Merchant of Venice Reflection Question Two

13. Why do you think Shakespeare includes the sub-plot concerning Jessica and Lorenzo?

One reason that I think Shakespeare includes the sup-plot of Lorenzo and Jessica is to serve as a contrast to the relationship between Bassanio and Portia, especially a contrast between Jessica and Portia. Although Jessica chose to cross dress as man, similar to Portia, Jessica did it for very different reasons. Portia chose to cross-dress entirely of her own accord, and in doing so gained power and control over her marriage to Bassanio; Portia gained strength and the ability to be lawyer and save Antonio by cross-dressing. When Jessica chose to cross-dress, she felt weak and like it was a mere necessity, and she felt like she was ugly when dressed as a man. Jessica's reasons for cross-dressing were also fundamentally different from Portia's because Jessica chose to cross-dress specifically in order to be married to Lorenzo and as an escape, whereas Portia never seemed to lose her identity when dressed as a man and chose to cross-dress of her own accord.

Jessica also did not have the same respect for her father that Portia had for her father. Even after his death, Portia still respected her father, his will, and his casket test. Although Portia did not always agree with her father's actions and the constraint he put on her, but she always respected the rules of the casket test, even if she sometimes tried to manipulate the suitors within those rules. Jessica, however, outright disobeyed her father and ran away from him. Jessica not only ran away from her father, but she also eloped with Lorenzo, a Christian, spent all of Shylock's money, and converted to Christianity. Jessica seems to have seriously resented her father, and worked against all of his ideals and did everything he hates the most. Even though Portia may have disagreed with her father's methods, she still obeyed his wishes even after death, while Jessica made a point to disobey her father in every way she could when she ran away and eloped with Lorenzo.

I think Jessica and Lorenzo were also included to expand upon the Jewish-Christian dichotomy. Jessica converted to Christianity almost immediately after she eloped with Lorenzo, however she still faced discrimination for having been Jewish. This is specifically seen from Lancelet, who expresses his belief to Jessica that she will still end up in hell even though she converted to Christianity due to the "sins" of her father. Jessica and Lorenzo also serve as another relationship in the play, but one that had quite different origins. Jessica is fairly young, and Lorenzo and Jessica eloped without the permission of her father, so this is much different from the relationship of Portia and Bassanio, and even Nerissa and Gratiano. Both Portia and Nerissa seem to be older than Jessica, and their relationships seem to be less rushed and spur of the moment. Jessica and Lorenzo eloped suddenly, escaping from her father, so the relationship had a different beginning and may have a different ending as well. 

Merchant of Venice Reflection Question One

4. Does Jessica love her father? Why does she take and then spend so much money when she runs away? Do you think she'll live "happily ever after" in Belmont, with Lorenzo as her husband (and with Portia and Nerissa as friends)?

I like to believe that Jessica loved her, but I do not think that love is extremely prevalent in this play. Between a father and daughter, especially considering Shylock is a single father and the sole remaining parent, I think that there is an innate love present. However, I think Jessica harbors so much hate and resent for her father that the love is nearly nonexistent. For her entire life, Jessica has most likely been isolated due to her religion and her father's business practices (charging interest), and that would be difficult on any teenage girl. Jessica thus resents her father for, in her mind, essentially forcing Judaism upon her and separating her from Lorenzo and most other people. When Jessica runs away from her father, she converts to Christianity almost immediately, in an attempt to separate herself from her father and his religion, which she probably feels has restricted her for most of her life since most Christians discriminate against Jews.

I think Jessica takes and spends so much money when she runs away with Lorenzo in order to get back at and separate herself from her father. Jessica knows that Shylock loves his money almost as much as her, if not more than he loves her. Thus, in order to reach him and anger him for confining her to Judaism and this life of hatred, Jessica chooses to steal and spend this thing that is extremely precious to him. Jessica also probably resents her father for loving his money possibly more than he loves her, so she decided to steal and assert control and dominance over this thing that has captured her father's love, which ends up betraying him through Jessica stealing it. Based upon Shylock's reaction to Jessica running away with his money, and his cries for both his money and his daughter in equal measure, Jessica was probably correct in her assumption of his response when stealing his money.

