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Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 4

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 4 Questions and Answers, Passage Based Questions.

Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 4 Workbook Questions and Answers

PASSAGE 1.
Lorenzo :
If e’er the Jew her father come to heaven,
It will be for his gentle daughter’s sake;
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,
Unless she do it under this excuse,
That she is issue to a faithless Jew.

(i) Who is with Lorenzo when he speaks these words ? Where are they ?
Answer: Gratiano is with Lorenzo at this time. They are in a street in Venice.

(ii) Earlier in this scene who had met them? What had he given to Lorenzo ?
Answer: Launcelot Gobbo had met them in the street. He, had given to Lorenzo a letter written by Jessica.

(iii) What had Jessica written in the letter ?
Answer: Jessica, who was ready to elope with Lorenzo directed him how he should take
her from her father’s house. She had also told him about the gold and jewels she would be supplied with.

(iv) Why is Lorenzo full of praise for Jessica ?
Answer: He is full of praise for her because he loves her and she has promised to elope with him.

(v) On what excue can misfortune cross Jessica’s path ?
Answer: Misfortune can cross her path only on the pretext that she is the daughter of an unbelieving Jew.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 1

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 1 Questions and Answers, Passage Based Questions.

Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 1 Workbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
‘Mislike me not for my complexion’. (Line : 1)
When does Prince of Morocco utter this line ? What is he trying to do ?
Answer:
Prince of Morocco utters this line as he appears before Portia. He is trying to prove to her that his black complexion does not make him an inferior suitor in any way, and that he is not ashamed of the skin of his colour. He feels that he should be judged by his real worth.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 1 Passage Based Questions

PASSAGE 1.
Read the following extract and answer the
questions that follow :

Morocco :
Mislike me not for my complexion,
The shadow’d livery of the burnish’d sun,
To whom I am a neighbour and near bred.
Bring me the fairest creature northward born,
Where Phoebus’ fire scarce thaws the icicles,
And let us make incision for your love,
To prove whose blood is reddest, his or mine.

(i) Where are the speakers now ? What is the occasion ?
Answer: The speakers, the Prince of Morocco and Portia are in a room in Portia’s house in Belmont. The occasion is Morocco’s trying his luck at the lottery of caskets in an attempt to marry Portia, a rich and beautiful lady.

(ii) What is the Prince of Morocco proud of ? What is his plea to Portia ?
Answer: The Prince of Morocco is proud of his bravery and fearlessness. His plea to Portia is that she should not reject him simply because of the black colour of his skin.

(iii) What does he think of himself ? How is he mistaken ?
Answer: He thinks that he is the bravest man. He can defeat anyone. He can dare a hungry lion roaring for some prey. In saying so he is greatly mistaken. He does not understand that the lottery of caskets is not a test of physical valour but of mental and moral character.

(iv) What does Portia tell him ?
Answer: Portia tells him that she is not free to choose one whom her eyes approve. If her choice had not been restricted, he would have stood as good a chance of being selected as any other of her suitors.

(v) Which casket does Morocco choose ? How does he lose ?
Answer: Morocco chooses the gold casket. He thinks that the inscription on the gold casket provides the right clue. Portia, he feels, is rightly desired by many men. So he chooses the casket and loses. He loses because he is tempted by the outward show or glitter.

PASSAGE 2.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Morocco :
If Hercules and Lichas play at dice
Which is the better man, the greater throw
May turn by fortune from the weaker hand :
So is Alcides beaten by his page ;
And so may I, blind fortune leading me,
Miss that which one unworthier may attain,
And die with grieving.
Portia :
You must take your chance,
And either not attempt to choose at all
Or swear before you choose, if you choose wrong
Never to speak to lady afterward
In way of marriage : therefore be advised.

(i) When are these lines spoken by the Prince of Morocco ? What has Portia assured him earlier ?
Answer: These lines are spoken by the Prince of Morocco before making his choice of the casket. Portia has earlier assured him that his black complexion does not matter at all, for she is not free to choose her life partner.

