The Merchant of Venice: Key Plot Points and Character Analysis

Antonio and Bassanio's Financial Dealings

• Why didn't Antonio have any money? (¿Por qué Antonio no tiene dinero?)
  Antonio did not have any money because he has all his wealth at sea.
• How much money did Shylock lend Bassanio? (¿Cuánto dinero le presta Shylock a Bassanio?)
  Shylock lent him three thousand ducats.
• What did Bassanio want the money for? (¿Para qué quiere Bassanio el dinero?)
  He wanted the money to go in search of his beloved.

Lorenzo and Jessica's Flight

• Who was Lorenzo? (¿Quién era Lorenzo?)
  He was a friend of Antonio and Bassanio, in love with Jessica.
• What happened with Jessica? (¿Qué pasó con Jessica?)
  Jessica leaves her father's house to go with a Christian (Lorenzo).
• How much money did Jessica take from her father, Shylock? (¿Cuánto dinero tomó Jessica de su padre, el usurero?)
  She took two thousand.

Shylock's Revenge and the Bond

• What did Shylock say to the two men about Antonio's hatred against him? (¿Qué dijo Shylock a los dos hombres sobre el odio de Antonio en su contra?)
  He stated that everything Antonio had done to humiliate Shylock made him feel that Antonio deserved what was happening.
• What did Jessica say about Shylock's wish for his bond? (¿Qué dijo Jessica sobre el deseo de Shylock por su fianza? - la libra de carne de Antonio)
  She said he did not care how much money he was offered; he wanted Antonio's life at all costs.
• What happened to Antonio's ship? (¿Qué pasó con el barco de Antonio?)
  He lost all his ships in the ocean.

The Casket Challenge and Portia's Marriage

• What was the importance of the casket? (¿Cuál fue la importancia del cofre?)
  One of the caskets contained the future of Portia.
• What did each casket say? (¿Qué decía cada cofre?)
  
  • GOLD: "Who chooses me will win what many want."
  • SILVER: "Who picks me will get as much as he deserves."
  • LEAD: "Who chooses me must give and risk everything you have."
• What does Bassanio say about "beauty" when choosing the casket? (¿Qué dice Bassanio de la "belleza" al elegir el cofre?)
  Bassanio chooses the lead casket because he determines that the point of the riddle is to consider that "it's what is on the inside that counts" and that the gold and silver just represent show and outer beauty.
• Which casket did Bassanio choose? Why? (¿Qué cofre eligió Bassanio? ¿Por qué?)
  Bassanio chooses lead because, he says, it is not pretentious like silver or gold.

The Significance of the Ring

• What is the importance of the ring Portia gives Bassanio? (¿Cuál es la importancia del anillo que Portia le da a Bassanio?)
  The importance was that it meant a lot to Portia and that the only way to separate them would be death.
• What does Bassanio tell Portia about losing the ring? (¿Qué le dice Bassanio a Portia sobre la pérdida del anillo?)
  He explains what happened to the ring, telling her that a young doctor asked for it after they saved the life of Antonio.
• What happens with Bassanio's ring? (¿Qué sucede con el anillo de Bassanio?)
  It is taken by the doctor, and then Portia reveals her identity to Bassanio.

The Butterfly Effect in the Plot

• Explain the relation between the butterfly effect theory and the plot in The Merchant of Venice. (Explique la relación entre la teoría del efecto mariposa y la trama de El mercader de Venecia.)