ACT 4, SCENE 1 l
Antonio is anxious not to prolong (draw out) the case and asks Portia to give her judgement. Portia advises that Antonio ‘must prepare [his] bosom for [Shylock’s] knife’ (line 243). Shylock is elated that he is going to have his way:
O noble judge, O excellent young man! (line 244) l
Shylock’s reaction to Portia’s suggestion to get a doctor for Antonio is very interesting. Shylock’s unwillingness to get a doctor, as it is not explicitly stated in the agreement, confirms our suspicion that Shylock doesn’t just want his ‘pound of flesh’. Shylock wants Antonio dead. If Shylock were simply interested in his ‘pound of flesh’, he should have no problem extracting it and then seeing to it that Antonio has a doctor nearby so that he does not bleed to death.
l Antonio is resigned to his fate as he says farewell to Bassanio:
Commend me to your honourable wife. Tell her the process of Antonio’s end. Say how I loved you (lines 271–273)
l
This is a poignant (tender) moment in the play as we realise that Antonio is about to be sacrificed for his friend’s debts. Antonio’s passive acceptance of his fate contrasts with Shylock’s active vindictiveness (bitterness) in the scene.
Part 3 (lines 303–398) – Shylock’s fortune changes. There is hope for Antonio. l
Just as Shylock is preparing to take his penalty, Portia asks him to ‘Tarry a little’ (line 303). Here we see a remarkable change of fortune as Portia finds a legal loophole (flaw/glitch in the legal case) which prevents Shylock from taking his pound of flesh. Portia argues that, legally, Shylock is allowed to have the pound of flesh only and no blood must be spilt in the operation of taking the flesh:
Take thou thy pound of flesh,
But in the cutting it, if thou dost shed One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Are by the laws of Venice confiscate Unto the state of Venice. (lines 306–310)
l
As it is impossible for Shylock to proceed, he begins to back down. However, Portia does not show him mercy, warning him that he ‘shalt have justice more than thou desir’st’ (line 315).
l
Gratiano, who has been teasing and taunting Shylock throughout, takes his opportunity to gloat using the very words that Shylock used:
A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew! (line 331) l
Shylock is now willing to take his money, but Portia refuses to give it as Shylock publicly ‘refused it in the open court’ (line 336).
He shall have merely justice and his bond. (line 337) l
Just as Shylock is about to leave, Portia reveals that the law still has a ‘hold’ (line 345) on Shylock. It now emerges that by demanding his penalty Shylock was planning to kill a Venetian citizen and must therefore be punished.
l
The Duke displays ‘the difference of our spirit’ (his Christian spirit) (line 366) by showing mercy to Shylock. He pardons his life and orders one half of Shylock’s wealth to be given to Antonio and the other half to the state of Venice. He reduces the portion due to the state of Venice to a fine. However, instead of seeing this as an act of mercy, Shylock sees this as the worst form of punishment:
you take my life When you do take the means whereby I live. (lines 374–375)
Junior Cycle English 185
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