(ii) Who are Hercules and Lichas ? Why does Morocco refer to Hercules and Lichas ?
Answer: Hercules was a great Greek hero and Lichas was his servant. Morocco refers to them in order to equate himself with Hercules who may get defeated by his servant at a game of dice. He wants to say that he may lose, like Hercules, while the right casket may be chosen by a less worthy man.

(iii) What is Morocco’s regret ? What does he decide to do ultimately ?
Answer: Morocco’s regret is that courage and bravery which he has in plenty have no place in this lottery. Ultimately, he decides to try his luck, whatever be the outcome.

(iv) What is his fate ? Why does he lose the lottery of casket later ?
Answer: He fails to choose the right casket because he is tempted by the outward glitter. He is misled by the inscription on the gold casket which he chooses.

(v) What lesson does he learn ?
Answer: He learns to his dismay that all that glitters is not gold. Appearance has often deceived man.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 3 Scene 1

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 3 Scene 1 Questions and Answers, Passage Based Questions.

Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 1 Workbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
‘To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge’. (Lines : 48-49)
In what context does Shylock react thus ? What does it reveal ?
Answer:
Shylock is bitter about his daughter’s running away with a Christian. He wants to have his revenge on Antonio, a Christian. Thus, he reacts bitterly. It reveals his cruel, revengeful nature.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 3 Scene 1 Passage Based Questions

PASSAGE 1.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Salanio:
Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh: what’s that good for?
Shylock :
To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else,
it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and
hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses,
mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my
bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine
enemies; and what’s his reason? I am a Jew.

(i) Where are the speakers now ? Who is with them ?
Answer: The speakers, Salarino and Shylock, are now in a street in Venice. Salanio is with them. Salanio and Salarino are obviously in a mood to tease and harass Shylock who is distressed at the loss of a daughter and his ducats.

(ii) What prompts Salarino to ask Shylock about his intentions towards Antonio ? Answer: The news that Antonio has lost his ships and has become bankrupt is really frightening. It prompts Salarino to ask Shylock what he would do in case Antonio forfeited the bond.

(iii) What does Shylock reveal ?
Answer: Shylock reveals his true intentions in taking revenge on Antonio. He hates Antonio who has harmed and insulted him in many ways.

(iv) How has Antonio insulted Shylock ?
Answer: Antonio has harmed his business interests. He has laughed at his losses. He has scorned his community. He has sided with his enemies. According to Shylock, Antonio has ill-treated him simply because he is a Jew.

(v) Do you think Shylock has been greatly wronged ? How would you justify his hardened stance towards Antonio later ?
Answer: Yes, we feel that Shylock has been greatly wronged. A man who has been harmed and humiliated in public cannot do anything else but think of revenge. Antonio’s behaviour has been extremely provocative and unjustified.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 3 Scene 4

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 3 Scene 4 Questions and Answers, Passage Based Questions.

Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 4 Workbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
T never did repent for doing good
Nor shall not now ‘ (Lines : 10-11)
On what occasion does Portia speak these lines ? What has she done ?
Answer:
Portia speaks these lines when Lorenzo praises Portia for sending Bassanio to Antonio’s help. He is surprised that Portia has done such a noble deed without knowing who Antonio is.

Question 2.
‘But come, I’ll tell thee all my whole device
When I am in my coach’ (Lines : 81-82)
What is in Portia’s mind as she leaves her home for Venice ?
Answer:
As she leaves her home for Venice, Portia has in her mind a plan to defend Antonio. She thinks of going to Venice as a lawyer in a male’s dress, along with Nerissa as her male clerk and fight the legal battle against Shylock with the help of her lawyer cousin.

