It should seem, then, that Dobbin’s tail grows backward; I am sure he had more hair of his tail than I have of my face when I last saw him.

-Launcelot Gobo

The Merchant of Venice                Act II, scene ii, line 142

 

This is an odd little scene. It begins with Launcelot deciding whether or not to leave the service of Shylock. It ends with him making the decision to leave and entering into the service of Bassanio. In between, Launcelot’s father shows up and, being half blind, doesn’t realize initially that he’s talking to his son. But he finally realizes it and remarks that his son has more hair on his chin than his horse Dobbin has on its tail. I’m not 100% sure what Launcelot means with his response in Today’s Totally Random Line. I guess he’s just remarking on the shortness of his own beard.

I’m also not exactly sure what the old man Gobo scene adds, other than the opportunity for a little bit of comic interlude, but I guess that’s important. This is a comedy, after all. Let’s not forget that.

Talk about long tails, now that's impressive!

 

Besides, the lottery of my destiny

Bars me the right of voluntary choosing:

-Portia

The Merchant of Venice                Act II, scene i, line 15

 

This is another piece of this play that bugs me. Portia’s father died, and apparently he had quite the estate and his daughter appears to be his sole survivor. He’s left instructions that whatever suitor can come and pick the correct of three caskets (small boxes) they will win the hand of his daughter. His daughter has no say in the matter. This is what Portia is making reference to in today’s Totally Random Line. What the heck kind of nonsense is this?

Perhaps the old man left someone in charge to enforce this deal, but if he did, I haven’t seen mention of him. It looks like Portia is just going along with it. Now I can see honoring one’s father’s wishes, but this seems a bit much.

And this gamble is the premise that Bassanio borrowed the three thousand ducats on; the premise for which Antonio’s life is on the line. In a sense, the whole play revolves around this silly casket choice. Well that’s just crazy.

Is this like Portia's caskets? Actually, hers were metal...

...and I don't think any of hers had a chess set inside. So, no, I don't think this is like any of Portia's caskets.

 

                              It is almost morning,

And yet I am sure you are not satisfied

Of these events at full. Let us go in;

And charge us there upon inter’gatories,

And we will answer all things faithfully.

 

-Portia

The Merchant of Venice                Act V, scene i, line 297

 

This is the second to last lines of the play. Gratiano is given the honor of following with the last eight lines of the play.

What’s that you say? You want those lines too? I don’t blame you.

         Let it be so: the first inter’gatory

        That Nerissa may be sworn on is,

        Whether till the next night she had rather stay,

        Or go to bed now, being two hours to day:

        But were the day come, I should wish it dark,

That I were couching with the doctor’s clerk.

Well, while I live I’ll fear no other thing,

So sore as keeping safe Nerissa’s ring.

End act, scene, play. Finito.

It’s supposed to be a light hearted play, a comedy, and this ending goes with that. No one dies, Antonio is saved in the end, and the guys get their girls. Sure, one old miserly Jew is completely ruined, but we’re not going to let that spoil the mood, are we?

Are we?

I think I’ve mentioned before that the only time I’ve seen this play performed live, the final person on stage was Shylock. Gratiano still got the final lines, but after he spoke the stage lights faded and then a spotlight shown on Shylock, sitting in the dark. I remember his face as he looked out at the audience. He wasn’t mad or ruined; it seemed more to be a look that said, ‘Are you happy now? Are you okay feeling good about the play even though I got completely destroyed?’ It was very thought provoking and, in my opinion, a very good way to end the play, maintaining some respect for modern sensibilities. I’m sure there are those who would disagree; but aren’t there always.

'Holy crow, what does that picture got to do with anything?' I can hear you say. Well, a little maybe.

Here's me and my oldest nephew Matt. Good guy, that Matt. And Matt's brother Michael did the lighting work for the live production of Merchant that I was just talking about. In fact, I guess it was Michael who came up with the spotlight on Shylock in the dark? So I guess your next question is 'Why not a pic of Michael?' Another good question. The answer is that yesterday was Matt's birthday. 

Happy one-day-late birthday, Matt!

 

                              Why look how you storm!

I would be friends with you, and have your love,

Forget the shames that you have stain’d me with,

Supply your present wants and take no doit

Of usance for my monies,

And you’ll not hear me: this is kind I offer.

 

-Shylock

The Merchant of Venice                Act I, scene iii, line 45

 

I’m going to maintain that skipping around like this, whether within one play or through all Will’s works, has the advantage of having any and every possible line highlighted, where it might otherwise be skipped over. And that’s a good thing. But to today’s line…

Shylock had been saying previously that Antonio has in the past been very mean to him, spit on him and treated him like a dog. And for these courtesies/I’ll lend you thus much monies’? he asks of Antonio. Antonio’s reply is an interesting one.

