Examine the dramatic qualities of act IV scene 1 of ' The Merchant of Venice' considering to what extent the reactions of Elizabethan and modern audiences would differ.
Rickil Patel
President Kennedy School
Candidate number: 3180
English literature/language
Examine the dramatic qualities of act IV scene 1 of ' The Merchant of Venice' considering to what extent the reactions of Elizabethan and modern audiences would differ.
In Shakespeare's day, Jews were banned from England, in fact Jews had been banned since 1290 ad. The only Jews allowed to stay were the ones who would convert to Christianity. When the Jews moved away from Israel in the third century BC, they refused to mix with non-Jews who they referred to as gentiles. They also refused to change their beliefs and way of life. Non-Jews soon became resentful of the Jews as they became successful in business and this hatred only grew. (In 1584 when the Queen's doctor was executed for treason, many suspected him of being Jewish. So much anti-Semitism was widely accepted in that period of history.)
On the stage the Elizabethan audience were quite used to seeing Jews prosecuted like Shylock was after seeing other theatre productions such as 'The Jew of Malta.' by Christopher Marlowe. However the modern audience, being a post holocaust audience, is not so enthralled by such persecution of the Jews and feels pity for Shylock at times.
The main character is a Jewish loan shark of a Usurer named Shylock. He is hated by the Christians in the play because he is a successful Jewish business man who takes the Christians money. This also reflects upon the attitudes towards Jewish business men at the time.
The turning point in the play, act IV, scene 1, is where all of the previous action in the play comes to a head. This is the part in the play where the main plot and the sub-plot come together for the first time in the play. The modern audiences see the relationship between Antonio and Shylock as the main plot whereas the Elizabethan audience sees the story between Portia and Bassanio as the main plot. But it all comes together in this scene as all of the characters are on the stage at the same time for the first time. Our expectations for this scene are high due to what we have learnt in previous scenes. In act I scene 3 we learn of the hatred between Antonio and Shylock. We also learn that Antonio spits on and calls shylock names. 'You call me misbeliever, cut throat dog and spit upon my Jewish gabardine.' This is also the scene where the bond is made and Antonio agrees to give Shylock a pound of his flesh if he is unable to repay Shylock. In act 3 scene 1 we get first taste of what Shylock is really like and how he will not show any mercy, even to his own daughter after he finds out she has run away with her Christian boyfriend after robbing him of some of his most precious and valuable jewels. He says 'I wish her dead at my feet with the jewels in her ear.' Shakespeare combines this news of his daughter running away with news of Antonio's ships reportedly being wrecked at sea, this shows both audiences that the anger he is getting from his daughter, he will release on Antonio when he won't be able to repay the bond.
Act 3 scene 3 is one of the shortest scenes in the play and is when Antonio is arrested. Shylock is very angry after news of his daughter running away and he does not let Antonio get a word in to try and get Shylock to change his mind and get him to show some mercy. Shylock repeatedly says 'I will have my bond...' This is another time when Shylock refuses to show mercy.
Act 4, scene 1 begins with stage directions informing us that there are a lot of Christians entering the court room. This foreshadows ...
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Act 3 scene 3 is one of the shortest scenes in the play and is when Antonio is arrested. Shylock is very angry after news of his daughter running away and he does not let Antonio get a word in to try and get Shylock to change his mind and get him to show some mercy. Shylock repeatedly says 'I will have my bond...' This is another time when Shylock refuses to show mercy.
Act 4, scene 1 begins with stage directions informing us that there are a lot of Christians entering the court room. This foreshadows a hostile entrance for Shylock. The duke says to Antonio before Shylock enters 'I am sorry for thee...' and describes Shylock as:
'...an in human wretch,
Incapable of pity, void and empty
From any dram of mercy.'
The modern audience would be uncomfortable with this amount of bias in a court of law where as the Elizabethan's would be fine with it.
When the Duke instructs shylock to enter he refers to him as 'the Jew' implying that his religion alone will have a bearing on the case.
Again the Modern audience would feel uncomfortable with this amount of bias and may feel sorry for Shylock. As the protagonist enters he is jostled, hissed at and most probably verbally abused. When he reaches the Duke, the Duke makes it clear to Shylock that he is against him when he says 'Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so to...' He is told the world expects a 'gentle answer' from him. Shylock is then compared to a 'stubborn Turk' but it has no impact on him as he is used to a lot worse from the other Christians.
When Shylock refuses to explain his reasons for wanting Antonio dead, it makes him sound unreasonable; he says if his house is troubled by a rat, he can kill it. It makes him look vicious. He says he has 'a lodged hate and a certain loathing' towards Antonio. He is saying he has a deep hatred for Antonio.
As the play moves on the protagonist refuses to change his decision. Shylock shows us again his lack of mercy, as he did when he heard news of his daughter running away in act 3, scene 1. Shakespeare uses this episode to build tension as the audience grows to believe that Antonio is actually going to be killed. The playwright also foreshadows the future when the Duke says 'how can thou hope for mercy, rendering none?' Some of the Modern and Elizabethan audience may pick up on this and realize that the tables may turn later in the scene. At this point the Elizabethan audience would be thinking that the Jews do not have the power to be merciful and do not deserve mercy either. The modern audience think about our selves, are we merciful? Are we fair?