Question 3.
What duty is assigned to Balthasar by Portia ?
Answer:
Portia is in a hury to go to Venice to save Antonio’s life. So she asks Balthasar to run to Padua and deliver a letter to Dr. Bellario. She asks him to bring back what documents and clothes Dr. Bellario would give him.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 3 Scene 4 Passage Based Questions

PASSAGE 1
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

I never did repent for doing good,
Nor shall not now; for in companions
That do converse and waste the time together,
Whose souls do bear an equal yoke Of love,
There must be needs a like proportion
Of lineaments, of manners and of spirit;
Which makes me think that this Antonio,
Being the bosom lover of my lord,
Must needs be like my lord. If it be so,
How little is the cost I have bestow’d
In purchasing the semblance of my soul
From out the state of hellish misery !
This comes too near the praising of myself;
Therefore no more of it : hear other things.

(i) Who is being addressed to ? Who are present on the occasion ?
Answer: Lorenzo is being addressed to here by Portia. Nerissa, Lorenzo, Jessica and Balthasar are present on the occasion.

(ii) What has Lorenzo told Portia ?
Answer: Lorenzo has told Portia as to how loving a friend Antonio is of her husband. He is sure that if she knew it she would feel even more proud of what she has done to help Antonio.

(iii) What is Portia’s instant reply ?
Answer: Portia at once says that she has never been sorry for doing good, and shall not do so now.

(iv) What is Portia’s reason in helping Antonio so generously ?
Answer: According to Portia, Antonio being her husband’s dearest friend must be like him. So in that case whatever she does to save him, who is so like her husband, is very slight.

(v) Give two qualities of Portia that this passage reveals.
Answer: This passage reveals clearly Portia’s generous nature and his humility.

PASSAGE 2.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Lorenzo :
Madam, with all my heart;
I shall obey you in all fair commands.
Portia :
My people do already know my mind,
And will acknowledge you and Jessica
In place of Lord Bassanio and myself.
And so farewell, till we shall meet again.

(i) Where are the speakers now ? What has Portia asked Lorenzo to do ?
Answer: The speakers are now in a hall in Portia’s house. Portia has asked Lorenzo to look after the house during Bassanio’s absence as they are also going to a convent for prayers.

(ii) Portia is ready to leave her house. What does she tell Lorenzo and Jessica ? Where is she actually going ?
Answer: Portia tells Lorenzo and Jessica that her people (servants) would obey them as their masters in her absence. She is actually going to Venice to defend Antonio as a lawyer in male attire.

(iii) What tells you that Portia is extremely humble ?
Answer: Portia is so humble and considerate that she does not even call her servants as servants. She calls them her ‘people’ out of respect and humility.

(iv) After Jessica and Lorenzo leave, later in the scene, whom does she meet, and for what ?
Answer: After Jessica and Lorenzo have left, she meets Balthazar, one of her servants, whom she asks to go with a letter to her cousin in Padua. She wants the help of her cousin, a civil doctor, in Antonio’s case.

(v) What does she tell Nerissa later ?
Answer: She tells Nerissa later that they are leaving for Venice in male dresses. She will be a lawyer and Nerissa her clerk. She says she will explain to her the whole plan on the way.

PASSAGE 3.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Portia :
Like a fine bragging youth, and tell quaint lies,
How honourable ladies sought my love,
Which I denying, they fell sick and died;
I could not do withal; then I’ll repent,
And wish for all that, that I had not killed them;
And twenty of these puny lies I’ll tell,
That men shall swear I have discontinued school
Above a twelve month. I have within my mind
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks,
Which I will practise.

(i) Who is Portia speaking to ? What is her plan ?
Answer: Portia is speaking to her companion Nerissa. Her plan is to go to Venice in male attire. She will act as a lawyer and Nerissa, her clerk. She hopes to defend and rescue Antonio.

(ii) How does Portia describe her in the role of a young man ?
Answer: Portia says that she will act as a bold .dashing young man. She will speak in a shrill voice and boast of duels and fights as the fashionable young men do. She will also refer to her imaginary love conquests.

(iii) What is Portia’s tone and attitude as she describes the youth of her age ?
Answer: When Portia describes the youth of her age her tone is hilarious and attitude satirical. Her words are a satirical commentary on the hollow youth who waste a lot of their time in idle pursuits.

