The Merchant of Venice-William Shakespeare-Detailed Summary-Analysis- Questions-Answers-Passages

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Mark you this, Bassanio, The devil can cite Scripture-The Merchnat of Venice

Extract 2: Act 1, scene III

Mark you this, Bassanio,
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing holy witness
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek;
A goodly apple rotten at the heart;(100)
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!

Reference to the Context: The above lines occur in the Act I scene III of the Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare. These lines are spoken by Antonio to Bassanio. Both of them are in Shylock’s house. They are talking about loan of three thousand ducats to be taken from Shylock. But Shylock demands a very high rate of interest. To justify this, he, he quotes (gives) an example from the Bible he says that profit is a blessing as long as one does not steal it.

Explanation: Antonio tells Bassanio that a devil-like person can also cite (quote/give) an example from a religious book like the Bible to gain profit. He wants to serve his selfish motive of convincing others to show that he is not doing any wrong by charging high rate of interest. An evil-minded person using holy books to justify his wrong action is like a villain with a smiling face. He is like an attractive apple that is rotten at the very core. Antonio expresses his surprise as to how people, to quote Hamlet, ‘may smile and smile’ and are villains from inside.

In Belmont is a lady richly left,-Extract 1. Act I Scene (I)-The Merchant of Venice

Extract 1. Act I Scene (I)

In Belmont is a lady richly left,
And she is fair, and, fairer than that word,
Of wondrous virtues. Sometimes from her eyes
I did receive fair speechless messages:
Her name is Portia; nothing undervalued(170)

To Cato's daughter, Brutus' Portia.
Reference to the Context: These lines occur/have been taken from ‘The Merchant of Venice’, Act I, Scene(i) written by William Shakespeare. Bassanio is speaking to Antonio, his friend. We already know that both are very good friends. Bassanio needs money, so he is making background to borrow it from Antonio. He wants to go to Bolmont to impress Portia to make his life-partner. Antonio had also asked Bassanio to tell about the lady he was so much interested in.

Explanation: In the above lines, Bassanio is trying to explain the qualities that Portia possessed. First, he tells him about a ‘huge amount’ she had inherited from his father. Second, Bassanio appreciates her beauty by calling her ‘fairer’ than the word ‘fair’. Third, she is a virtuous lady. After that, Bassanio tries to prove his point that it was not his one-sided infatuation. He had received ‘speechless messages’ from her.

It means that her facial expression also show that she also likes Bassanio. Lastly, he tells Antonio her name. He says that she is Portia. He also adds that one cannot undervalue her to Cato’s daughter and Brutus’ wife Portia of antique, who was the Roman heroine. By referring to the Roman Portia, he brings about the point that Portia of Belmont is no less rich and virtuous than Portia of the antique world.