that the contract stipulates only flesh, not blood. Should he shed any blood while taking his flesh, the court has the right to seize Shylock’s property. In this way, she is ensuring that justice is met to the word of the law.
Shylock then says that he will instead take the money that was offered earlier, but Portia counters that the only way for Shylock to get justice is to see his contract through. She then commands him to go through with his collection of flesh but reminds him that he may not spill blood. She adds that if he takes any more or less than exactly a pound, he will be killed and his property confiscated. Gratiano celebrates the lawyer’s wisdom
Knowing that Portia’s command is impossible, Shylock asks again for his money, which Bassanio attempts to give. Portia stops Bassanio, stating that Shylock has asked for the penalty to be carried out as precisely as possible. She is only attempting to uphold justice. Shylock asks if he can have his original three thousand ducats back, and when he is refused, he attempts to leave.
Portia asks him to stay, however, because there is now another legal issue at hand. He has indirectly attempted to kill a citizen of Venice. By law, then, one half of his property should go to the offended party, and the other half should go to the state; the duke may determine whether or not the offending party shall keep their lives. Therefore, she suggests, Shylock should beg for the duke’s mercy. Bassanio interjects, saying that Shylock should ask for the mercy of a noose to hang himself with.
But the duke, as an example to Shylock, states that he will show mercy, and while half of Shylock’s money must go to Antonio, he may reduce the state’s monetary sentence to a smaller fine. Shylock, in defeat, says that they might as well take his life since they are taking his livelihood, so Portia asks if Antonio may also show mercy to Shylock. Antonio is willing to give up his half of Shylock’s wealth, but in return Shylock must leave Jessica and Lorenzo all of his belongings in his will and convert to Christianity. Shylock agrees to sign a contract with these stipulations and leaves.
The duke invites Portia to dinner, but she says that she must immediately leave for Padua. Before she leaves, the duke suggests that Antonio give a reward to his savior. Bassanio thanks her deeply and offers her the ducats owed to Shylock, but she refuses, saying that she is satisfied with her work in delivering Antonio from death. When Bassanio insists on giving her something, she asks for Antonio’s gloves and the ring that she gave Bassanio. He calls the ring a trifle and would be ashamed to give it as a gift, but she insists. He eventually explains that his ring was a gift from his wife and that she made him promise never to give it away, but Portia tells him that if he explained the circumstances, his wife would forgive him. The disguised Portia and Nerissa leave, and Antonio convinces Bassanio that he should have given up the ring, considering all that Balthazar did for them. Bassanio gives the ring to Gratiano, and instructs him to chase after Balthazar to give him the ring.
Scene 2
Nerissa and Portia, still disguised, are on their way to deliver a deed to Shylock. They are pleased with themselves and plan to reach Belmont before their husbands get back. Gratiano enters, gives Portia the ring, and invites her to dinner on Bassanio’s behalf. Portia accepts the ring but declines dinner and then asks Gratiano to escort the disguised Nerissa to Shylock’s estate. Nerissa tells Portia that she will try to get Gratiano’s ring as well. Portia leaves, and the disguised Nerissa accompanies her unaware husband to Shylock’s.
Analysis
A number of important ideas appear in act 4, chief among them being the division between mercy and justice. While justice is often seen as a positive idea, Portia makes the case for mercy over justice, especially in her speech about the divine qualities of mercy. Had Shylock shown mercy, it is likely that he would have walked away with double or triple the loan that he had initially given Antonio. While Shylock has previously suggested that revenge is a right, mercy is portrayed as the superior principle; indeed, Portia assigns it divine qualities.