(iv) What do you learn about Portia from her scheme ?
Answer: From her scheme it becomes clear that Portia is a good planner. She is bold and adventurous. She does not believe in sitting idle at home. She is a doer in the true sense of the term.

(v) Why has Portia not gone to Belmont with Bassanio ?
Answer: Portia has not gone to Belmont with Bassanio. Perhaps she thinks of going to Venice herself later. Or she wants to spring a surprise on Bassanio, which seems to be more plausible.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 2

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 2 Questions and Answers, Passage Based Questions.

Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 2 Workbook Questions and Answers

Passage 1.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Launcelot :
Certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnal; and in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of conscience, to ofter to counsel me to stay with the Jew The fiend gives the more friendly counsel: I will run, fiend, my heels are at your commandment, I will run.

(i) Who is the few referred to in the first line? Why is he compared to the devil ?
Answer: The Jew referred to is Skylock. He has been compared to the devil because he is cruel, strict and hard-hearted like the devil.

(ii) In the conflict between the devil and the conscience, who wins ? What does Launcelot decide to do ?
Answer: The devil wins in this conflict. Launcelot decides to leave the job.

(iii) What counsel does the conscience give to Launcelot ?
Answer: The conscience counsels Launcelot to stay with the Jew and continue his service.

(iv) Who meets Launcelot, soon after this ? Answer: Old Gobbo meets Launcelot soon after this.

(v) What does Launcelot mean by ‘the very devil incamal’ ?
Answer: Launcelot means to say that the Jew i.e. Shylock is the very devil in human form.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 5

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 5 Questions and Answers, Passage Based Questions.

Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 5 Workbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
‘There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest,
For I did dream of money-bags to-night.’ (Lines : 19-20)
When does Shylock utter these lines ? What do they signify ?
Answer:
Shylock utters these lines while going out to supper with Bassanio and his friends. They foretell the sad incident of the elopement of his daughter. She is going to steal a lot of his money and jewels, of which he had a dream.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 5 Passage Based Questions

PASSAGE 1.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Shylock :
The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder;
Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day
More than the wild-cat: drones hive not with me;
Therefore, I part with him, and part with him
To one that would have him help to waste
His borrow’d purse. Well, Jessica, go in;
Perhaps I will return immediately:
Do as I bid you; shut doors after you:
Fast bind, fast find;
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.

(i) Who is Shylock addressing to ? Why is he delivering this speech ?
Answer: Shylock is addressing his daughter Jessica. He is delivering this speech only to while away time. He has been invited to dinner by Bassanio to which he has half a mind to attend.

(ii) Why is he satisfied that Launcelot is leaving his services ?
Answer: He is satisfied that Launcelot is leaving his services. He feels that Launcelot is a parasite and a huge feeder. Moreover, he thinks he should go to Bassanio whose stock of borrowed money needs to be exhausted.

(iii) What does he mean to say ‘Waste his borrowed purse’ ?
Answer: By ‘waste his borrowed purse’, he means that Launcelot will help waste the borrowed money of his new master Bassanio. He seems to take perverse delight in the thought.

(iv) Where is he going ? Who leaves her home soon after he has left ?
Answer: He is going to join a dinner party arranged by Bassanio and his Christian friends. Jessica, his daughter, leaves her home soon after he has left, to elope with her lover Lorenzo.

(v) Mention any four character traits of Shylock.
Answer: Shylock seems to be as fanatic as Antonio. He hates all ChristiAnswer: Then he is a very crafty person, which is clear from the way he is able to entrap Antonio. He is a heartless, stingy fellow. He is also a hard¬hearted moneylender.

