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What role does music play in act III and act IV of The Merchant of Venice?
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Christians give very importance to Music. In The Merchant Of Venice By Shakespear we have seen how he has portrayed music. In act3.2 when Bassanio comes to woo Portia we come across the element of music. There Portia says to her band to play music while Bassanio chooses the caskets(Gold,Silver or Lead).
Portia then says"
....Let music sound while he doth make his choice.Then if he lose he makes a swanlike end, Fading in music. That the comparison May stand more proper, my eye shall be the stream
And watery deathbed for him. He may win,
And what is music then? Then music is
Even as the flourish when true subjects bow
To a new-crownèd monarch. Such it is
As are those dulcet sounds in break of day
That creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear
And summon him to marriage."
By this she mean Play some music while he chooses. Then if he loses, it'll be his swan song, music before the end. And since swans need water to swim in, I'll cry him a river when he loses. But on the other hand, he may win. What music should we play then? If he wins, the music should be like the majestic trumpets that blare when subjects bow to a newly crowned monarch. It's the sweet sounds at daybreak that the dreaming bridegroom hears on his wedding morning, calling him to the church.
So here Bassanio victory or loss was to be defined with the music.
In Act5, When Portia, Nerrisa, Bassanio and his dear Dear friend Antonio was coming back to Belmont in Portia's palace they were preparing to welcome them and sweet music was being played. There when Jessica and Lorenzo are hanging out at Portia's house, musicians play and Jessica says that "sweet music" always makes her sad.
Lorenzo then makes a big speech about how music isn't what's causing her to be so bummed out. In fact, music has the power to make even wild animals calm and "less savage." (Comparing her to a wild animal? Gee, could Lorenzo be more condescending?)
The reason is, your spirits are attentive:
For do but note a wild and wanton herd,
Or race of youthful and unhandled colts,
Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud,
Which is the hot condition of their blood;
If they but hear perchance a trumpet sound,
Or any air of music touch their ears,
You shall perceive them make a mutual stand,
Their savage eyes turn'd to a modest gaze
By the sweet power of music: (5.1.13)
What's interesting to note here is the way Lorenzo emphasizes the concept of change or transformation. Why would Lorenzo associate Jessica with savage animals that become calm after hearing music? Well, this seems like an allusion to the fact that Jessica has recently converted from Judaism (often associated with savageness in the play) to Christianity.
Jessica grew up in a house where there was no music. Remember that, earlier in the play, Shylock ordered Jessica to shut up all the windows and doors so the music from the street wouldn't make its way in: "Hear you me, Jessica, / Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum [...] stop my house's ears" (2.4.5).
So when Lorenzo declares that "The man that hath no music in himself, / Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, / Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils" (5.1.13), it seems like an obvious reference to Shylock, who hates music and is often characterized as a "savage" Jew.
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Hope my answer helped you a lot :)
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
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Why is the book The Merchant of Venice a tragic comedy?
The Merchant of Venice is a play, not a book. It is meant to be watched, not read. Although the story of Bassanio and Portia is comic in structure, the subplot about Antonio and Shylock ends tragically for Shylock. In this respect the play is similar to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, which ends badly for Malvolio, although the ending is happy for the main characters. One of the peculiarities of The Merchant of Venice is that Shylock, because of the complexity of his character and the opportunity he presents for drama, has become the character in the play actors most want to play. In the nineteenth century, where all Shakespearean plays were treated as a vehicle for a star actor supported by a lot of nobodies, it is Shylock who Henry Irving played, not Bassanio. As a result, it has become Shylock's play, which makes it a tragedy. Incidentally, the historical fact that the role of Shylock has attracted many great actors is proof positive that the role is not a caricature or some kind of antisemitic stereotype.
What are examples of problem play in Shakespeare's play?
Shakespeare's problem plays are those which are difficult to categorize, usually because they are comedies in which very sad things happen to the characters. They don't usually die, though. Measure for Measure and All's Well that Ends Well are often called problem plays because their endings are ambiguous. Troilus and Cressida is a problem play because nobody is happy at the end, although they are alive (except for Hector, who has been murdered, and Patroclus who died in battle). Cymbeline is a late comedy but for some reason sometimes gets put in among the tragedies. Merchant of Venice was originally chiefly a comedy, but nowadays the role of Shylock is the central role, and the play turns out very badly for him.
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