"What may words say . . .?" : a reading of The merchant of Venice / Inge Leimberg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Leimberg, Inge.

Contributor:

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Library (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Merchant of Venice.

Shakespeare, William.

Physical Description:

292 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Madison, NJ : Fairleigh Dickinson University Press ; Lanham, Md. : Co-published with Rowman & Littlefield Pub. Group, [2011]

Summary:

This book is addressed to students, to scholars specializing in the literature of the English Renaissance, and to actors and directors. It provides a close reading of Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, examining in detail its language and the play of allusions, connotations, phonic linkages, ambiguities, and wordplay that embody its rich themes.

Contents:

Act 1 The Merchant and the Maxims 22

Scene 1 "otherwise friendship would bee a meere merchandise ..." 22

1-7 Know thyself 22

8-68 "I know Antonio / Is sad ..." 24

69-112 "A stage, where every man must play a part ..." 28

113-160 "Then do but say to me what I should do ..." 29

161-185 "To have it of my trust ..." 31

Scene 2 "choose you this day whom you will serve" 34

1-9 Nothing too much 34

10-97 A conversational chain of themes 35

"to be seated in the mean" 36

"what were good to do" 37

"O me the word 'choose'!" 38

32-98 Interlude: "these princely suitors" 39

99-128 "the will of a living daughter curb'd by the will of a dead father" 43

"How to choose right ..." 43

"my father's will" 47

Scene 3 "Be not thou one ... of those who are sureties for debts" 50

"Enter Bassanio with Shylock the Jew" Harme is at hande 50

1 "three thousand ducats" 51

a The number three 51

b The number 3000 53

c Ducat, the coin and the word 54

1-9 "Antonio shall become bound, well" 56

11-34 "he is sufficient" 58

35-47 "possessed with murd'rous hate" 60

47-65 "I do never use it" 65

66-97 "I make it breed as fast" 67

59 "the breach of custom is breach of all" 68

98-138 The Golden Rule 69

138-175 "How feel you yourself my friend? ..." 71

176-177 "And forgive us our debts ..." 73

Act 2 Departure 76

Scene 1 "what braggardism is this?" 77

Scene 2 "Give him a livery" 77

1-30 "An enemy may chance to give good counsel" 77

31-35 "this is my true-begotten father" 79

36-95 "it is a wise father that knows his own child" 80

95-148 "I have brought him a present" 84

149-160 "Such beginning, such end" 89

161-197 Epilogue: "Something too liberal" 89

Scene 3 "Farewell good Launcelot" 90

Scene 3 (continued). "We paint the devil foul ..." 92

Scene 4 "Will you prepare you for this masque to-night?" 96

Scene 5 "Lock up my doors ..." 97

Scene 6 "No masque tonight ..." 99

1-21 "Haste makes waste" 99

22-25 "Here dwells my father Jew" 100

26-32 "Who are you?" 101

33-50 "catch this casket" 102

51-59 "wise, fair, and true" 103

60-68 "the wind is come about" 105

Scene 7 "I stand for sacrifice" 105

Scene 8 "by some nuntius to recount the things" 108

Scene 9 "Hanging and wiving goes by destiny" 110

1-84 "I will use them according to their desert" 110

85-101 "he bringeth sensible regreets" 112

Act 3 The Choice 113

Scene 1 "if you wrong us shall we not revenge?" 113

1-66 "The villainy you teach me I will execute" 113

67-120 "thou torturest me Tubal" 116

Scene 2 "If you do love me, you will find me out" 119

1-24 "I pray you tarry" 119

24-38 "Promise me life ..." 121

39-41 "Suit the action to the word" 123

42-53 "Let music sound ..." 125

53-62 "while he doth make his choice" 126

63-72 "Tell me where is fancy bred?" 128

73 "So may the outward shows be least themselves" 132

74 "The world is still deceiv'd with ornament-" 136

75-107 The "hidden man of the heart" 140

108-114 "Por. [Aside.]" 141

114-171 "Turn you where your lady is" 142

149-174 "O that you were yourself!" 143

171-185 "With this ring I thee wed ..." 144

186-218 "good joy,-good joy .../... But who comes here?" 145

219-265 "So now I have confessed ..." 145

266-325 "if I might but see you ..." 147

Scene 3 "The duke cannot deny the course of law" 148

1-20 "but he would not heare" 148

21-36 "pray God Bassanio come ..." 150

Scene 4 "purchasing the semblance of my soul" 152

1-9 "you would be prouder of the work" 152

10-23 "I never did repent for doing good" 154

"an egall yoke of love ..." 154

"a like proportion ..." 155

"purchasing the semblance of my soul, / From out the state of hellish cruelty!-" 156

24-44 "I have toward heaven breathed a secret vow, / To live in prayer and contemplation" 156

45-84 "Come on Nerissa, I have work in hand" 157

Scene 5 "So fare you well till we shall meet again" 158

1-64 "O dear discretion, how his words are suited" 158

64-84 "-first let us go to dinner" 160

Act 4 The Trial 161

Scene 1 "I will sing of mercy and judgment" 161

1-13 "I do oppose / My patience to his fury" 161

14-34 "To love is human; to be indulgent is human, too" 162

35-42 "I'll not answer that!" 163

43-62 "But say it is my humour ..." 165

43-62 (once more) "I am not well" 166

58 "None is offended but by himself" 168

63-83 "use no farther means" 169

84-103 "What judgment shall I dread doing no wrong?" 170

104-142 Interlude: "As fox to lamb ..." 172

143-169 "Bellario's letter" 173

170-179 "Which is the merchant here? And which the Jew?" 175

180-198 "My doctrine shall drop as the rain ..." 176

198-203 "I crave the law" 182

204-224 "Take thrice thy money, bid me tear the bond" 184

224-258 "swear not ..." 186

259-277 "Give me your hand, Bassanio, fare you well" 187

278-294 "stuff'd with protestations" 189

294-301 "Tarry a little, there is something else-" 189

302-308 "one jot or one tittle" 191

308-318 "Pay the bond thrice ..." 195

319-342 "on peril of a curse" 198

342-369 "Tarry Jew" 199

370-453 "Better give than take" 200

383 "He presently become a Christian" 202

391-396 "Exit [Shylock]" 203

397-453 "For giving it to me" 206

Scene 2 "This ring I do accept most thankfully" 207

Act 5 Homecoming 208

Scene 1 "delightful pleasing harmony" 208

1-24 "The moon shines bright ..." 208

25-53 "bring your music forth into the air" 210

54-57 "Wise silence is best musicke unto bliss" 211

58-65 "my soul's imaginary sight" 212

66-68 "pierce your mistress' ear" 214

69-70 "Obey, and be attentive" 216

70 (continued) "The nimble spirits in the arteries" 219

71-79 "Beasts and all cattle ..." 222

79-88 "Tune thy Musicke to thy hart" 226

89-113 "Whan every foul cometh there to chese his mate" 228

113-141 "welcome home!" 230

142-208 "Thou canst not hit it, hit it, hit it" 231

192-208 "We will have rings and things ..." 232

209-266 "Liebstes Blondchen! ach verzeihe!" 233

267-307 "Finisque ab origine pendet" 236.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 254-273) and index.

ISBN:

9780838642641

0838642640

9781611470000

1611470005

OCLC:

609303939