I do not think that Jessica will get a perfect "happily ever after" living in Belmont. At the beginning of Act 5, Lorenzo and Jessica mention and relate their own love to other love stories, like Medea and Dido, that all ended poorly. These references could be foreshadowing for Lorenzo and Jessica's own relationship, especially since the Jessica is so young and the two rushed into the relationship. Jessica also will not likely get along entirely with Portia and Nerissa. Jessica already experienced some conflict with Lancelet in act 3, which will probably be typical of the other people in Belmont. Even though Jessica converted to Christianity, Lancelet disliked her and believed she was going to hell for being a Jew in the first place, which I think will be a similar response from Portia and Nerissa. Even if Portia and Nerissa do not outright hate Jessica, I do not think she will ever be entirely accepted in Belmont.  

Act Five -- Merchant of Venice

In Act 5 of The Merchant of Venice, Portia, Nerissa, Bassanio, Antonio, and Gratiano all return from the trial in Venice. When the men reveal to Portia and Nerissa that they gave away their rings, without knowing they had given the rings to a disguised Portia and Nerissa, the two women act outraged since they had made their husbands swear to never give away their rings. After messing with their husbands for a little longer, Portia and Nerissa reveal that they had disguised themselves as men and they were the lawyer and the clerk who had saved Antonio's life. I really liked that Portia and Nerissa revealed to their husbands that they had disguised themselves and proven to be strong women, and I also like how they used this information to their advantage. Portia and Nerissa gained some serious respect from Bassanio and Gratiano after revealing their positions in the trial, while also gaining more control in their marriage. I am also happy that the play ended on a high note, with Lorenzo becoming Shylock's heir, all of the couples (Lorenzo and Jessica, Bassanio and Portia, and Gratiano and Nerissa) ending happily and in love, and that even Antonio got his happy ending with a few of his ships out at sea actually being safe. 

Act Two -- Merchant of Venice

Scene 1: The Prince of Morocco arrives at Belmont to take the casket test. The Prince speaks with Portia, telling her to not judge him by his skin, and Portia basically says she does not have a choice in her marriage so he has as good of a choice as anyone.

Scene 2: Lancelet Gabbo is introduced, and he is lower class servant and a comic relief in the play. He pranks his father into believing he is dead and does not seem to treat him well. Lancelet also chooses to be Bassanio's servant because he does not wish to serve Shylock who is Jewish.

Scene 3: Jessica and Lancelet say good-bye since he is leaving to serve Bassanio, and Jessica gives him a letter to take to Lorenzo.

Scene 4: Lancelet delivers Jessica's letter to Lorenzo, and Lorenzo sends Lancelet back to Jessica to deliver money and a message.

Scene 5: Shylock is leaving to got to dinner at Bassanio's house, and instructs Jessica to remain safe inside the house while he is away, although she plots to run away.

Scene 6:  Jessica sneaks out, dressed as a male page, and finds Lorenzo, while also stealing money from her father. Antonio also arrives and delivers the news that Bassanio is going to leave for Belmont.

Scene 7: The Prince of Morocco attempts the casket test, choosing the gold chest, which had the riddle, "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire." The Prince of Morocco fails, finding a skull with a scroll in its mouth, which basically read that it is unwise to judge a book by its cover, instead of a picture of Portia. 

Scene 8: Salarino and Salanio recount Shylock's reaction to discovering Jessica had fled with Lorenzo, which basically consisted of him yelling about his ducats and his daughter. The two also reveal that Lorenzo and Jessica fled on a ship separate from Bassanio. They also discuss the parting of Antonio and Bassanio, where Antonio basically says to not worry about him and just win Portia's hand in marriage.

Scene 9: The Prince of Arragon arrives to attempt the casket test. The Prince of Arragon chose the silver casket, which read, "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves." This chest contained either a mirror or a clown's head (it is unclear which), since he was too arrogant and believed himself to be too deserving. Portia and Nerissa also receive a message that Bassanio has arrived to attempt the casket test, and Nerissa is hoping that he wins. 

