"By my soul I swear / There is no power in the tongue of man / To alter me." - Shylock
  • Shylock's reference to the "tongue of man" reminds the audience of the physical nature of his revenge
  • Shylock's reference to the "tongue" of man is surprising
  • Shylock's reference to the tongue of man is ironic because words will alter him
  • Shylock's assertion that the tongue of man will not alter him is revealed to be incorrect
"But stop my house's ears — I mean my casements." - Shylock
  • Shylock wishes the noise of the world would "stop"
  • The "casements" are "my house's ears", in Shylock's view
  • Shylock wishes to shut out the noisy revelry of Venice and believes he can protect his home through closing the "casements"
  • Shylock wishes to shut out the noisy revelry of Venice and believes he can protect his home through closing the windows
"Well, tell me now what lady is the same / To whom you swore a secret pilgrimage." - Antonio
  • Bassanio worships Portia and believes that she is holy, which is why he keeps his pilgrimage "secret"
  • Antonio hints that he is excited to hear the gossip about the "secret" "pilgrimage" Bassanio made to see a "lady"
  • By using the word "pilgrimage", Antonio implies that Bassanio worships the lady
  • The "secret pilgrimage" Bassanio "swore" was only a "secret" from Portia
"My eye shall be the stream / And wat'ry deathbed for him." - Portia
  • Portia is concerned that her eye will make a stream, giving Bassanio a wat'ry deathbed
  • If Bassanio fails, Portia predicts she will shed enough tears to give him a wat'ry deathbed
  • If Bassanio fails, Portia predicts she will shed enough tears to give him a "wat'ry deathbed"
  • Portia is concerned that her eye will make a "stream", which will give Bassanio a "wat'ry deathbed"
"Would scatter all her spices on the stream, / Enrobe the roaring waters with my silks." - Salerio
  • "Scatter", "spices" and "silks" alliterate
  • Salerio is worried that his ships will "scatter"
  • Salerio talks about luxury goods such as "spices" and "silks"
  • Salerio's use of language, especially "spices", "enrobed" and "silk", highlights the luxurious nature of Venetian trade
"Let not that doctor e'er come near my house / Since he hath got the jewel that I loved." - Portia
  • Portia refers to Bassanio as a "jewel that she loved", depicting him as a possession
  • Portia refers to Bassanio as a "jewel" that she loved, depicting him to a valued possession
  • Portia refers to Bassanio as the jewel that I loved
  • Bassanio is Portia's valued possession, the "jewel that she loved"
"The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark / When neither is attended." - Portia
  • Portia believes that "larks" only sing "sweetly" when someone is listening
  • Portia implies that only an audience can give value or worth to a performance
  • Portia hints that only an "audience" can find a crow's voice sweet
  • Portia argues that crows sing "sweetly"
"We all expect a gentle answer, Jew." - The Duke
  • The Christians of Venice do not behave as if they expect "gentleness" from Jews
  • Shylock refuses to give a gentle answer even though the "Duke" "expects" one
  • "We all expect a gentle answer" is the Duke attempting to sound friendly
  • By using the word "expect", the Duke attempts to coerce Shylock
"I hold the world but as the world, Graziano — / A stage where every man must play a part. / And mine a sad one." - Antonio
  • Antonio describes the world as a stage and his part as a sad one
  • Antonio says that the world is a stage where every man must play a part
  • Antonio describes his life as a role and the world as "a stage where every man must play a part"
  • Antonio describes his life as a role and the "world" as a "stage" where "every man" must play a "part"
"Here is a letter, lady, / The paper as the body of my friend, / And every word in it a gaping wound." - Bassanio
  • Bassanio believes the letter is a "body"
  • The gaping wound refers to Antonio's "sufferings" and to his friend's sufferings on his behalf
  • The "gaping wound" refers to Antonio's mental sufferings, Bassanio's sufferings on his behalf and to the mortal forfeit he must pay Shylock
  • The gaping would refers to Antonio's mental sufferings, Bassanio's sufferings on his behalf and to the mortal forfeit he must pay Shylock
0 h : 0 m : 1 s

Answered Not Answered Not Visited Correct : 0 Incorrect : 0