A Review of The Play

KNOWLEDGE

5 new words which I have learnt from the book
1. Argosy /ˈärgəsē/ - large merchant ships
2. Misconstrued /ˌmiskənˈstro͞o/ – misinterpreted or misjudged
3. Tarry /ˈtärē/ - stay longer than intended
4. Importunity /ɪmˈpɔːtjʊnət/ - urging
5. Gratis /ˈɡrɑːtɪs/ – without payment or charge; free

Places mentioned in the book
Venice, Belmont, home of Portia, house of Shylock in the Ghetto of Venice and the Court of Justice in Venice.

Shakespeare’s works (excluding the Merchant of Venice)
More famous examples include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear and All’s Well That Ends Well.


COMPREHENSION

Characters which carried out unpleasant deeds
Antonio: A Christian who hated Jews. He insulted Shylock incessantly, calling him all sorts of names such as dog and cur, which are not at all pleasing to our ears, and certainly tarnished our previous impression of Antonio. He has got his bad side as well. He almost paid the ultimate price for sealing his bond with Shylock, which was sparked off by the fact that Antonio refused to pay Shylock interest and practiced lending money gratis, which affected Shylock’s usury business.

Solanio: A friend of Salerio, Bassanio, Gratiano and Antonio. He loved to call Shylock names just like Antonio. When Shylock grieved over the loss of his precious daughter, Jessica and his ducats, Solanio did not console Shylock but piled on his misery by mocking his loss. He also described Shylock’s outcry as ‘strange, outrageous and variable’, which evoked sympathy for Shylock who was the target of racialism in the largely Christian Venetian society.

Shylock: A Jew who indulged in usury and was prejudiced against by the anti-Semitic community. He was a villain, who could easily be overwhelmed by anger and the thought of seeking for revenge. He introduced a special bond which Antonio has to agree to after borrowing Shylock’s ducats, which was to cut off an equivalent pound of his flesh, showing his cunning nature. He obviously wanted Antonio to die, given that the latter insulted him and disrupted his usury business. He was overjoyed to hear the news from the Rialto that one of Antonio’s ships was wrecked along the English Channel and wanted to take full advantage of the situation by instructing Tubal to arrest Antonio if he were to fail to return him the money before the stipulated date. This act of seeking for revenge was more important than the loss of his daughter for Shylock, which portrayed him as a vicious person whose priority is vengeance.

Shakespeare’s intentions of writing The Merchant of Venice
Shakespeare wanted to let the readers know about the racialism which was present during the Elizabethan Era in the anti-Semitic Venetian society. In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock was being constantly insulted by the Christians. Another example of such a phenomenon is that even though Jessica had converted into a Christian and married Lorenzo, Christians such as Portia and Bassanio still treated her with a certain degree of suspicion. Shakespeare also hoped to convey Christian teachings through the inscriptions on Portia’s three caskets such as “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire” and “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves”, with those caskets being the wrong choices, which means that desire is an unreliable guide and should be resisted, and the fact that human beings do not deserve God’s grace, but rather receive it in spite of themselves.

Description of first illustration in The Merchant of Venice
The first illustration of the book is on Page 20, and It shows Antonio shaking hands with Bassanio. Antonio and Bassanio were very good friends. Bassanio needed money in order to travel to Belmont to woo Portia, and he approached Antonio for the sum of money. However, Antonio’s fortunes were all tied up on the goods on argosies travelling to different parts of the world, and therefore did not have ready money to lend Antonio. To avoid disappointing his dear friend, Antonio allowed Bassanio to use his reputation in Venice to borrow money from usurers and even said that “My purse, my person, my extremest means lie all unlocked to your occasions.” The illustration showed that Bassanio could confide in Antonio in acquiring the sum of money, meaning they had a very close relationship.


