"Portia's suitors had to make 3 vows before choosing a casket. What were the vows?"
"The suitors vowed that if they were unsuccessful they would 1. Never reveal which casket they chose 2. Never marry anyone else 3. Leave Belmont immediately"
"What was an argosy?"
"A large merchant ship"
"What was the inscription on the lead casket?"
"Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath"
"What was the inscription on the silver casket?"
"Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves"
"What was the inscription on the gold casket?"
"Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire"
"What is a scimitar?"
"A short, curved sword"
"Which of Portia's suitors was a drunkard?"
"The nephew of the Duke of Saxony"
"'I will do anything,..... ere I will be married to a sponge.' (I,2) What is a 'sponge'?"
"A drunkard"
"Give a quote from Act I scene 1, which is equivalent to 'I haven't put all my eggs in one basket'"
"'My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, / Nor to one place;...'"
"What is the name of the 2-headed god mentioned in Act I scene 1 ?"
"Janus"
"Which of Portia's suitors 'doth nothing but talk of his horse.' ?"
"The Neapolitan prince"
"What is a native of Naples called?"
"A Neapolitan"
"Where does Portia reside?"
"Belmont"
"Give the name of Portia's female servant."
"Nerissa"
"Which of Portia's suitors 'hears merry tales and smiles not.' ?"
"County Palatine"
"What is a 'throstle' (I,2) ?"
"A thrush, a bird"
"Which of Portia's suitors spoke only one language and was oddly dressed?"
"Falconbridge, the English baron"
"Which casket does the Prince of Arragon open?"
"The silver casket"
"'Thus hath the candle singed the moth.' (II,9) What incident directly precedes this quote?"
"The Prince of Arragon has just chosen the silver casket and bid farewell to Portia."
"What are 'the Goodwins' and what was thought to have happened there?"
"The Goodwins are a line of sandbanks in the English Channel. One of Antonio's ships was thought to have been wrecked there."
"What sum of money did Antonio stand bond for?"
"3,000 ducats"
"In which part of Italy does Dr Bellario live?"
"Padua"
"Who delivers Portia's letter to Dr Bellario?"
"Balthasar"
"Who opens the gold casket?"
"The Prince of Morocco"
"Which 2 characters are present with Antonio in the opening scene of the play?"
"Solanio, Salerio"
"'My wind cooling my broth / Would blow me to an ague ....' What is an 'ague' ?"
"A shivering fever"
"'When he is best, ............ ; and when he is worst, .................... beast.'(I,2) Complete the quote. To whom does it refer?"
"'When he is best, he is a little worse than a man; and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast.' The quote refers to the Duke of Saxony's nephew."
"'I fear he will prove the weeping philosopher when he grows old, being so full of unmannerly sadness in his youth.' (I,2) To whom does this quote refer?"
"The County Palatine"
"'I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hose in France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behaviour everywhere.' (I,2) To whom does this quote refer?"
"Falconbridge, the English baron"
"Which casket is opened by the Neapolitan prince?"
"None. He returns home without choosing one."
"For what period of time did Shylock lend the money to Bassanio?"
"3 months"
"Who tells Old Gobbo his son is dead?"
"Launcelot/ Gobbo's son"
"What is the name of Old Gobbo's wife?"
"Margery"
"What gift does Old Gobbo give to Bassanio?"
"A dish of doves"
"Who did Launcelot originally work for?"
"Shylock"
"Who is the second person to employ Launcelot?"
"Bassanio"
"When Launcelot leaves his first employer, Jessica gives him two things. What are they?"
"A letter to give to Lorenzo and one ducat."
"Complete the quote: 'Farewell; and if my fortune be not crossed, / I ....... lost.'"
"'I have a father, you a daughter, lost.'"
"Why is the masque cancelled?"
"The wind has changed and so Bassanio must set sail for Belmont."
"What is the name of the Venetian Stock Exchange?"
"The Rialto"
"Who goes to Genoa to search for Jessica?"
"Tubal"
"'Thy paleness moves me more than eloquence....'(III,2) Name the speaker. What is being referred to here?"
"The speaker is Bassanio. He is referring to the lead casket."
"There are three pairs of lovers in the play. Who are they?"
"Bassanio & Portia, Gratiano & Nerissa, Lorenzo & Jessica"
"What bet does Gratiano make with Bassanio for 1,000 ducats ?"
"Gratiano bets that he and Nerissa will produce a son before Bassanio and Portia do."
"Lorenzo accompanies Bassanio when he travels to Belmont to woo Portia True/False ?"
"False"
"Who travels to Belmont to deliver a letter from Antonio to Bassanio?"
"Salerio"
"'We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece.' (III,2) Who is being compared to Jason and what is being compared to the fleece?"
"Bassanio and Gratiano are 'the Jasons' and 'the fleece' is the wealth which Bassanio will acquire by marrying Portia."
"After the trial, Bassanio and Gratiano return to Belmont to wed Portia and Nerissa. True/False ?"
"False. The weddings took place before the trial."
"What request does Antonio make to Bassanio in the letter which he sends to Belmont?"
"That Bassanio be present at Antonio's death"
"Portia leaves for Venice. Where does Lorenzo think she is going to?"
"Lorenzo believes Portia is going to a monastery 'to live in prayer and comtemplation' until Bassanio's return."
"What name does Portia use when she is disguised as a lawyer?"
"Balthasar"
"Who supplies Portia with the clothes for her disguise?"
"Dr Bellario"
"Gratiano mentions a Greek philosopher who believed - 'That souls of animals infuse themselves / Into the trunks of men.' (IV,1) Who was the philosopher?"
"Pythagoras"
"What is the name of Portia's male servant?"
