EXAMINING THE PLAY


False Appearances and Shylock Another character who assumes (puts on) a false appearance is Shylock. On the surface, Shylock appears to be friends with Antonio:


I would be friends with you, and have your love (Act 1, Scene 3, line 134)


The audience knows, however, from his earlier aside that in reality he hates Antonio and wants to take revenge on him. When Antonio agrees to the terms of the bond and the forfeit of the pound of flesh, Shylock suggests that it is all just a ‘merry sport’ (Act 1, Scene 3, line 141). Antonio seems to be taken in by Shylock’s false appearance, but Bassanio is suspicious of him and tries to dissuade (stop/prevent) Antonio from agreeing to the bond on his behalf:


I like not fair terms and a villain’s mind. (Act 1, Scene 3, line 175)


False Appearances and Disguises In the play, we also witness female characters adopting false identities by disguising themselves as men. Jessica, Shylock’s daughter, dresses as a page boy to make her escape easier, Portia disguises herself as a male lawyer and Nerissa assumes the identity of his clerk. Portia uses her false appearance for good in the play. By presenting herself as the young doctor of law, Portia deceives everybody but succeeds in saving Antonio’s life.


Portia and Nerissa take advantage of their disguises to trick their husbands. They request the rings they have given their husbands as payment. When the couples are reunited in Belmont, it appears that their husbands have been unfaithful as they are without the rings, when in reality they were compelled (forced) to give them up. When Portia and Nerissa’s involvement in the Trial Scene is revealed, their husbands are incredulous (in disbelief):


Were you the doctor and I knew you not? (Bassanio, Act 5, Scene 1, line 280)


The play teaches us not to judge on appearances; appearances can be deceptive. However, not all false appearances are bad, as is proven in the case of Portia and Nerissa whose new identities helped to save Antonio from certain death. In order to do a ‘great right’ they did ‘a little wrong’ (Act 4, Scene 1, line 214).


Junior Cycle English 237


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