Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice Act 2 Quiz

What does Portia mean by "I will die as chaste as Diana" in line 299?

What does Portia's plan to set a deep glass of Rhenish wine on the contrary casket reveal about her? (Select all that apply)

What is the significance of Bassanio's arrival in this scene?

How does Portia describe the suitor's current intentions regarding her?

How does Portia view the suitors' decision to return home?

What is the effect of Portia's statement, "I will do anything, Nerissa, ere I will be married to a sponge"?

According to Nerissa, what is the main reason for the suitors' decision to return home?

What is the possible connection between the phrase "a scholar and a soldier" (line 306) and the casket test?

What is the main topic of this excerpt from The Merchant of Venice?

What is the meaning of "Let all of his complexion choose me so." as it is used in the scene?

What makes Shylock's response to the situation in the scene particularly dramatic?

Why does Salarino remind Solanio to tell Antonio what he heard about the ship "yet do not suddenly, for it may grieve him"?

What is the implication of "Let good Antonio look he keep his day, / Or he shall pay for this."?

What is meant by "the Narrow Seas that part / The French and English"?

What literary device is used in Shylock's speech, "My daughter, O my ducats, O my daughter! / Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats!"?

What is the likely outcome for Antonio if the news about the ship is true?

What does Bassanio imply in the lines "O my Antonio, had I but the means / To hold a rival place with one of them"?

What is the significance of the reference to "Colchos' strond"?

What does Portia mean when she says "It is no mean happiness, therefore, to be seated in the mean?"

What does Nerissa suggest in the line "And yet, for aught I see, they are as sick that surfeit with too much as they that starve with nothing?"

What is the significance of the line "Good sentences, and well pronounced."?

What is the main theme explored in these excerpts from the play?

What does the line "Superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer." suggest?

What does Bassanio's statement “I have a mind presages me such thrift / That I should questionless be fortunate!” imply?

What is the main reason why Arragon chooses the wrong casket?

Which of the following is the best interpretation of the inscription on the silver casket?

How does Arragon react to the outcome of his choice?

What theme is highlighted in the inscription on the silver casket?

What is the significance of the phrase “The fire seven times tried this” in relation to the silver casket?

What is the symbolic meaning of the silver casket in this scene?

What literary device does the author use in the line, “Hanging and wiving goes by destiny”?

What is the tone of Portia's statement, “Thus hath the candle singed the moth”?

What does Shylock compare an evil person who appears virtuous to?

What does Shylock imply about his own practices with the analogy of Jacob and Laban's sheep?

What does Shylock's comparison of Jacob's "thrift" to the potential for stealing imply?

How does Antonio respond to Shylock's claim that he is not taking "interest" directly in the analogy of Jacob and Laban?

What is the significance of Shylock's statement, "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose!"?

What is the primary purpose of the analogy of Jacob and Laban's sheep in the passage?

What is the most likely reason why Shylock brings up Jacob and Laban in this conversation with Antonio?

How does Antonio's reaction to Shylock's analogy of Jacob and Laban reveal his character?

What is the underlying tension between Shylock and Antonio in this passage?

What is the primary function of the aside by Antonio to Bassanio in this scene?