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The Merchant of VenicePlease see the bottom of this page for extensive explanatory notes, commentary, and other helpful Merchant of Venice resources.
Next: The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 3 ______ Explanatory Notes for Act 3, Scene 2 From The Merchant of Venice. Ed. Felix E. Schelling. New York: American Book Co. Much has happened since the departure of Bassanio. At Belmont the stately Prince of Morocco has made his choice and failed, and the solemn Arragon has followed with no better fate. In Venice Shylock, maddened by his double loss, has raged through the streets, a rabble of boys at his heels, and Tubal has had time to search for the runaways as far as Genoa and back. Rumors, too, of Antonio's losses on distant seas are reported at Venice. On the other hand, although Portia's words, - those of a maiden more than half won, - preclude our thinking of Bassanio as exactly "fresh from Venice" on the opening of this scene, such impetuosity as his, for he "lives upon the rack," we feel cannot have permitted a long postponement of his choice, and we are lured away from the thought of Tubal's search and a rumor slowly making its way across the continent of Europe from Goodwin Sands to the contemplation of a lapse of time that could not have exceeded a few days. Compare with this the concluding note on Act II, Scene VI. In the present scene Portia desires Bassanio to "tarry" for fear he choose wrong; but Bassanio is impatient to know his fate, and choosing the leaden casket finds therein "fair Portia's counterfeit." Portia is thus doubly won, by the terms of her father's will and by the promptings of her own heart. Meanwhile Gratiano has gained Nerissa to consent to marry him if Bassanio's choice shall prove fortunate. So that both couples are happy in Bassanio's success. At this moment, the climax of the story of the caskets, Lorenzo and Jessica arrive with a messenger from Venice by whom it appears that all of Antonio's ventures by sea have failed, his bond has been forfeited, and he lies in prison awaiting the supreme exaction of the Jew. 2. in [the event of your] choosing wrong. 7-10. Portia is anxious that Bassanio may not choose hastily. She is deeply in love with him, but "yet a maiden hath no tongue but thoughts" [i.e. it becomes her not to tell him so]; and she wishes simply to detain him, at first a day or two, which rises in her eagerness to a month or two. But she is equally concerned lest Bassanio mistake her attitude for an unmaidenly declaration of love. 14. Beshrew, a very mild imprecation, "Woe to your eyes." 20, 21. These lines, which offer an excellent illustration of the extreme pregnancy of Shakespeare's thought, have been explained: "If it prove that I, who am yours by affection, am not yours owing to your unlucky choice of casket, Fortune ought to suffer the penalty, not I; and yet to lose you will be hell for me." 29. fear [for] the enjoying, doubt if I shall enjoy. 30, 31. There may ... as [between] treason and my love. 35. 'Confess' and 'love,' love is the sum total of my confession. 44. swan-like end, in allusion to the popular belief that the swan sings before its death. Shakespeare is fond of the allusion; see Othello, v. 2. 247; and King John, v. 7. 21. 49. The moment of crowning an English sovereign is heralded by a flourish of trumpets. Some critics have sought to date this play, 1594, because of this, a supposed allusion to the crowning of Henry of Navarre in that year. 52. The bridegroom was thus awakened by the musicians engaged to accompany him to the bride's house. 55. young Alcides. Hercules rescued Hesione who, as a virgin tribute to appease the wrath of Neptune, had been chained to a rock by her father, Laomedon, to be devoured by a sea-monster. But Bassanio approaches his perilous undertaking with much more love [line 54], because Hercules was urged to his exploit not for love of the lady, but for the horses which Laomedon had promised him. The whole similitude in which Bassanio is likened to young Alcides, Portia to Hesione, the virgin tribute, and Portia's attendants to the Dardanian wives [women, the descendants of Dardanus, the ancestor of the Trojans], is full of the spirit of Greek story. 61. Live thou [if thou live], I live. The subjunctive is not infrequently indicated by placing the verb before its subject. The line is perfectly metrical without doubling the word much. 63. fancy is often synonymous with love. See Much Ado About Nothing, iii. 2. 31-32. Here, however, fancy is affection bred by the sight; and neither the product of the heart nor the head. Did Portia unconsciously break her oath in providing that this song be sung? Or did Nerissa? She had openly praised Bassanio (i. 2. 129-131). The maid in one of Shakespeare's possible sources, Il Pecarone, gave the lover a hint. 73. the outward shows [of things] be least [like the things] themselves. 82. his, the old neuter of the possessive pronoun it or hit. Its is found only toward the end of the sixteenth century. Its appears in no work of Shakespeare's published in his lifetime, although the form occurs ten times in the folio, usually in the spelling it's. 86. livers white as milk. Compare 2 Henry IV. iv. 3. 113: "The liver white and pale, which is the badge of pusillanimity and cowardice." 87. excrement, a word often applied to the hair. See The Winter's Tale, iv. 4. 733: "Let me pocket up my pedler's excrement. [ Takes off his false beard.]" 88. beauty, that is, mere beauty. Notice the usual Shakespearean play on the words weight and light. 92-96. those crisped snaky golden locks ... bred ... in the sepulchre. Shakespeare expresses much the same thought in Sonnet lxviii. The fashion among women of wearing wigs had become very common toward the end of Elizabeth's reign. 94. Upon supposed fairness, "on the strength of their fictitious beauty." Compare 3 Henry VI, iii. 3. 223: "And tell false Edward, thy supposed king." 99. an Indian beauty, a woman that an Indian might consider a beauty. 102. Midas, the foolish Phrygian king, who asked that everything that he touched might be turned to gold; and, his wish granted, nearly perished of hunger. 106. paleness, as Bassanio has already called silver pale, plainness has been suggested as the right reading, thus bringing out a contrast with eloquence. As, however, lead is frequently described as pale, this reading of all the old editions should be preserved. 