ABP NOTES

Merchant of Venice
Act II Scene 5
Original Text
Act II Scene V
 Modern English Reading
Act II Scene V

SHYLOCK : Well, you shall see; your eyes shall be your judge, the difference of old
Shylock and Bassanio:—What, Jessica!—You won’t eat like a glutton, As you have
done with me;— What, Jessica!—And sleep and snore, and tear clothes apart—Why,
Jessica, I say!

LAUNCELOT : Why, Jessica!

SHYLOCK : Who called for you? I didn’t call for you.

LAUNCELOT : You, sir, always told me I couldn’t do anything without bidding.

Enter Jessica.

JESSICA : Did you call? What is it?

Word Meaning With Annotation

The difference of : the difference between your late master and your new
one. gormandize : “devour large amounts of food.” It will be remembered that is Scene
II, Launcelot said that he had had so little to eat in the Jew’s service that all his ribs
might be easily counted. But Shylock takes a different view of the matter.

Original Text
 Modern English Reading

SHYLOCK : I am asked to go out to supper, Jessica: There are my keys. But why
should I go? I am not asked for friendship; they flatter me; But yet I’ll go in hate, to feed
on the prodigal Christian. Jessica, my girl, take care of my house. I am very reluctant to
go; there is some ill disturbing my rest, because I dreamt of money bags tonight.

LAUNCELOT : Please, sir, go: my young master expects yourinsult.

SHYLOCK : So I expect his.

Word Meaning With Annotation

Bid forth : invited out. to feed upon, the prodigal Christian : this shows the
meanness of Shylock, who goes out for no other reason than to enjoy a free meal at the
expense of the open-handed Bassanio. loath :reluctant, ill a-brewing : there is some
mischief impending or being prepared, tonight : when we use this phrase, we usualy do
so in a future sense, i.e. the night which is to come. But Shakespeare here, uses it.in
the sense of “last night.” reproach : blunder for “approach”.

Original Text
 Modern English Reading

LAUNCELOT : And they have conspired together; I’ll not say you shall see a party, but
if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose started bleeding on last Black Monday
at six o’clockin the morning, falling out that year on Ash-Wednesday was four years in
the afternoon.

SHYLOCK : What! are there parties? Listen to me, Jessica: Lock up my doors, and
when you hear the drum, And the vile squealing of the long-necked pipe, Don’t run up to
the windows then, rr thrust your head into the public street to gaze on Christian fools
with varnished masks; But stop my house’s ears- i mean my windows; Don’t let the
sound of shallow foolishness enter my sober house. By Jacob’s staff, I swear I don’t
want to go feasting outside tonight; But I’ll go. You go ahead of me, servant; Say I’ll
come.
LAUNCELOT : I’ll go ahead of you, sir. Mistress, look out at window for all this; There
will come a Christian byThat will be worth a Jewess’ eye.
Exit

SHYLOCK : What says that fool of Hagar’s off spring, huh?

Word Meaning With Annotation

And they have conspired : this is another case where Launcelot uses a word which is
hardly suitable for his meaning, but it expresses unconscious truth, for the audience
knows that there had indeed been a conspiracy by the lovers. So that is an other skilful
use of dramatic irony, my nose fell a-bleeding : there was a superstition that if
person’s nose commenced to bleed, it was a sign of bad luck. Black Monday : Easter
Monday, so called because, according to Stow’s Chronicle, …. “Easter Monday was full
dark of mist and hill, and so bitter cold that many men died on their horses’ back of the
cold.” Ash- Wednesday : this festival always falls on the first Wednesday in Lent, six
weeks before Easter. So it is absurd of Launcelot to talk of Easter Monday and Ash
Wednesday falling at the same time, was four year in the afternoon : in the same
speech, Launcelot says that this event happened last year; then that it happened four
years ago. First he says it was in the morning, and ther. that it happened in the
afternoon, drum and the vile squealing of the wry-necked fife : probably refer to the
players, rather than the instruments, i.e. drum is the same as our “drummer”. In a work
called English Garner Tudor Tracts, we hear that a “drum…. was shot in both legs.”
Similarly “fife means a fife-player”, “wry-necked” (i.e. corrked-necked) refers to the fact
that it was necessary for the fife player to twist his head to one side when playing his
instruments, vanish’d faces : Faces painted or made up with colour, foppery
: foolery, by Jacob’s staff : Shylock swears by the staff which his ancestor, Jacob, is
said to have carried according to Biblical stories, there will come a Christian by, will
be worth a Jewess’ eye : this refers to Lorenzo. He will pass by, and will be worth
looking upon, what says that fool of Hagar’s off spring; ha : the Gentiles, the people
despised by the Jews, were supposed to be descended from Hagar, while the Jews
traced their line back to Sarah. So, Launcelot, the servant, is a son of Hagar, the slave
woman.