APPLICATION

Main character visiting our classroom
If Launcelot Gobbo were to visit our classroom, he would most probably be telling us jokes to cheer us up if he thinks that the atmosphere is not filled with joy. Launcelot is basically a fun-loving, optimistic, jovial person and this can be seen by the fact that he and his father, Old Gobbo, came up with a comical double act in Act 2 Scene 2 of the Merchant of Venice. If we were to ask him questions about the novel, he would probably explain to us in-depth of his sufferings in Shylock’s household, and the fact that Jessica was the only one who treated him as a close friend. He could also explain to us about whether Shylock really deserved his punishment in the end, and the different treatments he had received during the tenure when he was Shylock’s and Bassanio’s servant.

Reaction to a particular situation in The Merchant of Venice
If I were Bassanio and heard about Antonio’s possible impending death, I would have done the same as Bassanio in the Merchant of Venice and immediately leave for Venice, regardless of whatever important matters I have at hand. Antonio is my friend and despite the fact that he did not have enough money to lend me, he offered to do as much as he could and granted me permission to use his credits to borrow money in Venice. Even though the Jewish usurer Shylock proposed Antonio to seal a bond to borrow three thousand ducats for me, which was to cut off his pound of flesh if he fails to return Shylock the money before the stipulated date, Antonio agreed to seal the bond and risk his life, just for my sake. Of course as his friend, I have to rush back to ensure his safety, if not I will forever be haunted by pangs of guilt, in the case whereby something adverse happens to Antonio.

Lesson learnt from story
After reading The Merchant of Venice, I have learnt about the value of true friendship, in the case of Antonio and Bassanio, who were able to stick through thick and thin. In the end, Bassanio saved Antonio’s life from Shylock’s devil and they reunited. Besides the value of friendship, I have also learnt about the fact that no one is perfect. Shakespeare’s portrayal of characters showed that all of them had two ‘faces’ and could become very different persons at different times when interacting with different people. For example, Portia is very smart and saved Antonio from the brink of death by stating the fact that the bond did not allow a single drop of blood when Shylock removes Antonio’s pound of flesh. However, she has got her bad side too. She was a racist and her colour-prejudice was evident after the Prince of Morocco left, by saying that he failed the casket test because he was dark and therefore was destined to fail, in the sentence “Let all of his complexion choose me so.” Therefore, all characters in the Merchant of Venice are both good and bad, and none of them is to be considered an example to follow in all aspects. Lastly, I learnt that once a person is intent on seeking revenge, it is hard to dissuade him. In the case of Shylock, he was constantly insulted by the Christian community and therefore demanded Antonio’s pound of flesh just to feed his revenge. No one including the Duke could dissuade him from doing this, and in the end it was the intelligence of Portia which prevented the tragedy.


ANALYSIS

One word that describes a character
Evil – Shylock
1. He could not set aside his grudge for Antonio.
2. He purposely wanted Antonio’s pound of flesh as bond when he lent Antonio three thousand ducats.
3. He cursed at her daughter, Jessica after her elopement with Christian Lorenzo.
4. He abused Launcelot while the latter was his servant.
5. When he heard that Antonio’s ventures had not gone well, he was sadistic and said he would be glad to torture and plague Antonio.

Different ending to the book
Shylock’s dignity was restored even after all of his fortunes were forfeited after the trial, and he remained a Jew. The people of Venice started to respect the Jewish minority and stopped discriminating against them ever again. Even though Shylock crafted such a wicked idea to claim Antonio’s life, the fact that it was Antonio himself who provided Shylock the idea of this plan meant that it was not entirely Shylock’s devil. Shylock should not be forced to become a Christian because if Shylock’s coercion for Antonio’s pound of flesh was wrong, then Antonio’s coercion for Shylock’s conversion to Christianity would be wrong too, thus it is up to Shylock’s choice if he wanted to become a Christian or remain a Jew. Lastly, prejudice and discrimination against a race should not be encouraged, and I hope to change the ending to make it morally right, as the Venetian community had changed for the better.

Main idea of the book
I believe that the main idea of this book is the quality of hatred as a cyclical phenomenon. Throughout the play, the sole excuse Shylock had come up with to support his plan was that he was simply applying the lessons taught to him by the Christians. His act of revenge seemed to be driven by the fact that Antonio, Salerio and Solanio all insulted him by calling him names and not only that, but the entire Jewish community in Venice. As the play continues, Shylock unveiled more and more of his reasoning which was actually the same idea of Christians insulting him, the most famous phrase being “Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?” It shows that the Jews did not deserve such insults because they were human and had feelings too. Shylock knew he had no use of Antonio’s pound of flesh, but still wanted it, the reason being “The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction”. Afterwards, Shylock was spared his life and the injustice was effectively ended.