Characters that are Introduced

Prince of Moroccco: black and a moor, wishes to be judged not solely on his appearance, fails the casket test by choosing the gold chest

Lancelet Gobbo: lower class, comic relief, dumb but tries to act smart, kind of a jerk to his dad, works for Shylock but wants to work for Bassanio since he is Christian

Old Gobbo: father of Lancelet, blind, tricked by his son and treated fairly poorly by him

Jessica: rebel, doesn't like being Jewish, supposed to be admirable because she wants to convert to Christianity, resents her father, eloping with Lorenzo and stole her father's money

Prince of Arragon: attempts and fails the casket test by choosing the gold chest, arrogant, thinks highly of himself

Emerging Themes and Issues

-Anti-Semitism: Shylock is seen and portrayed as a villain/main antagonist due to his religion, and is often treated like an animal ("cur"/ "dog") due to his religion. However, Jessica is supposed to be viewed as admirable because she wishes to convert to Christianity.

-Father-Child Relationships: Jessica and Lancelet both seem to disrespect and treat their fathers poorly, while also resenting them. Porita also resents her father due to the casket test and her lack of a choice in who she gets to marry.

-Cross-Dressing: In this act, Jessica must cross-dress as a man in order to escape her father and elope with Lorenzo. This theme also appears again later in the play when Portia cross-dresses during the trial to save Antonio and Bassanio.

Act One Character Analysis -- Merchant of Venice

Antonio:

-wealthy merchant with all of his money tied up in his ships

-close with Bassanio, sort of like a father figure

-sad but doesn't know why

-mature, sugar daddy

Bassanio: 

-immature

-borrows money often, a gambler

-talks big, manipulator

-wants to marry Portia

Portia:

-snobby, snarky, sassy, strong-willed

-quick-witted

-high standards

Nerissa:

-salty

-loyal

-voice of reason/philosophical

-Portia's closest friend

Shylock:

-referred to as cur/dog often

-smart, good with money

-main antagonist

-has a vendetta against Antonio

Exposition:
Bassanio wishes to woo and win Portia's hand in marriage, but in order to journey to take the casket test, he needs money from Antonio. Meanwhile, Portia resents the casket test that her father has put in place since it takes away her free-will and choice in who she wishes to marry. Venice is the world of money, wealth, ships, and men. Belmont is the world of love, romance, and women.

The Merchant of Venice Introduction Analysis

1. In this passage of The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare is introducing the audience to Bassanio and Antonio, and their relationship. Bassanio wants to win over Portia, but he does not have the funds to do so, which leads to him approaching his fiscally stable best friend, Antonio, who cannot offer Bassanio money but does offer Bassanio his credit. Shakespeare conveys that Bassanio is arrogant and views himself as a hero, like Jason, because he compares Portia’s hair to the “golden fleece” (1.1.177), and he compares the other men who have tried to win her hand to “Jasons [who have] come in quest of her” (1.1.179).
2. While being heavily implied, Bassanio indicates that he is very much interested in the wealth of Portia. In line 168, Bassanio begins by saying, “In Belmont is a lady richly left” (1.1). This is the way Bassanio introduces Portia to Antonio, and while Bassanio does go on to discuss how “fair” (1.1.169) and beautiful she is, it still remains that Bassanio thought it was important enough to begin with Portia’s wealth. Shakespeare also sets up that Antonio is the responsible one of the two, a kind of father figure to Bassanio, because Antonio is fiscally stable and has good credit since he tells Bassanio to “try what my credit can in Venice do” (1.1.187).
3. When Bassanio is speaking, twice he uses phrases with multiple meanings when he says, “Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth” (1.1.174), and “That I should questionless be fortunate” (1.1.183). The word “worth” has a double meaning when Bassanio says it, because it can mean both her worth in a sense of her physical being and what she would mean to him if he loved her, but it also means Portia’s financial worth because Bassanio has already mentioned that she is extremely rich. When Bassanio says “fortunate,” it again has a double meaning, since it can either mean that Bassanio would be very lucky to have the beautiful and lovely Portia as his wife, but it can also means that he will inherit a fortune since she is very rich.
4. From these lines, I can assume that Bassanio is kind of arrogant since, in lines 177-179, he compares himself to the great hero and leader, Jason, and he thinks very highly of himself (1.1). I can infer that Antonio is responsible since he is fiscally stable and knows how to handle his money, and he also mentions that he has good credit in line 187 (1.1). I cannot infer much about Portia since I do not get to actually see her speak in these lines, but based upon what Bassanio has said about her, she is beautiful and very rich.
5. The overall mood and tone is fairly jovial and friendly. Bassanio goes on a bit of a tangent while laying out his plan for Antonio and discussing how fair she is (1.1.169), repeatedly, and makes this extended comparison between him and Jason and the Argonauts. Antonio responds in a very positive, kind-hearted way, and agrees to help Bassanio. The entire exchange makes is seem like Antonio and Bassanio have a father-son type relationship.
6. It was not explicitly stated that Bassanio is arrogant, but, as previously mentioned, by comparing himself to a hero, it is clear that he thinks highly of himself. It also was not explicitly stated that Antonio is responsible, but it is implied since he manages his money well and is fiscally responsible.
7. There is a metaphor of comparing Bassanio and his quest for Portia to Jason and the Argonauts quest for the Golden Fleece. Bassanio compares Portia’s hair to the “golden fleece” (1.1.177) and explains that “many Jasons come in quest of her” (1.1.179). Through this extended metaphor, Shakespeare makes it seem that Bassanio does not view Portia as this woman whom he will love, but instead as a conquest and an end goal. This also makes Bassanio seem more arrogant since he believes he is comparable to the hero and leader Jason.