Original Text
 Modern English Reading

JESSICA : His words were, “Goodbye, mistress,” nothing else.

SHYLOCK : The man is kind enough, but a huge eater; Snail-slow in worth, and he
sleeps by day more than the wild-cat does; drones don’t live with me, so I’m parting with
him; and send with him to one that I want him help to waste his borrowed purse. Well,
Jessica, go in; Perhaps I’ll return immediately: Do as I tell you, shut doors after you:
“Fast bind, fast find,”A proverb that’s never forgotten in a successful mind.
Exit.

JESSICA : Goodbye; and, if my fortune is not crossed, I have lost a father, and you a
daughter.
Exit.

Word Meaning With Annotation

Patch : fellow; fool. The word is probably derived from the motley coat of the
professional jester, which was “patched” i.e. of different colour, drones hive not with
me : the male bee is called the drone. He never searches for honey, but allows the
female bee to do all the work. Here the sense is “Idlers may not live with me.” help to
waste his borrow’d purse : Shylock wishes the wasteful Launcelot to aid Bassanio in
squandering the borrowed money, fast bind, fast find : “what you lock up securely will
be found safe when you return.”

Passage – 1 (Act II, Sc.V, Lines 30-40)

Paraphrase :

Lock up my doors, and when you hear the- drum, And the vile squealing of the long-
necked pipe, Don’t run up to the windows then, Or thrust your head into the public street
To gaze on Christian fools with varnished masks; But stop my house’s ears-1 mean my
windows; Don’t let the sound of shallow foolishness enter My sober house. By Jacob’s
staff, I swear I don’t want to go feasting outside tonight; But I’ll go. You go ahead of me,
servant; Say I’ll come.

Word Meaning With Annotation

Drum and the vile squealing of the wry-necked fife : probably refer to the players,
rather than the instruments, i.e. drum is the same as our “drummer”. In a work called
English Gamer Tudor Tracts, we hear that a “drum…. was shot in both legs.” Similarly
“fife means a fife-player”, “wry-necked” (i.e. corrked-necked) refers to the fact that it was
necessary for the fife player to twist his head to one side when playing his
instruments, vanished faces : Faces painted or made up with colour, foppery
: foolery, by Jacob’s staff :Shylock swears by the staff which his ancestor, Jacob, is
said to have carried according to biblical stories.
Read the above passage and answer the following questions

Question 1.
What is the occasion for speaking of these words?
Answer:
When Lancelot speaks of the masque arranged by Lorenzo and others, Shylock warns
his daughter before leaving the house to attend the feast to be given by Bassanio.
Shylock asks his daughter Jessica to lock all the doors of his house. He urges her not to
climb upto the windows and look out into the street when she hears the drum.

Question 2.
What is the meaning of the phrase ‘wry-necked fife’? Explain meaning of third line in the
passage.
Answer:
The phrase “wry-necked fife” means a wry-necked musician for he always looks away
from his instrument. Shylock warns Jessica not to climb upto the windows to see what is
going on in the street when she hears to sound of the drum and the hatefull noise of the
fife, which is a musical instrument having a bent mouth.

Question 3.
What light does the above passage throw on the character of Shylock?
Answer:
The above mentioned passage shows that Shylock is a strictly religious Jew. He is
shocked to hear that there will be masques in the street. He objects to such profane
shows. Moreover, he does not want his young daughter to watch such shows of dance
and merriment. He does not want his strictly religious house to be profaned with any
sound of loose enjoyment.