After this we briefly concentrate on the entrance of Nerrisa, Portia's maid, dressed as a man, because women are not allowed in the courtroom and she doesn't't want her husband (Gratanio) to spot her. The Elizabethan audience would be amused by this because women were not allowed to act on stage so it would be a boy actor in the role of a woman who is acting as a man. We are then distracted away from this by the protagonist who is sitting on the edge of the stage sharpening his knife on the sole of his shoe. Shakespeare plays with words here when Gratiano says 'not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew...' He is saying that the 'Jews' soul is hard, hard enough to sharpen a knife. This action makes Shylock look evil and blood thirsty. The Elizabethan audience would accept no more from a 'Jew' as they saw them as evil, inhuman beings in that day and age.
The Modern audience would feel shocked and would ask themselves: Is he actually going to do it? We are also losing sympathy for him.
The letter that Nerrisa gives to the Duke, says that there is a 'young and learned doctor' (lawyer) on his way. This sets our expectations as Portia, disguised as Balthazar, enters. There is dramatic irony here as we know it is Portia but every one in the courtroom thinks it is Balthazar, a very good, young lawyer. As a new character is introduced both audiences see new possibilities in a plot twist.
After this Portia delivers the 'quality of mercy...' speech. It is a power full and persuasive speech and uses emotive language and repetition. :it has a strong opening: 'The quality of mercy is not restrained,...'
It includes similes: 'it dropeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath...' Shakespeare puts a counter argument in the speech as well and it turns in the favor of Shylock.
The speech repeats the word 'mercy' and 'justice' several times and it involves the audience towards the end when she says 'we do pray of mercy...' this makes the audience feel more involved and relate it to themselves. What she is saying in the speech is that to be merciful is the greatest power a person can have, greater than any power any king or queen has. And even a 'Jew' can be merciful.
Shylocks response is short and is as if he didn't even hear what Portia just said. He says 'my deed is upon my head.' This foreshadows the future as this means he will take the consequences for his actions, 'I crave the law': he wants his bond no matter what.
The Elizabethan audience would not be surprised at the 'Jews' response as they didn't think Jews were capable of mercy.
Soon after this there are repeated offers of money by Bassanio to try and buy Antonio's life: '...yea, twice the sum; if that will not suffice, I will be bound to pay it ten times...' But all of these offers are turned down by shylock. He wants his bond. Shakespeare makes Portia clever in this play as she is playing him into making it clear that he does not want the money. The Elizabethan audience would find this unusual as women characters were not usually shown to have much intelligence in that day.
Portia keeps offering shylock the money but is just met by refusal after refusal. This plays right into Portia's hands for the plot twist she is planning.
Antonio's last wish speech is dignified and is meant to make Bassanio fell better and not feel like his best friends death is upon his shoulders. He says he would rather die than be poor so stop pleading for my life. This part of the scene is very visually dramatic as there is Shylock standing on the stage holding a knife and a set of scales.
Portia has deliberately manipulated shylock ad made sure he has clearly refused the money for she has found a loophole in the contract. Earlier in the scene Shylock praised Portia and called her a 'Daniel', a 'learned judge' and 'O upright judge'. Gratanio now uses this against him as he praises her with the same praises. He taunts Shylock. The loophole Portia has found is that the bond says 'a pound of flesh' but it doesn't say anything about the blood that comes with it. Shylock can be prosecuted himself if he takes any more or less than exactly a pond of Antonio's flesh.
This episode is also visually dramatic, Shylock is there with his knife with Antonio's bare breast and the audience feel great amount of tension and want to know what is going to happen. Then Portia just says 'tarry a little, there is something else.' She says it quietly, as if she has just realized it. But the modern audience knows she has been working on it. Portia times the interception perfectly as the 'Jew' is just about to cut off the flesh.
Thee Elizabethan audience would be cheering at this point. The 'Jew' cannot kill the Christian, the 'Jew' has lost.
The modern audience knows it the plot twist we have been expecting, we think that Portia is very clever and manipulative.
Shylock tries to quickly change his mind and take the money but Portia is now being stubborn. Bassanio wants to give him the money but Portia will not let him as he has already turned it down several times. Gratanio is cruel and turns Shylock's words against him again.
Shylock has been called an alien and the law 'he craves' can take his life for he has been proved to make a indirect attempt to take the life on a citizen (Antonio). The Duke 'pardons' this and allows Antonio to choose Shylock's punishment. Earlier in the play the protagonists daughter ran away with a Christian, Antonio uses this as an advantage and the first part of the punishment is to give the couple half of his wealth. '[the other half in use, to render it unto the gentleman who lately stole your daughter...' Antonio also tells Shylock he must give all he owns to Jessica and Lorenzo once he dies. The final punishment Antonio gives to Shylock is he must become a Christian. 'He pleasantly becomes a Christian.' All of these punishments Antonio has chosen to inflict maximum pain to the 'Jew'. Shylock quickly says 'I am content.' And leaves the courtroom. Shylock may have left quickly because he knows he has got off lightly because he could have been killed. Or because if he had of stayed his punishment may have became worse.
The Elizabethan audience thinks this punishment is not out of the ordinary and is not shocked by it, unlike the modern audience who think the punishment is unfair and want to see what happens to Shylock after this as this is the last time we see Shylock in the play. We won't know weather he becomes a Christian and does he gives his money to his daughter? We want to know what happens to shylock after this as he has kept us entertained throughout the play as has Shakespeare with a range of devices, such as dramatic irony, important speeches, foreshadowing and the disguise of certain characters. I think the scene acts as a very good, exiting and humorous (for the Elizabethans) end to the play. But slightly disappointing for the modern audience as we want to know how Shylock carries on living.