ACT 3 SCENE 2
LEARNING INTENTIONS
• BASSANIO’S RESPONSE TO PORTIA’S GIFT
• His feelings
• His promise
• WHAT HAVE NERISSA AND GRATIANO BEEN UP TO ALL THIS WHILE ?
• WHAT DOES GRATIANO DECLARE TO BASSANIO ?
FEELINGS
1.BEREFT OF ALL WORDS
2. JUST LOVE RUSHING THOUGH HIS VEINS
3. CONFUSION ( is uncertain )IN HIS THOUGHTS AND MIND LIKE THE
ONE THAT FOLLOWS AFTER FINE SPEECH OF A BELOVED PRINCE ( as
Portia has admitted her love and complete surrender to him)
4. CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE APPLAUSE IS FOR HIM
5. UNBELIEVABLY HAPPY
6. ALL FEELINGS BLENDED TOGETHER PRODUCE NOTHING BUT
EXTREME JOY
7. STUPEFIED/ dazed
HE WILL PART WITH THE RING
ONLY IN DEATH
MEANING THAT AS LONG AS HE
LIVES, HE WILL WEAR IT
SIGNIFYING HIS LOVE FOR HER
PROMISE
GRATIANO DECLARED THAT…
• HE BEHELD THE MAID AS THE MASTER ‘SAW’ THE MISTRESS
• HE LOVED AS BASSANIO DID
• HIS FORTUNE STOOD UPON THE CASKETS AS DID BASSANIO’S
• WOOED NERISSA WITH ALL HIS ENERGY
• SWORE HE LOVED HER (WITH OATHS OF LOVE) TILL HIS MOUTH
WENT DRY
• NERISSA PROMISED HIM THAT SHE WOULD LOVE HIM PROVIDED
BASSANIO WOULD BE FORTUNATE TO WIN HER MISTRESS
• Nerissa and Gratiano congratulate their master and mistress and
announce that they also have made a match and ask permission to be
married at the wedding ceremony of Portia and Bassanio. Portia agrees
to the double wedding
Effect of the Letter on Bassanio
Bassanio’s Confession to Portia
Bassanio’s Emotional State
Character of Bassanio
Effect of the letter on Bassanio
• He is devasted
• Confesses that he was a braggart, lied to Portia about his wealth and
status
• He has less than nothing
• He has put the life of his dearest friend to risk by having him ‘bound’
to his worst enemy to fulfill his needs (to get the three thousand
ducats)
Description of the letter
• Metaphorically the paper’s like his friend’s body, and every word in it
is a bleeding wound on that body.
• it is like the body of his friend and the words are like the open wound
and the ink in which it is written seems to be like the blood pouring
out from the wound. It implies that Antonio is suffering and his end is
close.
• Guilty
• Ashamed
Incredulous
NOT ONE SHIP RETURNED SAFELY?
ALL VENTURES SHIP WRECKED??!
LEARNING INTENTIONS
• Salerio On How Shylock Has Been After The News
• Jessica On Shylock’s Reaction And Mood
• Names Of Shylock’s Friends
• Portia’s Stance When She Hears About The Debt
SHYLOCK
• INTENSELY REVENGEFUL
• GREEDY TO HAVE THE FORFEITUTE OF HIS BOND
• URGES THE Duke to listen to him
• Questions the freedom and rights of the citizens and the integrity of
the laws of Venice
• Demands the forfeiture, justice and the bond
• He would rather have Antonio’s flesh than 20 times
the value of the sum that Antonio owed him
PORTIA’S GENEROSITY
When Portia understands that it is Bassanio's "dear friend that is thus
in trouble,"
• She offers to pay the ‘petty debt’ (amount) to 6,000 then double
6,000(x2) or treble that 6,000(x3) and deface the bond ‘to prevent his
suffering "through Bassanio's fault”.
• But first, she and Bassanio will be married
• Immediately afterwards he must go to Antonio's aid,
• In Bassanio's absence, she and Nerissa "will live as maids and
widows."
• What is meant by: ‘for me, three thousand ducats’?
• What can be inferred of Antonio and Bassanio by this statement?
• Can it be said that Antonio’s end is imminent or close at hand? Why ?
PORTIA’S ChARACTER
Indicative of Portia's rare character in this scene is her immediate
reaction to the crisis at hand.
• She makes a decision quickly and immediately attempts to put it into effect.
• Assertive
• Giving
• Intelligent
• Bassanio, she says, must "First go with me to church and call me wife, / And then away to Venice to
your friend!" With such decisive cleverness, it comes as no real surprise to us later when she is able
both to conceive and successfully execute the strategy of the lawyer's disguise and the courtroom
victory over Shylock.
Antonio's letter.
• Antonio says that he wishes only to see
Bassanio before he dies;
• his ships "have all miscarried,"
• his "creditors grow cruel";
• his "estate is very low";
• his "bond to the Jew is forfeit."
• In paying the bond it is impossible that he will live
• all debts between him and Bassanio are "cleared," and he says that he
wishes only "that I might but see you at my death.“
• Let Bassanio’s love for him and not the contents of the letter force
him to come to see him before he dies
What is the debt that Bassanio owes
Antonio? Is it just in terms of money?
How does this scene bring happiness as well as grief
to Bassanio?
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• You will be able to
• critique perspectives : Is Antonio a good man?
• demonstrate an understanding of the friendship
between Antonio and Bassanio
• evaluate Portia’s character and virtues
• reflect on the wisdom of the lottery of the caskets