Questions and Answers from The Merchant Of Venice Act 2 Scene 4 by William Shakespeare
Structured Questions from Act 2 Scene 4 of the Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
Lorenzo:
I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed
How I shall take her from her father's house;
What gold and jewels she is furnish'd with;
What page's suit she hath in readiness.
If e'er the Jew her father come to heaven,
It will be for his gentle dauther's sake;
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,
Unless she do it under this excuse,
That she is issue to a faithless Jew.
Come, go with me : peruse this as thou goest.
Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer.
1. Where is Lorenzo now? Who else is with him? What are they preparing for?
Answer
Lorenzo is on the street outside the house of Shylock. Gratiano is with him. They are preparing for a masque, as they are going to celebrate that night at Bassanio's masquerade dinner party.
2. What is a masque? What have they not arranged, so far?
Answer
A masque is a procession in which all the guests participate in disguise, covering their faces with masks. They have not been able to arrange for the torch bearers for the masque.
3. What does Lorenzo want to inform Gratiano? Explain in detail.
Answer
Lorenzo wants to inform Gratiano about the plan of eloping with Jessica. Jessica has informed him through the letter that how he should take her from her father's house, what gold and jewels, she would be taking, and about the dress of the page she would be wearing.
4. Who is the 'Jew, her father'? On what condition can he go to heaven?
Answer
The Jew, her father is Shylock. According to Lorenzo, it is only the fact that gentle and loving Jessica is his daughter, who can work as a passport for Shylock to go to heaven.
5. For what reason can misfortune 'cross her foot'? Explain 'faithless Jew'.
Answer
Lorenzo prays that no misfortune should cross the way of Jessica. If it happens, it'll be only because of the fault, that her father is a faithless Jew which means a non-believer; one who doesn't believe in Christianity.
6. What decision does Lorenzo make at the end of the scene? What does he ask Gratiano to peruse as they go?
Answer
Lorenzo decides that Jessica will be dressed as a page, and he will be their torch bearer for the masque. He asks Gratiano to read the message sent by Jessica.
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