Class IX – The Merchant Of Venice

By: William Shakespeare

Act 2 - Scene 5
(Venice. Before Shylock's house)

Note : Write the following summary and extract in MOV register:

Summary of Act 2 - Scene 5

In this scene , Shylock warns Launcelot that he should not revel in eating
and sleeping in his new employment as he had done in his house.

Shylock calls for Jessica and tells her that he’s going to attend Bassanio’s
party and gives her the keys of the house. He is not happy to go to the
party but is doing so out of spite. He’ll feed on the prodigal Christian. He is
reluctant, as he had dreamt of money bags, which is a bad sign.

Shylock asks Jessica to keep the doors locked and not look out at the
revelry taking place in the streets. She also should keep inside and not
gaze on ‘Christian fools with varnished faces’.

Launcelot gives Jessica, the message from Lorenzo. Shylock asks Jessica
about her furtive conversation with Launcelot, and says that, though
Launcelot is kind, he eats and sleeps too much to be an efficient,
worthwhile servant. After Shylock has left to see Bassanio, Jessica bids
him farewell, thinking that, if nothing goes wrong, Shylock will soon have
lost a daughter, and she, a father.
Extract 1 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions
that follow :

Shylock :
Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge
The difference of old Shylock and Bassanlo—
What, Jessica l -thou shalt not gormandize
As thou hast done with me—What, Jessica !—
And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out—
Why, Jessica, I say !

Q.1 Whom is Shylock talking to? Explain, ‘Thy eyes shall be thy judge.’
Bring out the humor of this line.

Answer: Shylock Is talking to Launcelot, the clown who used to be with

him, till recently. Shylock is telling the clown that he’ll see with his own eyes
that how different it will be to work with him and the new master. Only
actual experience will help him to make the correct judgments. The humor
is that the audience is aware of how Launcelot felt working for the Jew but
Shylock says as though, he was very comfortable in his house.

Q.2.Give the meaning of: ‘gormandize’ and ‘rend apparel out’. What
contrast do these remarks give as opposed to what Launcelot had said
earlier?
Answer: Gormandize means overeat. Rend apparel out means, overgrow
his dress or have holes in clothes. Launcelot has already expressed that he
has become so thin that his ribs can be counted. Also he was very happy
that he would get new uniform under Bassanio and he would be able to get
rid of his old clothes. This is contrary to what Shylock is saying.
Q. 3. Why does the speaker say, ‘Why Jessica, I say!’ Why does he
admonish Launcelot just after this speech? How does Launcelot respond to
this?
Answer: Shylock has called out for Jessica a number of times while talking
to Launcelot; so he gets irritated and says sharply, ‘Why Jessica, I say’.
Launcelot imitates Shylock and calls Jessica by her name and Shylock
admonishes him and says that no one ordered him to do that. Launcelot
responds by saying that Shylock used to complain that he doesn’t do any
work without being told, hence this time he has done something without
being asked and the Jew is yet scolding him.
Q. 4. What information does Shylock share with Jessica soon after this?
What instructions are given?
Answer: Shylock informs Jessica that he has been invited to attend a
dinner party. He also tells her that he is reluctant to go as he feels that he
has been invited not out of love but for a desire to flatter ; also he dreamt of
money bags lately and there is a vague feeling that something is plotted
against the peace of his mind. But he will go out of hatred, to make
Bassanio the spend thrift, poorer by eating his food. He gives her the keys
of the house and tells her to look after it in his absence
Q. 5. What do you know about Jessica, at this stage?
Answer: We know Jessica is the sweet daughter of Shylock, who is in love
with Lorenzo, a Christian and is planning to elope with him on that very
night during the masque, dressed as a page boy. Her mind is torn between
loyalty to her father and her love for Lorenzo, whom she wants to marry.
She is even willing to adopt Christianity.