Additionally, Act 4 shows the extent of Antonio and Bassanio’s friendship and further suggests that their friendship is unusually close or perhaps of a romantic nature. Thus far, Bassanio and Antonio have been close, but in act 4, Bassanio is willing to give his own life and his marriage away if only Shylock were to spare Antonio. As Antonio resolves to die by Shylock’s hands, he bids Bassanio to return to his wife and “Say how I loved you, speak me fair in death; And, when the tale is told, bid her be judge / Whether Bassanio had not once a love.” The fact that he refers to himself as “a love” suggests that there may have been some kind of intimacy shared between them. Later, as Portia attempts to test Bassanio’s love by taking the ring, Bassanio refuses. It is Antonio who convinces him to give up the ring, suggesting that Antonio still holds some sway over Bassanio’s romantic decisions.
Expert Q&A
In The Merchant of Venice, why does Shylock refer to Portia as a Daniel?
In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock hails Portia as a "Daniel" due to her apparent support for his cause. This reference stems from the Biblical Daniel, renowned for his wisdom and justice. Shylock perceives Portia's stance as similar to Daniel's insightful adjudication, hence the comparison. However, this accolade is laced with irony as Portia eventually undermines Shylock's case.
In act 4, scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice, who was Pythagoras and what was his theory?
Pythagoras was an ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher known for his theory of transmigration of souls, suggesting that souls could inhabit different bodies, including animals, after death. In Act 4, Scene 1, Gratiano uses this theory to criticize Shylock's lack of compassion, implying that Shylock's soul could be that of a wolf due to his ruthless insistence on claiming a pound of Antonio's flesh, aligning with Pythagoras's idea of soul transmigration.
How does "Fortune shows herself more kind" to Antonio in The Merchant of Venice Act 4, Scene 1?
In Act 4, Scene 1 of "The Merchant of Venice," Antonio views Fortune's act of ending his life early as a kindness. He perceives this as being spared from outliving his wealth and suffering the misery of poverty in old age. Thus, his impending death, which he attributes to Fortune, is seen as a merciful release from potential future hardship.
Why does Gratiano quote Pythagoras in The Merchant of Venice?
Gratiano quotes Pythagoras in The Merchant of Venice to insult Shylock by suggesting he embodies the soul of a vicious animal. He references Pythagoras' belief in reincarnation, accusing Shylock of being a wolf reborn due to his merciless nature, implying that Shylock's soul came from a wolf hanged for human slaughter.
What type of language is used in Portia's mercy speech in Act 4, Scene 1, line 182 of The Merchant of Venice?
Portia:
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there
Portia's speech in Act 4, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice uses un-rhymed iambic pentameter (blank verse) and various literary devices. It includes similes, such as comparing mercy to gentle rain from heaven, and imagery, like a king’s crown and scepter. The speech appeals to authority, invoking religious ideals to argue that mercy is godly and superior to earthly power.
Why did Portia say, "Your wife would give you little thanks for this offer"? Who made the offer?
Portia says, "Your wife would give you little thanks for this offer" in response to Bassanio's declaration that he would sacrifice his wife to save Antonio. Bassanio makes this offer in Act IV, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice, not realizing that Portia, in disguise, is present. Portia admonishes Bassanio for suggesting such a sacrifice, noting his wife would not appreciate it.
In The Merchant of Venice, what does Shylock mean by "My deeds upon my head"?
In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock means that he will take responsibility for his own actions when he says, "My deeds upon my head." He is telling Portia that he accepts the consequences of his behavior and does not care about potential damnation for not showing mercy to Antonio.
What does Gratiano mean by "a halter gratis" and who is he referring to?
Gratiano refers to giving Shylock "a halter gratis," meaning a free noose to hang himself. This occurs after Shylock's legal claim is defeated, and Antonio must decide Shylock's punishment. Gratiano's suggestion is neither graceful nor merciful, despite his name implying "grace," highlighting a common theme in the play.
What does the quote "You teach me sir, how a beggar should be answered" mean in The Merchant of Venice?
The quote "You teach me sir, how a beggar should be answered" in The Merchant of Venice means that Portia is reproaching Bassanio for denying her request for his ring. She implies he is treating her like a beggar by not giving her what she asks for. This is part of her playful test of Bassanio's loyalty, as he doesn't realize the lawyer is actually Portia in disguise.