Question 4.
Explain the significance of the line “To gaze on Christian fools with varnished faces”.
Answer:
The above mentioned lines reveal Shylock’s hatred for Christians. The phrase ‘Christian
fools’ shows Shylock’s contempt and hatred for the people who persecute his race, and
for whose religion he has no respect.

Question 5.
Is Shylock interested in attending the feast to be given by Bassanio?
Answer:
Shylock has no desire to go out in order to attend any feast. He even swears by Jacob’s
staff, which is sacred for the Jews, that he has no wish to go to the feast. However, he
decides to go probably to fees on the prodigal Christian.

Passage – 2 (Act II, Sc.V, 45-56)

Paraphrase :

SHYLOCK : The man is kind enough, but a huge eater; Snail-slow in worth, and he
sleeps by day More than the wild-cat does; drones don’t live with me, So I’m parting
with him; and send with him To one that I want him help to waste His borrowed purse.
Well, Jessica, go in; Perhaps I’ll return immediately: Do as I tell you, shut doors after
you:” Fast bind, fast find,” A proverb that’s never forgotten in a successful Exit.

JESSICA : Goodbye; and, if my fortune is not crossed, I have lost a father, and you a
daughter.

Word Meaning With Annotation

Patch : fellow. Drones : idlers. Stale : old-fashioned. If my fortune be not crost

: unless I have bad luck. Pent-house : overhead shelter

Read the above passage and answer the following questions

Question 1.
With whom Shylock is engaged in conversation. What place is this? Who else is present
there?
Answer:
Shylock and Jessica are engaged in coversation. The place is Shylock’s residence.
Launcelot too was present there. He had just left.

Question 2.
A man is described as ‘kind enough’. Who is he? Does the speaker mention some
negative quality of the person concerned?
Answer:
The person referred to as ‘kind enough’ is Launcelot, who has been a servant in the
house. He is leaving Shylock to join Bassanio’s service. Shylock admits that Launcelot
is a nice sympathetic fellow. But he is a glutton. He eats too much. This for Shylock is a
disqualification. Added to this is Launcelot’s laziness. He is very slow in doing work.

Question 3.
What is the point of comparison between Launcelot and a wild cat?
Answer:
Launcelot sleeps too much. He is thus like a wild cat which is an animal of nocturnal
habits as it sleeps by the day and prowls by the night.

Question 4.
“drones hive not with me,”
What does Shylock want to say here? Refer to his three comparisons.
Answer:
Shylock declares that he cannot put up with idle and lazy persons like Launcelot. The
male bee is called the drone. It never searches for honey but depends upon the female
bee to do all the work.
Launcelot is a drone. Shylock cannot give shelter to a person like him. Such is this
man’s laziness * that it stirs his master’s fancy. Shylock compares him to three different
animals in two lines-wild cat, snail, drone.

Question 5.
Shylock is glad to part with the person? What are the reasons?
Answer:
Shylock is glad to get rid of a slow and lazy person like Launcelot. As a servant he is a
mere liability. Shylock is glad that Launcelot is leaving him to take service under
Bassanio. This servant will disable his new master’s means which he has just raised by
borrowing money. Shylock hates all Christians. It gives him great pleasure if Bassanio’s
money is wasted in this manner, and he is unable to repay his loan.

Question 6.
Shylock refers to a proverb, “fast bind, fast find,” How do you apply it to this situation?
Answer:
Shylock advises his daughter to shut all the doors after he is gone. He refers to the
proverb which says that what you lock up securely will be found safe when you return.
This means that good watch prevents misfortune.
These words of Shylock are full of dramatic irony. He quotes the correct proverb. He
seems to be very cautious about things. But he does not know that he will find his
daughter and his money gone when he returns. A shock awaits him.

