Merchant of Venice-Test Study Guide

1: Why does Bassanio need to borrow money from Antonio?

a. To get his ships out to seab. To pay for his daughter’s weddingc. To court Portia, a rich heiressd. To pay off his debts

2: When Antonio borrows the money on behalf of Bassanio from Shylock, what are the moneylender’s terms?

a. An exorbitant rate of interestb. No interest, but a pound of Antonio’s flesh if the repayment is latec. No interest, but Antonio’s daughter’s hand in marriage if the repayment is lated. A pound of Bassanio’s flesh for every day the repayment is late

3: Shylock dislikes Antonio intensely because Antonio

a. never repays his loansb. publicly condemns Shylock for charging excessive interestc. pretends he is your friend, and then swindles youd. refuses to haggle

4: What do the three caskets contain that Portia’s suitors must choose between before they can marry her?

a. Ducats, silver, and paperb. Jewels, silver, and leadc. Gold, silver, and tind. Gold, silver, and lead

5: Bassanio chooses the lead casket, which containsa. a portrait of Portiab. 3,000 ducatsc. a deed to propertyd. a ring

6: Why does Antonio believe he will have to forfeit on the loan?

a. He is disinherited by his family.b. He is robbed.c. His ships have been lost at sea.d. He has been deceived by a friend.

7: What does Portia (disguised as a lawyer) say that Shylock must not do when he cuts off a pound of Antonio’s flesh?

a. Spill a drop of his bloodb. Hurt him in any wayc. Leave a single markd. Make any noise

8: What does Portia (disguised as a lawyer) want as a "remembrance" for her legal services?

a. 3,000 ducatsb. Half of Shylock’s wealthc. A ringd. One of Antonio’s ships

9: Who eventually leaves Shylock?

a. Launcelot Gobbo and Jessicab. Lorenzo and Tubalc. Leonardo and Nerissad. Balthasar and Stephano

10: What does Shylock bring with him to the courtroom?a. A monkeyb. Leah’s ringc. Jessica’s picture d. A knife and scales

11: Which of the female characters disguise themselves as boys during the course of the play?a. None of themb. All of themc. Portia and Nerissad. Portia and Jessica

12: Which of the following characters does not get married at the end of the play?

a. Portiab. Gratianoc. Antoniod. Jessica

13: Who says the following: "By yonder moon, I swear you do me wrong."

a. Antoniab. Bassanioc. Gratianod. Portia

14: Who says the following: "Hath not a Jew eyes?"

a. Lorenzob. Tubalc. Jessicad. Shylock

15: Who says the following: ". . . mercy is [like] the gentle rain from heaven . . . It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."

a. Antoniob. Bassanioc. Portiad. Shylock

16. "It's a wise father who knows his own child" is said by A. Jessica B. Launcelot C. Lorenzo

17. The young Venetians like to compare themselves to A. merchant ships B. unrefined gold C. musical instruments

18. The episode of the rings might be said to show A. that Bassanio does not take his marriage seriously B. that loyalty in spirit is more important than vows and sworn oaths C. that Bassanio will eventually have to choose between his best friend and his wife

19. In joking about her German suitor, Portia suggests A. placing a bottle of wine on the wrong casket B. he's in love with his horse C. he's a vile coward

20. Hanging and wiving are said to be alike because A. wise men avoid both B. both last forever C. both are determined by fate

21. "The shadowed livery of the burnished sun" refers to A. the new uniform Bassanio gives Launcelot B. the Prince of Morocco's complexion C. Shylock's hoarded gold

22. The casket picked by the Prince of Arragon is the wrong one because A. silver is less valuable than gold B. his choice was too obvious C. his choice was dictated by logic, not love

23. The song "Tell me where is fancy bred" says that A. unlike true love, fancy can be deceiving B. good breeding always shows in the end C. love at first sight is the best kind of love

24. Shylock hates Antonio because I. he is a Christian II. he has insulted him III. he deals in merchandise IV. he lends money without charging interest A. II only B. I and III only C. all of these D. I, II and IV only

25. In The Merchant of Venice, love and money are A. enjoyed only by those who guard them carefully B. two forms of wealth C. in constant conflict

26. "The quality of mercy is not strained" means A. mercy is given freely, without constraint B. mercy should be given only when it puts no strain on the giver C. the good and bad aspects of mercy are hard to separate

27. "Love is blind" refers to A. the test of the three caskets B. Jessica's disguise C. Bassanio's failure to recognize Portia when she is dressed as a man

28. The lead casket is the right choice because A. lead symbolizes seriousness and weighty thoughts B. to find true love you have to be willing to take risks C. great beauty and inner worth never go together

29. Tubal added to Shylock's woes by telling him A. how Jessica squandered his money B. that Antonio's ships were coming safely to port C. that the Duke would not honor his contract

30. One sign of Gratiano's excessive wildness is his A. running off to Belmont B. hasty marriage to Nerissa C. fondness for dirty puns

31. Nerissa says that it is easiest to be happy if you are A. average B. married C. rich

32. The reason that Portia's father set up the test of the caskets is that A. Portia might have married a fortune hunter otherwise B. he wanted his daughter to have a wise husband C. never told to us in the play

33. Antonio pledges a pound of his own flesh because A. he is a good and generous friend B. he refuses to pay usury C. he knows the law will never allow Shylock to collect

34. In the trial scene, "I am content" is said by A. Bassanio B. Shylock C. Portia

STUDY QUESTIONS-Answer on your own paper.

1. Is Shylock justified in his hatred for Antonio?

2. Explain the test of the caskets.

3. What superior values does mercy have over justice?

4. What are the hypocrisies of the Christian society in the play?

5. Explain the significance of the trial scene. What are the comic interludes provided and how do they provide relief?

6. Discuss the characters of Antonio and Shylock, underlining their similarities and dif-ferences.

7. What is Portia's role in the play?

9. Comment on Antonio’s motivation. Are his stated motives sufficient to account for his words and actions in the play? What hidden motives might we suspect?

10. What characters do you think are the most coveted roles in the play? Why?

MULTIPLE CHOICE ANSWERS

1. C 18. A 2. B 19. A 3. B 20. A 4. D 21 B 5. A 22. A 6. C 23. C 7. A 24. C 8. C 25. C 9. A 26. A 10. D 27. A 11. B 28. B 12. C 29. A 13. C 30. B 14. D 31. C 15. C 32. B 16. B 33. A 17 . A 34. B