109. As, such as, as namely. 112. rain thy joy. Compare 1 Henry IV, v. 1. 47: "It rain'd down fortune showering on your head." Rein is an inferior reading. 117. Or whether. Whether is sometimes used after or where we should omit one of the two. Compare Coriolanus, i. 3. 69: "Or whether his fall enraged him, or how 'twas." 120. hairs. Used in the plural in Shakespeare's day. Compare King John, iii. 4. 66: "Bind up your hairs." 124. having made one. We expect a verb agreeing with this clause to follow; but in the hurry of Bassanio's rapturous speech the construction is not carried out. Such examples of colloquial phraseology in Shakespeare, far from being blemishes, add greatly to the dramatic quality of his dialogue. 126. unfurnished, unmatched with its fellow eye. 126, 128. how far ... so far, in modern English as ... so. 140. Notice how Bassanio's delight and exaltation of spirit at his success is expressed in the continuance after the "scroll" of rhyming lines; and how Portia's succeeding lines, in their deep seriousness, drop back into blank verse. 141. I come by note [in accordance with the scroll or warrant just read] to give [a kiss] and to receive [you, the lady]. 145. Broken as this line is, it is not unmetrical; spirit may have been pronounced as one syllable. 160. sum of - nothing. Preferable to the reading something, of equally good authority, because it conforms more with the negations (unlesson'd, unschool'd, unpractised) that follow, and is more in accord with the careless, happy depreciation of herself which characterizes Portia's whole speech. 162. Happy in this. The old editions all read "Happiest is this," explained by regarding Happiest as neuter, the happiest of all is (it or this), etc. The emendation in preserves the construction; happy in this ... happier than this ... happiest of all in, etc. 173. this ring. The giving of a ring as a token of fidelity is of frequent occurrence in the old drama. See Romeo and Juliet, iii. 2. 142. The employment of the device of the episode of Portia's ring to lighten the gravity of the ending of this comedy is one of the happiest examples of Shakespeare's consummate dramatic skill. 176. vantage, the position of one who is master of the situation. To exclaim on one is to complain of one's conduct. For vantage, see Hamlet, v. 2. 401; for exclaim on, see 1 Henry VI, v. 3. 134. 185. Express'd and not express'd, expressed in inarticulate sounds. 193. none from me, none different from me, none which I do not wish you. 200. the maid. Nerissa was in no respect a servant. She was doubtless as well born, though not as rich, as Portia herself; and bore the same relation of friendship and companionship to Portia that Gratiano, a gentleman by birth, bore to his friend Bassanio. 214. shall be, in modern English will be. 223. A question has been raised as to why Jessica receives no welcome from Portia. This is only apparent. General salutations between the two parties take place while Bassanio is speaking; but the importance of Lorenzo's message to Bassanio usurps the place which mere courtesies might otherwise occupy. Portia being engaged in the interest which Antonio's letter excites, Gratiano (in line 240) calls Nerissa to the charge of Jessica. 232. past all saying nay, beyond the possibility of refusal. 240-253. The dialogue of these lines is carried on while Bassanio is reading Antonio's letter. 242. royal, a term applied to the wealthy and powerful Italian merchants who aided kingdoms with their funds, and often held mortgages on them. The Medici and the Pozzi in Italy, the Fuggers in Germany, and Sir Thomas Gresham in England were merchants of this type. The term here conveys no more than a complimentary allusion to Antonio's wealth. 252. And I must freely have the half of anything, an Alexandrine line, scan it how we will. There is no reason why we should not acknowledge frankly that, intentionally or inadvertently, Shakespeare frequently uses the Alexandrine in single lines in his dramatic verse. 275. it should appear. This use of shall is much like the German sollen, which means is to and not quite ought. 280. And doth impeach the freedom of the state, denies that those, like himself not natives of Venice, have equal rights there if, etc. See below, iv. 1. 38: "If you deny it, let the danger light Upon your charter and your city's freedom." 282. magnificoes, the chief men of Venice were so called. 295. unwearied, that is most unwearied, the superlative is communicated from the words kindest and best-condition'd. Compare above, ii. 1. 46: "To make me blest or cursed'st among men." 304. thorough, through, as often spelled. 315. Since you are dear bought [with all the anxiety that I have suffered while your fate as a suitor hung in the balance]. 321. between you and I. This is so common as to amount to an Elizabethan idiom. Compare above, ii. 6. 30. None of the old copies indicate that Bassanio reads this letter, and yet, as Portia asks to "hear the letter of your friend," the assignment of the reading to Bassanio seems proper. Dr. Furness finely suggests that Bassanio read until the words, "If I might see you at my death," and his voice failing him from emotion, that Portia finish the reading, and passionately add without pause: "O love, despatch all business and be gone!" How to cite the explanatory notes:______ Related Articles  Setting, Atmosphere and the Unsympathetic Venetians in The Merchant of Venice Themes in The Merchant of Venice A Merry Devil: Launcelot Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice Three Interpretations of Shylock Introduction to Shylock Shakespeare Sisterhood: Exploring the Character of Portia Exploring the Nature of Shakespearean Comedy How to Pronounce the Names in The Merchant of Venice The Character of Antonio The Merchant of Venice: Q & A Conflicts of Law and Equity in The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare's Second Period: Exploring The Merchant of Venice and Romeo and Juliet The Merchant of Venice: Plot Summary Famous Quotations from The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare Quotations (by Play and Theme) Quotations About William Shakespeare Why Shakespeare is so Important Shakespeare's Language Shakespeare's Boss: The Master of Revels Shakespeare Timeline: Part 1 (1558-1599) A Shakespeare Timeline: Part 2 (1600-1604) A Shakespeare Timeline: Part 3 (1605-1616) |
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