Summary Act 2 Scene 5

Preparing to leave for Bassanio’s dinner party, to which he has accepted an invitation
after all, Shylock encounters Launcelot, who has come to deliver Lorenzo’s reply to
Jessica. Shylock chides his former servant and says that in Launcelot’s new capacity as
Bassanio’s attendant, Launcelot will no longer be able to “gormandize” and “sleep and
snore” as he was (theoretically) able to do with Shylock. All the while that Shylock is
expostulating to Launcelot, his speeches are broken with repeated calls for Jessica.
When she finally appears, he gives her the keys to the house and tells her that he is
going to attend Bassanio’s dinner party. Grumbling, he confesses that he accepted the
invitation “in hate, to feed upon / The prodigal Christian.” He elaborates further and says
that he is “right loath to go”; he has a foreboding that “some ill [is] a – brewing.”

Launcelot urges his former master to go; he too has a premonition. He has a “feeling”
(because his “nose fell a-bleeding on Black Monday last at six o’clock in the morning. .
.”) that Bassanio is preparing an elaborate masque as part of the evening’s
entertainment. Shylock is horrified at the suggestion that he may have to endure the
bawdy, showy heresies of a Christian masque. He insists that if Jessica hears any
sounds of the masque, she is to “stop up [his] house’s ears,” and she herself is to keep
inside and not “gaze on Christian fools with varnished faces [painted masks]”; he vows
that no “sound of shallow foppery” will enter his “sober house.” Despite grave
misgivings, Shylock finally decides to set out for Bassanio’s dinner party — but not
before repeating one final command for Jessica to stay inside: “Fast bind, fast find — /
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.” Shylock exits then, not realizing that Launcelot
was able to whisper a quick word of advice to Jessica before he left: She is to be on
watch for “a Christian” who will be “worth a Jewess’ eye” — Lorenzo.

Alone on the stage, Jessica anticipates her impending elopement and utters a prophetic
couplet that closes the scene :
Farewell; and if my fortune be not crossed,
i have a father, you a daughter, lost.

Analysis Act 2 Scene 5

This scene elaborates on and gives additional dimension to the’character of Shylock.

We know of Jessica’s intended elopement, and thus we understand Shylock’s sense of
foreboding when he speaks of “some ill a-brewing.” Indeed, ill is brewing for him, and
much of the drama in this scene is derived from the fact that both Jessica and Launcelot
are anxious to get Shylock on his way so that they can make final arrangements for the
elopement. Their suspense at his indecision as to whether to go or stay is the key to the
drama here; Shylock says, “I am bid forth . . . But wherefore should I go? . . . But yet I’ll
go … I am right loath to go.” Launcelot, in his excitement and anxiety, almost gives the
elopement, plans away. He lets slip the phrase “They have conspired together” (22), but
he immediately covers his mistake with some confused nonsense about his own
prophetic dream; he predicts that there will be a masque at the party because his “nose
fell a-bleeding on Black Monday.” This is not only a comic parallel of Shylock’s
superstition concerning dreams, but also diverts the old moneylender from the
suggestion that his daughter might be planning to elope.

Also central to this scene is Shylock’s concern with his possessions; note, for example,
his obsession with locking and guarding the house, which he entrusts to Jessica. He
calls her to him and gives her his keys, then almost takes them back again: “I am loath
to go,” he says. The emphasis is on the protection of his wealth, and this emphasis
appears again when he says, “Hear you me, Jessica: / Lock up my doors,” and it occurs
again in “stop my house’s ears — I mean my casements”; even the idea of music
entering his house is repellent to Shylock. He warns Jessica that perhaps he “will return
immediately,” thus producing new anxiety in her — and in the emotions of the audience.
Shylock’s last words — “shut doors after you. / Fast bind, fast find” — illustrate his
inability to leave his possessions. Yet, even so, Shakespeare manages to suggest in his
portrayal of Shylock’s miserliness a kind of unspoken, _ grudging affection for his
daughter and, in this scene, for Launcelot ; he calls Jessica, affectionately, “Jessica my
girl,” and of Launcelot he says, “the patch [a kindly nickname for a clown] is kind
enough.” Still, though, both phrases are immediately followed by a return to his central
fixation — his possessions. The great irony of the scene, of course, lies in our
knowledge that while Shylock is concerned with his valuables, it is his daughter that he
is about to lose, and it is to her that he entrusts his possessions. This is classic dramatic
irony.