SYNTHESIS

Parts I would change in the story
I would remove certain comments made by Salerio and Solanio about Shylock, because I regard that kind of language as obscene. I would limit the use of such words in a scene, for example, to at most three, because making those words appear 3 times should be enough to present the idea of Shylock being humiliated in Venice by Venetians. Secondly, I would remove or cut short Act 3 Scene 5 of the book because it served almost no purpose and it was added so as to allow Portia and Nerissa sufficient time for their costume change, therefore I regard that scene as redundant in the understanding of the novel. Lastly, I would edit the part where Shylock was forced to convert to Christianity because if he were to forced to do it, but not willingly do it, it will only add to his anger and hatred towards the Christian community. Laws in Venice also state that it is not appropriate to force someone to convert into another religion, therefore I would edit that part of the book and just let Shylock surrender his wealth, not convert to Christianity.

Poem :)
Shylock isn’t really that bad,
The funny guy is Launcelot’s dad.
Antonio is just too passive,
Bassanio in contrast is assertive.
Portia commented Morocco’s dark,
Arragon failed to leave a mark.
Lorenzo loverbirds had eloped,
Then was Shylock enveloped,
By thoughts of hatred,
Which gradually bred.
How horrible can hatred be,
That it nearly resulted in a killing spree!

Climax of the story
I believe that the climax of the story is the trial scene, where news arrived that Antonio’s ventures did not go well and failed to return the three thousand ducats he had borrowed from him. Bassanio and Gratiano rushed back to Venice to help Antonio and offered many times the value which Antonio owed Shylock. However, Shylock was purely seeking for revenge and rejected any value that they offered; he only wanted Antonio dead. Then, Portia, disguised as a lawyer, arrived at the trial scene. She wanted Shylock to show mercy and spared Antonio, but Shylock refused. After that, Portia displayed her wit by requesting that Shylock remove Antonio’s pound of flesh without spilling a single drop of blood, which was impossible. This scene showed Portia’s intelligence, Shylock’s punishment as well as Antonio’s release from the contract.


EVALUATION

The character as my friend
I would certainly choose Antonio as my friend because in the Merchant of Venice, he was a selfless person who had the courage to go to lengths to help his friend, Bassanio, who was in urgent need. In the process, he was willing to agree to having his pound of flesh as a bond in the contract. He may be killed if he failed to return the money on time, therefore I believe that he is the person whom I can confide in.

The title of the play
I think the title of the play is a bad one because it is boring and not captivating, thus it would fail to attract the attention of the readers. It also does not provide much clue about the plot in the play, therefore it does not spark off any interest.

Saving a character from a disaster
I would choose to save Antonio from a disaster if he encounters one because he is a helpful and devoted individual who is willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of his friend. If I were to rescue him, it would give him a chance to help more people who are in need. Even though he insults Shylock as well, a human cannot be perfect, therefore he is the best character in the play in my opinion, thus I would save him.

Activity 2 - Global Warming

1. Solutions to global warming are aplenty, and the main idea is to reduce energy consumption and look for alternatives such as renewable sources of energy. As individuals, we can do our part to curb global warming by taking public transport instead of cars to reduce carbon footprint, turn on fans instead of air-cons, and use more energy-efficient appliances such as energy-saving light bulbs. The result may seem insignificant at first, but when everyone does that, the result will be amplified and it is an important step towards reducing global warming. Using biodegradable materials can reduce the need for incineration which will produce ashes as well, and this will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which will global warming. Another method would be for countries to come together, collaborate and discuss about the possibility of high taxation to manufacturing companies whose factories are the main culprits of pollution. This will encourage those factories to develop more sustainable and environmentally-friendly technology to manufacture their products and avoid over-dependence on fossil fuels.