PASSAGE 2.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Shylock :
What, are there masques ? Hear you me, Jessica:
Look up my doors; and when you hear the drum
And the vile squealing of the wry-neck’d fife,
Clamber not you up to the casements then,
Nor thrust your head into the public street
To gaze on Christian fools with varnish’d faces,
But stop my house’s ears, I mean my casements :
Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter
My sober house. By Jacob’s staff, I swear,
I have no mind of feasting forth to-night:
But I will go. Go you before me, sirrah;
Say I will come.
Launcelot:
I will go before, sir. Mistress, look out at window, for all this, There will come a Christian boy, will be worth a Jewess’ eye.

(i) Where is Shylock going ? Why is he reluctant to go ?
Answer: Shylock has been invited to dinner by Bassanio and his other friends. He is reluctant to go because he knows that he has not been invited out of love but only to flatter him. Moreover, he has had a bad dream in which he had seen money-bags, a bad omen.

(ii) What information of Launcelot alarms Shylock ?
Answer: Launcelot informs Jessica that they (Christians) have planned a masque tonight. Shylock is alarmed at the news, as being a Jew, he does not like a noisy event like that of a masque and feels that the noise may pollute the atmosphere of his house.

(iii) What advice does Shylock give to his daughter Jessica ? Why ?
Answer: Shylock asks Jessica to close all the doors to prevent the noise of the drum and the fife from entering his house. As a Jew he is against such extravagant shows staged by Christians.

(iv) What does Launcelot ask Jessica to do ? Which Christian boy does he refer to ?
Answer: Launcelot asks Jessica, his mistress, to look out of her window tonight. He says that a Christian boy (Lorenzo) will come who will be worth seeing for her eyes.

(v) How is Launcelot’s news significant for Jessica ?
Answer: Jessica and her lover Lorenzo have decided to elope during the masquerade arranged by Lorenzo’s Christian friends. Launcelot’s news is, in a Way, a hint to Jessica to get ready for the elopement when his father Shylock will be away.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 7

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 7 Questions and Answers, Passage Based Questions.

Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 7 Workbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
‘From the four comers of the earth they come
To kiss this shrine, this mortal breathing saint’. (Lines : 39-40)
What prompts the Prince of Morocco to say these lines ? What does he want to say ?
Answer:
The inscription on the gold casket prompts the Prince of Morocco to say these lines. He wants to say that all men hanker after Portia, and come from all parts of the world to pay their homage to her. His guess is that the gold casket should have Portia’s picture in it.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 7 Passage Based Questions

PASSAGE 1.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
Morocco :
Let’s see once more this saying graved in gold
“Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.”
Why, that’s the lady; all the world desires her;
From the four corners of the earth they come,
To kiss this shrine, this mortal-breathing saint :
The Hyrcanian deserts and the vasty wilds Of wide Arabia are as thoroughfares now
For princes to come view-fair Portia :

(i) Who is Morocco speaking to ? What is the occasion ?
Answer: Morocco is speaking aloud to himself. He is going to try his luck at the lottery of caskets.

(ii) What does he think while reading the inscription on the gold casket ?
Answer: While reading the inscription on the gold casket, he feels that it is Portia who is desired by all men who are coming to get her from all parts of the world.

(iii) How does he praise Portia ?
Answer: He calls Portia a saint and her residence a temple which is visited by a number of men to pay their homage to this ‘flesh- and-blood’ saint.

(iv) “The Hyrcanian deserts and the vasty wilds … thoroughfares now”. Explain.
Answer: The deserts in Persia and the wild wastes of Arabia have now become well-trodden roads for princes eager to court Portia, according to Morocco.

(v) What makes him choose gold casket ? What does he find in the gold casket ? How does he react on losing the game ?
Answer: He feels that the picture of so beautiful woman as Portia can only be in a beautiful, gold casket. To his dismay, he finds a skull with a scroll sticking out of one of its eyes. He feels greatly disappointed on losing the lottery.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 9

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 9 Questions and Answers, Passage Based Questions.

Merchant of Venice Act 2 Scene 9 Workbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
I will not jump with common spirits And rank me with the barbarous multitudes’. (Lines : 31-32)
Who utters these words and when ?
What do they tell you of the speaker ?
Answer: The Prince of Arragon, one of Portia’s suitors, utters these lines as he broods on the inscription on the gold casket. They reveal that Arragon is self-conceited and arrogant. He feels as if he were an extra-ordinary person.