What are some ironies in The Merchant of Venice, act 4, scene 1?
In Act 4, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice, the main irony is how Portia turns Shylock's legal argument against him. Initially, she supports Shylock's claim to a pound of Antonio's flesh, leading him to praise her as a "rightful judge." However, she later uses the law's strict wording to prevent Shylock from drawing blood, thus nullifying his claim. This ironic twist highlights Shylock's downfall due to his own insistence on legal precision.
Who says "Give me my principal and let me go" in The Merchant of Venice and what does "my principal" mean?
In "The Merchant of Venice," Shylock, a moneylender, says "Give me my principal and let me go." By "my principal," he means the original amount of money he lent, which was three thousand ducats. Shylock made this demand during the trial when he realized he could not legally take a pound of Antonio's flesh without spilling blood, which would result in severe penalties. Ultimately, he was denied even the repayment of the principal.
What is the denouement of the bond plot in The Merchant of Venice?
Why does Shylock refer to Dr. Balthazar as a "noble judge" in The Merchant of Venice?
Shylock refers to Dr. Balthasar, who is actually Portia in disguise, as a "noble judge" because he believes Balthasar supports his claim to a pound of Antonio's flesh as per their contract. Shylock perceives Balthasar as siding with him legally, acknowledging the contract's validity, which Shylock interprets as a sign of wise and fair judgment. This momentarily gives Shylock hope that he will achieve his desired revenge against Antonio.
What comparison does Antonio make about Bassanio's argument with Shylock in The Merchant of Venice?
Antonio compares Bassanio's attempt to reason with Shylock to futile actions like stopping the ocean's tide, reasoning with a wolf about its prey, or silencing mountain pines in the wind. These comparisons underscore the futility of trying to change Shylock's resolute nature, suggesting that mercy is not within Shylock's character. Antonio believes that just as these natural forces are unyielding, so is Shylock's insistence on the "pound of flesh."
What is the turning point in The Merchant of Venice?
The turning point in The Merchant of Venice occurs during the court scene in Act IV, Scene 1. This pivotal moment features a dramatic reversal of fortunes for Antonio and Shylock. Initially, Antonio appears doomed due to his inability to repay Shylock. However, Portia's intervention shifts power to Antonio, who then imposes harsh conditions on Shylock, including conversion to Christianity and relinquishing his wealth, leaving Shylock defeated and powerless.
What does "the divine quality of mercy" mean in The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1, Line 179?
The "divine quality of mercy" refers to Portia's argument that mercy is a God-like attribute, emphasizing its spiritual and moral superiority. In her speech, Portia appeals to Shylock to show mercy to Antonio, highlighting its dual blessing for both giver and receiver. She invokes biblical teachings on God's grace, suggesting that mercy elevates human actions to a divine level, despite the irony that Shylock, a Jew, is expected to demonstrate Christian virtues.
What dramatic device is used in Act 4, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice?
In Act 4, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare employs the dramatic devices of contrast and surprise. The use of contrasts is evident in Shylock and Antonio's speeches, highlighting the stark differences in character and intentions, emphasizing Shylock's relentless pursuit of his bond. Additionally, the surprise element is introduced with Portia's unexpected appearance disguised as Balthasar, creating an unexpected twist in the plot and adding tension to the courtroom scene.
Is the ending of Act 4, Scene 1 in The Merchant of Venice justified?
The ending of Act 4, Scene 1 in The Merchant of Venice is seen as justified by Shakespearean audiences, as it aligns with their expectations of justice against "the villain," Shylock. Despite the manipulation by Portia to save Antonio, the scene highlights the tension between Jewish legalism and Christian mercy. However, Antonio's lack of compassion in forcing Shylock to convert undermines the Christian ideals, suggesting Shylock's grievances have merit.