2. Singaporeans can play an active role in saving the planet by using the 3Rs, namely reduce, reuse and recycle. Besides this, there are also campaigns which are set up to inform citizens about the importance of going green, such as NTUC Fairprice’s initiative of going green by encouraging shoppers to purchase reusable bags from their franchise which will reduce the need to use plastic bags which are non-biodegradable. Singaporeans can also do their part at home by using energy-efficient appliances, rice water to water plants, water from washing machine to clean their toilets et cetera. In this way, they can truly know the importance of going green and that they can indeed play a part in it.

3. In HCI, we can organize competitions, especially quizzes which will appeal more to the students such as a Fact or Fantasy quiz, which will test the abilities of students to identify the facts about global warming and effects of going green. A CCA such as gardening and environmental activists can be set up and this will enable the students to know more about global warming and what we can do to curb it. If these CCAs cannot attract enough students, then this can be made into a compulsory part of the curriculum, such that it can engage all students.

Diary Entry

Dear diary,

I cannot believe that I have done such a thing – to allow my sister to drive! She is now arrested, and a criminal record can never be erased! Why should women be arrested for driving in this kingdom? The law which bars women from driving is simply ridiculous! My sister wanted to fight for the rights of women under this oppressive rule, and of course as her brother, I ought to support her, thus yesterday I decided it was appropriate for her to be at helm and accompanied her onto the streets to protest. However, a great commotion ensued and we were soon surrounded by police. In the end, perplexingly, they arrested my sister but let me off! I just cannot understand. Why is my country so prejudiced against women? Women are definitely as able as men!

As I calmed down and reflected upon the incident, I could not help but question why Saudi Arabia bars women from driving, while other countries do not. Religion certainly was the greatest factor, but in terms of religion, most countries in the Middle East have Islam as their official religion. This only succeeds in proving the absurdity of this law because those countries do not bar women from driving! Why is my country so unique and much more oppressive than others? I just cannot understand!

Now, I am facing an increasing doubt of faith in my religion. I even thought of going against the government. However, what position am I in to do so? It will only result in a similar outcome which is failure, am I right? I am saddened and frustrated over the fact that nothing can be done to achieve equality in the country. I am now at a loss, but I must not collapse for I will have to bail her out later. I must put on a strong front to cheer her up amidst adversities, but I am struggling to accomplish that! Please tell me what to do! Please!

Activity 1 - Women's Rights

1. I am very unimpressed with the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia. Saudi women should be allowed to drive, vote and be granted other freedoms just like women in other countries. This is explained by the fact that women are often exposed to dangers when they interact with strangers outside their homes, however I believe that this is a baseless argument and rather ridiculous, since adults are able to protect themselves. Prejudice is certainly present and like men, women should be given equal rights and be subjected to the same treatment as men, not to be deprived of certain rights.

2. I believe that the use of social media has been an advantage to the women in Saudi Arabia because it allows messages to be propagated and received by a much larger audience. In this way, the women in Saudi Arabia can garner support of people around the world, which will aid in the changing of certain policies which deprive rights of Saudi women or even the abolishment of certain laws which are deemed prejudicial. This can be seen from the fact that Ms Sharif managed to garner the support of 12000 people on her Facebook page. The government and religious leaders will then be pressured into making changes so as to appease the majority of the population.

3. The problem of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia can be solved by involving both the government and religious leaders when putting laws in place. When making laws, they should look from both the humanitarian and religious points of view and make sure they do not clash. Both parties should also reach a consensus before passing a law and consider the possible consequences it may result in. rights of women be secured. Lastly, they should be aware of the fact that laws are flexible, not absolute and changes should be made to them when necessary. Only then can this problem be solved.

Reflection On Research

My first impression of Shakespeare was that he was a famous poet and playwright who was able to produce complicated masterpieces and play around with English words expertly, effortlessly and with precision. Knowing well the obstacles that could cross my path when reading the Merchant of Venice (it comprised of Old English), I was not exactly looking forward to it. However, perusing through summaries of all scenes and glossary aided in my understanding of each one of them, and that had enabled me to grasp the main idea and identify some of the major themes of the play. Through this research, I also knew how England was during the Elizabethan Era and some of the trends which were prevalent in the society at that time. Shakespeare was not just famous for the Merchant of Venice, but other plays as well such as Hamlet, The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet.