"Stephano / Balthasar"
"In the opening scene of the play, what does Salerio compare Antonio's ships to, and what form of imagery does he use?"
"Salerio compares Antonio's ships to signiors and rich burghers. He uses a simile to do this - '.... your argosies with portly sail / Like signiors and rich burghers on the flood...'"
"In the opening scene, what does Salerio believe to be the cause of Antonio's sadness?"
"Salerio believes Antonio is worried about the fate of his merchant ships"
"What are burghers?"
"Citizens"
"In I.1, Shylock states 3 things he will not do with Bassanio (Christians). What are they?"
"He will not eat, drink or pray with Bassanio"
"Who argues with Jessica about the price of pork?"
"Launcelot III,5"
"Who calls Shylock 'A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch, Uncapable of pity .... ' ?"
"The Duke"
"Who says 'You may as well go stand upon the beach / And bid the main flood bate his usual height' What point is the speaker making?"
"The speaker is Antonio. He is pointing out the futility of trying to get Shylock to change his mind (IV,1)"
"In IV,1 Shylock compares his legal ownership of the pound of flesh to what?"
"The Venetians' ownership of slaves"
"'..... marry them to your heirs!.... Let their beds / Be made as soft as yours....'(IV,1) To whom is Shylock referring?"
"The slaves owned by the Venetians"
"Who compares himself to 'The weakest kind of fruit' ?"
"Antonio (IV,1)"
"Who calls himself 'a tainted wether' ?"
"Antonio (IV,1)"
"Who tells Shylock his desires are 'wolvish, bloody, starved and ravenous' ?"
"Gratiano (IV,1)"
"What reason does Dr Bellario give for being unable to attend the court personally?"
"He says he is sick"
"'.... I never knew so young a body with so old a head' Who makes this remark and to whom does it refer?"
"Dr Bellario makes this remark about Portia (disguised as Dr Balthasar) IV,1"
"What 'becomes the throned monarch better than his crown'?"
"Mercy (IV,1)"
"What is 'enthroned in the hearts of kings'?"
"Mercy (IV,1)"
"In the court scene, what amount of money does Bassanio first offer Shylock?"
"Double the amount owing / 6,000 ducats"
"Who wishes his wife were in heaven, so that she could 'Entreat some power to change this currish Jew.' ?"
"Gratiano"
"Who first refers to Portia (Dr Balthasar) as 'a Daniel' ?"
"Shylock"
"Who first puts forward the proposition that Shylock be made to convert to Christianity?"
"Antonio (IV,1)"
"After the trial, what 2 things does Portia/Balthasar request of Bassanio?"
"His gloves and his ring"
"Who convinces Bassanio to give Dr Balthasar his ring?"
"Antonio"
"Which 2 people do you associate with the phrase 'In such a night...' ?"
"Lorenzo and Jessica (V,1)"
"Who believes that 'The man that hath no music in himself' should not be trusted?"
"Lorenzo (V,1)"
"Which of the women is the first to question her husband about the missing ring?"
"Nerissa (V,1)"
"What was the inscription on the ring which Nerissa gave to Gratiano?"
"Love me, and leave me not"
"What good news does Portia have for Antonio towards the end of Act V ?"
"Three of Antonio's ships have returned safely and are laden with rich cargoes"
"Who, in Act III scene 1, taunts Shylock about his daughter's elopement?"
"Salerio and Solanio"
"'..... the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief...' Who is 'the thief' ?"
"Jessica"
"How much money is Jessica reputed to have spent in Genoa?"
"'fourscore (80) ducats'"
"'For as I am, I live upon the rack.' What is causing Bassanio to 'live upon the rack' ?"
"Not knowing whether or not he will choose the correct casket"
"What is meant by Portia's 'counterfeit' (III,2) ?"
"Her portrait"
"Who says to Portia 'Mislike me not for my complexion' ?"
"The Prince of Morocco"
"Who is involved in a debate between his conscience and the voice of the devil?"
"Launcelot Gobbo (II,2)"
"What finally convinces Old Gobbo that Launcelot is his son?"
"Launcelot says he knows the name of Old Gobbo's wife is Margery"
"Why does Launcelot want to leave Shylock's service?"
"Because Shylock (according to Launcelot) is a hard master and doesn't give him enough food"
"Who is Leonardo?"
"Bassanio's manservant"
"'Our house is hell, and thou a merry devil / Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness.' Who is the speaker and who is the 'merry devil' ?"
"The speaker is Jessica. The 'merry devil' is Launcelot (II,3)"
"What instructions does Shylock give his daughter before he leaves to take supper with Bassanio?"
"He tells her to lock the doors and shutters and not watch the revelry of the masquers"
"What is Jessica disguised as when she leaves her father's house for the final time?"
"A page / Lorenzo's torch-bearer"
"Who departs Belmont with two fools' heads?"
"The Prince of Arragon"
"'..... how I caught it, found it, or came by it ,/ What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn...' To what is Antonio referring?"
"His sadness (I,1)"
"What is confusing about the inscription on the scroll found inside the silver casket?"
"It says 'Take what wife you will to bed...' This is contrary to the vow taken by each of the suitors (i.e. never to marry if they chose the wrong casket)"
"Who 'lends out money gratis' and what does this mean?"
"Antonio does. It means he lends money without charging interest"
"Antonio's ships were bound for many different ports. Name 2 of the ports."
"Tripolis, The Indies, Mexico, England, Lisbon, Barbary, India"
"At what stage were Antonio's ships due to return home?"
"One month before repayment of the loan was due"
"From whom does Shylock obtain the balance of the money to lend to Bassanio?"