Sestina by Elizabeth Bishop

Every person deals with death and grief in a different, whether through revisiting the past, reminiscing over what could have been, or other coping mechanisms. In her poem, “Sestina,” Elizabeth Bishop portrays a grandmother and a child grieving on the anniversary of a close family member. Through her use of the sestina poem style, diction, and personification, Bishop creates a mournful tone where the grandmother and child reflect on the past and the death of a loved one.

Bishop utilized the sestina style for her poem. Sestina poems have six line stanzas that all end in the same words, which in this case are “house,” “grandmother,” “child,” “stove,” “almanac,” and “tears.” Then, in the final stanza, she uses two of the words per line. By choosing to repeat “child” and “grandmother,” Bishop establishes the main subjects of her poem. Bishop not only repeats “stove” and “almanac,” but she also personifies them throughout the poem. At one point, the almanac and the stove speak to the grandmother, stating, “It was to be, says the Marvel Stove. I know what I know, says the almanac” (lines 25-26), and, “Time to plant tears, says the almanac” (line 37).  In the poem, the grandmother appears to be mourning the death of a loved one on the anniversary of their death, and the stove and the almanac could represent the person she loved. If it were the anniversary of a loved one’s death, the grandmother may choose to reminisce over objects that the loved one cherished since the grandmother may link the two together in her mind. The almanac and the stove may also be personified since they represent the person who died.

Through Bishop’s word choice, the poem has a mournful tone, which then turns more hopeful towards the end. In the very beginning of the poem, the grandmother is “laughing and talking to hide her tears” (line 6) which portrays the grandmother as so sad that she has to work hard to her tears from the child. Bishop also describes the grandmother’s tears as “equinoctial tears” (line 7). By using the term “equinoctial,” the speaker establishes that these tears fall annually on the anniversary of the grandmother’s loved one’s death. The speaker continues to establish a mournful tone by describing the grandmother’s “teacup full of dark brown tears” (line 22) and how she “shivers and says she thinks the house feels chilly” (lines 23-24). These lines express the grandmother’s deep sadness on the day since she is crying enough to fill up her teacup and she shivers, which creates a dreary tone. However, in the final stanza, the tone seems to shift. In the first line of the last stanza the almanac says that it is “time to plant tears.” Even though tears represent sadness, the almanac introduces hope by saying that the grandmother and child should “plant tears” because planting seeds introduces new life into the world and the hope for this plant. After this, the grandmother begins to sing and the child begins to draw, so even though the grandmother and child were sad and mourning earlier in the poem, they can move past the mourning and continue with their lives and not are not forever stuck in a hopeless pattern.

In “Sestina,” Elizabeth Bishop tells the story of a grandmother and child on a day of mourning through a use of personification and specific word choice. Even though the tone of the poem begins as dreary and mournful, there is a tone shift towards the end that shows the grandmother and child moving on and becoming hopeful again.