Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers
Act IV Scene 2
Extract 1
(i) The deed referred to in the extract is the legal document prepared by Portia. The deed states that Shylock's property will go to Lorenzo and Jessica after Shylock's death. Lorenzo will be happy with this deed as it benefits him and Jessica.
(ii)
(a) Find out about the house of Shylock. Portia asks Nerissa to ask someone to direct her to Shylock's house.
(b) I am glad to have overtaken you.
(iii) Portia is going to Belmont that night. She should reach home before her husband so that he may not doubt her absence from Belmont. She was away from home under the pretext of going to a convent to do religious exercises and holy meditation till the arrival of their husbands.
(iv) In Act 4 Scene 1, the comedy occurs due to Bassanio giving the ring to the lawyer. Portia accuses Bassanio for this, saying if he knew the special abilities of the ring and his honour in keeping vows, he should not have parted with it. He defends himself saying that he parted with it reluctantly and gave it to the lawyer, who saved Antonio's life.
(v) The ring episode is integral to the love episode. It adds humour to the play and further promotes the love and commitment of the couples. Antonio agrees to be the guarantor for Bassanio that he will never again deliberately break the promise made the Portia and will never part with the ring again.
Extract 2
(i) By saying, 'That cannot be, Portia is referring to Bassanio's request to her to have dinner with him, Portia tells Gratiano that it is not possible for her to accept Bassanio's request to come for dinner. She says so because she is in the disguise of a lawyer and did not want Bassanio to know her identity at this stage. Secondly, she wants to return to Belmont before the arrival of her husband.
(ii) The 'youth' referred to here is Nerissa. TheThe youth should be shown Shylock's house so that she could give the draft deed to Shylock for his signature.
(iii) Nerissa is planning to get the ring from Gratiano. Portia says that their husbands will keep swearing that they have given the rings to men as a gift, but Portia and Nerissa will contradict them and swear just as vehemently that they are deceiving them. This incident provides a comic effect in the play in Act V Scene 1. Both Nerissa and Portia accuse their husbands for parting with their rings. But Bassanio and Gratiano swear that they have given the rings to boys and that to express their gratitude for their services in saving Antonio from Shylock. They promise never to part with the rings again. The ring episode provides comic relief after the severe trial scene.
(iv) Act IV of the play ends with Nerissa and Gratiano going to search for Shylock's house to make him sign the deed and with Nerissa's plans to get the ring from Gratiano. The loss of the rings is complete, and the consequences are seen in Act V. Act IV prepares the audience for the final resolution of conflict in Act V.
(v) Portia's intellectual ability and leadership are shown in Act IV. She considers herself perfectly justified in what she is doing. Throughout the act, she is calm and composed. She has learned Dr. Bellario's instructions so well that she seems to know how to act the role of a lawyer. She coolly proceeds from one point to another. She has provided herself with all the necessary documents and law books for the case to be made against Shylock if he does not relent. She makes
Shylock commits himself in the court that he will accept nothing but the penalty in the bond and ensures that Shylock is judged as per the law as he wanted and ably manages to save Antonio from his evil designs.