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The Merchant of Venice

by William Shakespeare

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The Merchant of Venice Questions on Act 3, Scene 1

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The Merchant of Venice

```xhtml Jessica and Shylock's relationship in The Merchant of Venice is strained, with Jessica feeling oppressed and embarrassed by her father. She elopes with Lorenzo, converting to Christianity,...

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The Merchant of Venice

In Act 3, Scene 1 of "The Merchant of Venice," Shylock's statement "The villainy you teach me, I will execute— and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction" conveys his intent to retaliate...

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The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice contains several mythological and biblical allusions. For instance, Shylock refers to the story of Jacob and Laban from the Bible to justify his usury. Portia alludes to the...

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The Merchant of Venice

Antonio's ships have sunk in the English Channel on the Goodwin Sands, a dangerous sandbar. This information is revealed by Solanio in act 3, scene 1, and further confirmed by Salerio. The loss of...

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The Merchant of Venice

Jessica runs away from Shylock to escape her father's oppressive household and to marry Lorenzo, a Christian. She spends Shylock's money extravagantly, buying lavish items and trading a family...

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The Merchant of Venice

Antonio insults Shylock in several ways.  He calls him a "cur" which is a dog, and he does it in public in front of other businessmen upon whom Shylock depends for his own livelihood. He...

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The Merchant of Venice

What is important to focus on in this scene is the way in which Shylock has just suffered the loss of everything that is important to him in life: his daughter, Jessica, has eloped with the...

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The Merchant of Venice

The quote from Act 3, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice reflects Shylock's deep resentment towards Christians for their historical persecution of Jews. Shylock compares his desire for revenge to...

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The Merchant of Venice

The prevailing mood at the end of Act 3, Scene 1 is one of foreboding.  The future does not look bright for either of the men involved in the bond plot--Shylock and Antonio.  Shylock's...

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The Merchant of Venice

In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock's speech highlights the racial discrimination he faces as a Jew. He poignantly questions why Jews are treated differently, emphasizing their shared humanity with...

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The Merchant of Venice

Despite Shylock's portrayal as a heartless, greedy Jew, Shakespeare creates sympathy for the play's villain by depicting how Shylock is religiously persecuted, marginalized, and ridiculed because...

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The Merchant of Venice

There’s a clear emotional conflict within Shylock represented by Shylock’s ambiguous feelings towards his daughter, Jessica, and towards his hard-earned money and jewels. Shylock’s reaction to...

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The Merchant of Venice

In The Merchant of Venice, Jessica pays for the monkey with a ring she stole from Shylock that was given to him by his late wife.

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The Merchant of Venice

Solanio and Salarino serve as commentators and narrators in The Merchant of Venice. They provide exposition, relay off-stage events, and reflect the general sentiments of Venetian society. Their...

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The Merchant of Venice

While Salerio and Solanio's report of Shylock's reaction to Jessica's elopement is accurate, it is a biased account. The audience learns more about both characters when they actually encounter...

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The Merchant of Venice

As Act III, Scene I of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice comes to a close, the Jewish moneylender Shylock is discussing with his friend Tubal the situation involving the former’s...

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The Merchant of Venice

The terms bankrupt and prodigal are used in Act 3, scene 1 by Shylock the Jewish moneylender, when he refers to Antonio, a Christian merchant and also our protagonist. Shylock has been conversing...

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The Merchant of Venice

Salarino and Solanio discuss the rumor that the Rialto, Antonio's ship, has been wrecked at sea. They try to confirm this rumor when they run into Shylock.

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The Merchant of Venice

The first we hear of one of Antonio's ships having been wrecked is in Act 3, scene 1 when Salarino reports the rumour going around the Rialto to Salanio upon his enquiry. He tells Salanio in...

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The Merchant of Venice

Tubal apparently works for Shylock.  Shylock sent him to Genoa to find Jessica, Shylock's daughter, who had run away and taken a lot of her father's money with her. Tubal provides a strong...

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The Merchant of Venice

In Act III, Scene I of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, the Jewish character of Shylock is a bitter, angry and vengeful money-lender whose arrangement with Antonio, who was acting on...

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The Merchant of Venice

Actually, in Act III, scene i, it is Shylock who is questioning Tubal about both his daughter and Antonio.  The conversation between them switches back and forth almost line for line between...

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The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice certainly depicts Jews as a persecuted minority within the action of the play. Probably the most famous moment expressing this can be found in Shylock's "Hath not a Jew eyes"...

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The Merchant of Venice

Jessica, Shylock's only child, elopes in Act 2 of The Merchant of Venice. While most would think that her father would be concerned about or angered by her absence and her marriage to a Christian,...

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The Merchant of Venice

Shakespeare uses language in The Merchant of Venice to portray Shylock's villainous nature through his vengeful and merciless dialogue. Shylock's insistence on the pound of flesh and his repeated...

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The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice explores the complex relationship between love and wealth through various characters and plotlines. Bassanio seeks Portia's hand in marriage partly for her wealth, while...

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The Merchant of Venice

In this scene, an aggrieved Shylock laments his daughter’s elopement and betrayal. He expresses frustration at Antonio’s financial losses (“There I have another bad match”) until he realizes that...

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The Merchant of Venice

In The Merchant of Venice, Act 3 scenes significantly impact the development and preparation for the trial by escalating tensions and solidifying character motivations. Shylock's determination for...

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The Merchant of Venice

As you say, Tubal is one of Shylock's friends, who brings him news from Genoa. We do not really have any clear idea about why Tubal was in Genoa.  We can assume that he has been there to do...

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The Merchant of Venice

In Act III, Scene 1, two friends of Antonio are on a Ventian street. The first, Salanio, reports that Antonio's merchant ship has sunk in the English channel in a storm; the other, Salerio, expresses...

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The Merchant of Venice

In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare employs dramatic devices like dramatic irony and poignant monologues to evoke audience emotions. Dramatic irony is evident when Shylock remains unaware of...

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The Merchant of Venice

In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare explores prejudice and intolerance, primarily through the character of Shylock, a Jewish moneylender who faces anti-Semitic treatment from Christian characters...

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