Name ______Date ______

The Merchant of Venice

Act IV & V: DQs

Directions: Choose five questions (at least one from each scene) to answerin complete sentences. Note the act and scene from which the questions come and the number of each question when writing your responses.

IN ALL INSTANCES, USE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE (noted or quoted)

TO SUPPORT YOUR RESPONSES!

Act IV, scene I (Marriage Insights)

  1. What new insights do Portia and Nerissa have into their husbands’ natures as a result of this trial?
  2. Why would Portia ask Bassanio for the ring he had promised not to give up?What does this say about her?
  3. What is the first excuse Bassanio gives the disguised Portia for not being willing to give up his wedding ring? What does this convey about him?
  4. How easy is it for Antonio to change Bassanio’s mind? What does Antonio say Bassanio should value more than the ring?

Act IV, scene II (The Rings)

  1. What does the fact that both Bassanio and Gratiano give their rings away say about relationships between men in medieval Venice? What does it say about the relationships between men and women?
  2. How serious will the consequences of giving the rings away be? How do you know?
  3. What is Shakespeare’s intent in bringing in the ring plotline here? What purpose does it serve?

Act V, scene I (The Lovers)

  1. How does the dramatic shift in setting affect the tone of the play at this point? Explain your reasoning.
  2. Why does Shakespeare return us to Lorenzo and Jessica? (i.e. What can we gleanabout their relationship? Are they a good match? Explain your answer.)
  3. Choose one of the allusions to a lover from Greek mythology that Jessica and Lorenzo reference and research that particular person’s story.What happened to him or her and why would Shakespeare use this allusion in a conversation between lovers? What does it imply?
  4. What effect does music have on the characters specifically, and on the scene ingeneral? Why?
  5. Examine the argument about the ring (ll.192-208). What is the tone of thatargument? (i.e. How do you know this? How has Shakespeare molded the languageto convey this tone?)
  6. How is Portia’s intelligence an asset to her marriage? How is it a hindrance?
  7. The act starts in moonlight and ends as morning comes. Why would Shakespeare craft it this way?
  8. Does this play have a “happily ever after” ending? Why or why not? Explain what contributes or detracts from this type of ending.