There is indeed a huge difference between the Elizabethan Era and the world we live in today. Back then, there was a hierarchy, which meant that everyone at any level of society was very likely to remain there forever, so would his/ her children. People could not easily rise to a high position of power through means such as education. Now, we can improve our social status by perseverance, hard work and attaining degrees, and the system of hierarchy is barely existent in our society. At that time, people often had mistaken beliefs and misconceptions. They lacked scientific knowledge, and only after the Renaissance did they start to seek for answers to questions on their own instead of relying on hearsay. For example, people back then believed that a sick person could be cured by having the ‘bad blood’ taken out of him using leeches, but ironically, instead of curing them, it led to their respective demises! We can prevent this from happening because in the world today, we have sufficient knowledge of the sciences and remedies to such illnesses.

Even though Shakespeare’s works were produced in the 1600s, his works are still highly relevant and can be applied to modern day context. Some of the examples are his quotes, racism and Christian teachings. Most of Shakespeare’s quotes, such as “Love is blind; and lover cannot see” are still widely used today. As for the topic of racism, it is still existent in the world that we live in, and we can do our best to prevent being racist against others. The Christian teachings in the Merchant of Venice can still be used today to remind people of the right moral values that they should possess. Therefore it is evident that Shakespeare’s works are still relevant to the modern day context.

Merchant of Venice Powerpoint

William Shakespeare

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LA Home-Based Learning

Dulce et Decorum Est

1. "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks..." literally meant that the soldiers were carrying bags over their shoulders so heavy that their backs were bent, similar to old beggars carrying sacks over their shoulders. The phrase actually implies that the soldiers suffered a lot during the war and were exhausted and strained physically, emphasising on the extent which the war has affected the young soldiers, reducing them to such a terrible state. The first stanza shows that the soldiers were exhausted and weak, which can be seen from "knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge", which expresses their anguish. The soldiers were also injured and had no desire to fight on. This can be seen from the phrases "But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind", which means that the soldiers had already sustained injuries due to the toil in war, and they were not in a good condition to continue combating.

2. The phrase "GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!" is used to instil a sense of urgency in the readers because capital letters were used for the first word, creating a tense atmosphere. The simile "And floundering like a man in fire or lime-" increases tension as well because lime is corrosive while fire is extremely dangerous, signifying the extent of danger that the man was in. After that, the words "guttering, choking and drowning" were used in succession to intensify the atmosphere. "If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs" in the last stanza depicts the horrifying scene in war, which further increases tension in the poem.

3. At the end of the poem, the poet said "The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori", which means that it is not at all sweet and right to di for one's country, neither is it a wonderful and great honour to fight and die for one's country. The poet wanted to emphasise on the fact that in contrast to widespread belief, in truth, war is not worth it, because it only brings forth sorrow, not joy, as seen by the diction used in his poem. I agree with his point of view, because war is cruel and will only bring about sorrow, sufferings and death. It is not worth it to be a martyr, because dying for one's country is not sweet, but cruel.

Flying the flag in Bosnia

1. The tone of this poem is solemn and grave. The poet describes the woman as "an old woman whose hair is parted straight down the middle", showing how grieved the woman was over her son's death and this evokes sympathy from the readers. The fact that the woman "slumped by the cross that bears her son's name, crudely lettered" meant that she was extremely devastated, and this was intensified by the fact that even the gravedigger pitied the woman and left her with "a full cup of coffee".

2. The poet used simile in the poem, as seen in "like a flag", and juxtaposition when describing the items by the grave. The fact that the poem is made up of many short lines shows that it is not too elaborate, thus bringing out the solemn atmosphere in the poem effectively.The poet hoped to describe the misery of an old woman and the tragic fate of her son who died in the war. He also wants to convey the message that war only brings sufferings because Bosnia is a war-torn country and its citizens suffered, as seen by the phrase "in the country which already has too many", meaning that many died during the war, therefore war should not be waged at all costs.