Question 2.
‘O that estates, degrees and offices Were not derived corruptly’. (Lines : 40-41)
The Prince of Arragon who utters these words seems to be a wise observer, but then why does he make a wrong choice ?
Answer:
The Prince of Arragon has wisely read of the. ways of the world. Even then he fails in his choice of the caskets because he is self-conceited and arrogant.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 2 Scene 9 Passage Based Questions

PASSAGE 1.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Arragon :
I will not choose what many men desire,
Because I will not jump with common spirits
And rank me with the barbarous multitudes.
Why, then to thee, thou silver treasure-house;
Tell me once more what title thou dost bear :
‘Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves
And well said too; for who shall go about
To cozen fortune and be honourable
Without the stamp of merit ? Let none presume
To wear an undeserved dignity.

(i) Who had tried his luck at the casket lottery before the Prince of Arragon ? What was the result ?
Answer: The Prince of Morocco had tried his luck at the casket lottery. He had chosen the gold casket which was a wrong choice. He had to leave disappointed.

(ii) Why does the Prince of Arragon reject the gold casket ? What does it reveal to you about his character ?
Answer: The Prince of Arragon rejects the gold casket because he does not want to go with the common people who get tempted by the attractive outside of things. He considers himself to be out of common. He is self-conceited and arrogant.

(iii) Why is he impressed by the inscription on the silver casket ? What does it reflect ?
Answer: The inscription on the silver casket makes him feel that he fully deserves Portia. So he goes for the silver casket. It shows that he has a very high opinion about his own merit.

(iv) To what extent is he right ? Where does he go wrong ?
Answer: He is right in thinking that honour should be won by merit and that merit should be the sole criterion for high position in life. He goes wrong in thinking that he is meritorious and deserves to be the husband of Portia.

(i) What casket does he choose ? What does he find in it ? How does Portia react on his leaving ?
Answer: He chooses the silver casket. He finds in it the picture of an idiot. When he leaves
after making a lot of fuss, Portia remarks that some people take a very long time in coming to a decision, and thus, choose wrong.

PASSAGE 2.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Madam, there is alighted at your gate
A young Venetian, one that comes before
To signify the approaching of his lord;
From whom he bringeth sensible regreets,
To wit, besides commends and courteous breath,
Gifts of rich value. Yet I have not seen
So likely an ambassador of love:

(i) Who is speaking these lines and to whom ? What has happened early in the scene ?
Answer: A servant is speaking to Portia. Earlier, the Prince of Arragon has made a wrong choice and left after making a lot of fuss, leaving Portia in a bad mood.

(ii) Who is the young Venetian referred to here ? Why is the speaker so impressed ?
Answer: The young Venetian referred to here is Bassanio’s messenger. He has brought with him a number of gifts and graceful compliments from his master. This has greatly impressed the speaker.

(iii) How does Portia react on hearing the news ?
Answer: Portia reacts sharply on hearing the news. She is in no mood to hear of another suitor soon after a skirmish with Arragon. She suspects that the servant is overreacting in praising the newcomer.

(iv) What does Nerissa wish at the end of the scene ? What clue does it provide to you ?
Answer: At the end of the scene Nerissa wishes that this suitor should turn out to be Bassanio.
It provides us the clue that Portia has some interest in Bassanio and Nerissa wants her to marry him.

(v) In which mood is Portia ? Who is able to choose the right casket later in the play ?
What does it tell us of the person ?
Answer: Portia is in a bad mood. It is Bassanio who chooses the right casket later. Bassanio’s choice of lead casket is deliberate. He takes a deliberate risk and wins. It shows his adventurous nature and right judgement.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 1 Scene 2

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 1 Scene 2 Questions and Answers, Passage Based Questions.