         I am as like to call thee so again,

        To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.

        If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not

        As to thy friends— for when did friendship take

        A breed for barren metal of his friend?—

        But lend it rather to thine enemy;

        Who if he break, thou mayst with better face

        Exact the penalty.

 

For when did friendship… Antonio’s saying when did friendship ever increase based on the money of a friend?

Who if he break… who if he goes bankrupt.

This is the storming that Shylock is referring to, and responding to, with today’s Totally Random Lines.

Now, there’s a lot here, and I gave you quite a bit to read, but I think this is a really important piece of the play. Shylock has justly accused Antonio of being really rotten to him, of spitting on him and treating him like a dog. Even with all that he’s saying that he would be willing to be friends with Antonio. He’d be willing to take no doit of usance – take not a penny of interest for the loan. We can argue as to whether or not this is a sincere offer, but either way Antonio has already made it very clear that he wants absolutely nothing to do with Shylock on a personal basis; he only wants the money loaned on a purely business-based relationship. At this point Shylock offers, and Antonio accepts, the pound of flesh deal.

So, who’s the bad guy? You tell me.

No doit of usance..

 

Not one red cent.

 

Is it your dear friend that is thus in trouble?

 -Portia

The Merchant of Venice                Act III, scene ii, line 290

 

Day five of Merchant; And for the third day in a row, we’re on the same scene; in fact, the same part of the same scene (I didn't post to the blog yesterday, but the line I read was from this scene). Today we have Portia asking Bassanio if the person in trouble is his dear friend Antonio. Yes, it is; and he is perhaps dearer than you could imagine.

It's widely, albeit not universally, held that Antonio and Bassanio were gay, or at least bisexual, lovers. This is one reason posited for why Antonio is so sad at the beginning of the play. He’s sad because he knows that Bassanio will be leaving him to pursue Portia. So, when Portia refers to Bassanio’s dear friend, it begs the question of whether or not she knows just how dear a friend he is.

What do you think?

And just when I thought there was no way I had any pics relevant to two gay friends, I find this one. How about that!

 

 

I would you had won the fleece that he hath lost!

-Solanio

The Merchant of Venice                Act III, scene ii, line 241

 

Day three of Merchant.

We are in Belmont, and earlier in this scene Bassiano picked the correct casket and has won Portia’s hand. Now, Solanio has just arrived from Venice, and Gratiano is asking for news of Antoino.

                How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio?             

                I know he will be glad of our success;

                We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece.

To which Solanio replies with today’s semi-random line. Of course, the news he brings in a letter, which Bassanio and Gratiano have not yet read, is that Antonio has defaulted on the debt and is going to have to give a pound of flesh to Shylock. So it’s not particularly good news, is it.

Both Solanio and Gratiano are making reference to Jason and the Golden Fleece, a story from Greek mythology in case you’re not familiar with it. Jason and his crew go on a quest to bring back the Golden Fleece which was considered a great treasure. After many adventures, they succeed. Gratiano is comparing Bassanio and himself to Jason and his men. Solanio is talking about Antonio when he says the fleece that he hath lost, because Antonio has lost it all.

This poor guy really lost it all - fleece, flesh, you name it. 

 

 

You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,

And spit upon my Jewish gabardine,

And all for use of that which is mine own.

-Shylock

The Merchant of Venice                Act I, scene iii, line 111

 

Day two of semi-random Merchant, and what do we have here. I’ll tell you what we have. We have cut right to the heart of the play. If not the heart as Will intended it, certainly the heart of the play as it is viewed today, and the reason that the play is considered a bit problematic in the twenty-first century.

Bassanio and Antonio have come to Shylock to borrow money, and Shylock is raising the issue of his own Jewishness and how he has been persecuted for it.

Now, do we discuss what’s going on in the play here and what we think Will meant, or do we discuss modern sensibilities and why this line is emblematic of why the play can be difficult to deal with in 2022? Related as they are, these two topics diverge significantly, but  both of them require careful consideration in any modern presentation, interpretation, or retelling of this play. Whilst I'm not going to delve further into it now, I lay this out there for your consideration with the promise that we will be considering this further as we continue our semi-random Merchant journey. 

 

Simon & Garfunkel - America (from The Concert in Central Park) - YouTube

 No pic today, just a song. I picked it because it has the word gaberdine in it and this is the only time I've ever run into that word other than here in Merchant. But it's also a great song.