Merchant of Venice Act 1 Scene 2 Workbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Who is Nerissa ? What does Portia tell her ? Why is she unhappy ?
Answer:
Nerissa is Portia’s companion. Portia’s words reveal that she is sick of her life and feels unhappy. She is sad because she is not free to choose her life partner. Her father has bound her future to the lottery of caskets designed by him.

Question 2.
Why does Nerissa not find fault with Portia’s father ?
Answer:
Nerissa does not find fault with Portia’s father who bound her future to the lottery of caskets. She feels that he must have got the right inspiration at the time of his death, and that the casket lottery designed by him would prove to be a sound one.

Question 3.
‘God made him and therefore let him pass for a man’. (Line : 51)
Who is being referred to by Portia ? In what tone is she talking of him ?
Answer:
Portia is referring to one of her suitors, the . French Lord, Monsieur Le Bon. She speaks about him in a sarcastic tone, saying that he is not a ‘proper’ man, though God has given him a human shape. According to her, he has no individuality of his own.

Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers Act 1 Scene 2 Passage Based Questions

PASSAGE 1.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Portia :
By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of this great world.
Nerissa :
You would be, sweet madam, if your miseries were in the same abundance as your good fortunes are : and yet, for aught I see, they are as sick that surfeit with too much as they that starve with nothing.
It is no mean happiness, therefore, to be seated in the mean :
superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer.

(i) Where are the speakers now ? Why is Portia sad and bored ?
Answer: The speakers are now in a room in Portia’s house. Portia is sad and bored because she is not happy to make a free choice in the matter of her life partner. She is bound to the lottery of caskets designed by her father.

(ii) Who is Nerissa ? Who are happy according to her ?
Answer: Nerissa is Portia’s maid. In reality, she is her trusted companion. According to her, only those persons are happy who are neither too rich nor too poor. Excessively rich people like Portia remain sad and bored.

(iii) What does Nerissa have in mind ? Do you agree with what she seems to suggest ?
Answer: While commenting on human nature, Nerissa has Portia in her mind. She thinks Portia is sad and bored because of her excessive riches, which is wrong. Portia is sad and worried thinking of her future.

(iv) How does Portia receive Nerissa’s speech ? What is Nerissa’s reaction ?
Answer: Portia receives Nerissa’s speech well. She appreciates her feelings and acknowledges the logic of what she has said. Nerissa thinks her thoughts should be better put into practice.

(v) What is the real reason of Portia’s sadness ?
Answer: The real reason of Portia’s sadness is that she wants to marry the person of her choice but she cannot. She cannot disobey the will of her late father who has designed the lottery of caskets for her marriage.

PASSAGE 2.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Portia :
If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches and poor men’s cottages princes’ palaces. It is a good divine that follows his own instructions : I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching. The brain may devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps o’er a cold decree: such a hare is madness the youth, to skip o’er the meshes of good counsel the cripple.

(i) Where are the speakers now ? What is the occasion ?
Answer: The speakers, Portia and Nerissa, are in a room in Portia’s house in Belmont. They are speaking as many suitors from different parts of the world have arrived to try their luck at the lottery of caskets.

(ii) What prompts Portia to react ? In which mood is she ?
Answer: When Nerissa says that her thoughts would be better and effective if they were put into practice, Portia retorts that it is easy to know what is good but very difficult to put it into practice. She is in a sad and sombre mood.

(iii) What does Portia say ? What comes in the way of happiness and prosperity ?
Answer: Portia says that to practise good is not as easy as to know what is good. Man often does not practise what he preaches. This is what comes in his way of happiness and prosperity.

(iv) To what is youth compared here ? What poetic device is used here ?
Answer: The youth is compared’ to a rash hare, which easily skips over snares and nets laid by wise old men, and invites troubles. The poetic device used here is metaphor.

(v) Who enters later in the scene ? What news is conveyed to Portia ?
Answer: A servant enters later in the scene. He conveys the news that four suitors are leaving without taking chance, while a new suitor, the Prince of Morocco, is coming soon to try his luck.